Presidents & Heads of States, TUB-ÊżÄR
President, in government, the officer in whom the chief executive power of a nation is vested. The president of a republic is the head of state, but the actual power of the president varies from country to country; in the United States, Africa, and Latin America the presidential office is charged with great powers and responsibilities, but the office is relatively weak and largely ceremonial in Europe and in many countries where the prime minister, or premier, functions as the chief executive officer.
Presidents & Heads of States Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Tubman, William V S
William V. S. Tubman was a statesman whose 27 years as Liberiaâs 17th president constituted the longest tenure......
Tudjman, Franjo
Franjo Tudjman was a Croat politician who led the country to independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and who was president......
Turbay Ayala, Julio CĂ©sar
Julio CĂ©sar Turbay Ayala was the president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982. He was a centrist liberal who proved......
Tyler, John
John Tyler was the 10th president of the United States (1841â45), who took office upon the death of Pres. William......
TÔnisson, Jaan
Jaan TÔnisson was an Estonian statesman, lawyer, newspaper editor, and civic leader who opposed Russian (tsarist......
Ubico, Jorge
Jorge Ubico was a soldier and dictator who ruled Guatemala for 13 years (1931â44). Ubico received a commission......
Ulbricht, Walter
Walter Ulbricht was a German Communist leader and head of the post-World War II German Democratic Republic, or......
Ulmanis, KÄrlis
KÄrlis Ulmanis was a leader in the fight for Latvian independence in the early decades of the 20th century. He......
Uribe, Ălvaro
Ălvaro Uribe is a Colombian politician who served as president of Colombia (2002â10). Uribe earned a law degree......
Uriburu, José Evaristo
JosĂ© Evaristo Uriburu was an Argentine statesman who was his countryâs president in 1895â98. Born into an old aristocratic......
Uriburu, José Félix
José Félix Uriburu was an Argentine soldier who led the military coup that in September 1930 overthrew the liberal......
Urquiza, Justo José de
Justo José de Urquiza was a soldier and statesman who overthrew the powerful Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de......
Van Buren, Martin
Martin Van Buren was the eighth president of the United States (1837â41) and one of the founders of the Democratic......
Van Rompuy, Herman
Herman Van Rompuy is a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium (2008â09). He later was the first......
Vargas, GetĂșlio
GetĂșlio Vargas was the president of Brazil (1930â45, 1951â54), who brought social and economic changes that helped......
Velasco Alvarado, Juan
Juan Velasco Alvarado was the president of Peru from 1968 until 1975. Formerly commander in chief of the Army,......
Velasco Ibarra, JosĂ© MarĂa
JosĂ© MarĂa Velasco Ibarra was a lawyer and a major political figure in Ecuador from the 1930s to the â70s, and......
Venkataraman, Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy Venkataraman was an Indian politician, government official, and lawyer who was president of India from......
Victoria, Guadalupe
Guadalupe Victoria was a Mexican soldier and political leader who was the first president of the Mexican Republic.......
Videla, Jorge Rafael
Jorge Rafael Videla was a career military officer who was president of Argentina from 1976 to 1981. His government......
Vike-Freiberga, Vaira
Vaira Vike-Freiberga is a Latvian psychologist who served as president of Latvia (1999â2007). She was the first......
Viljoen, Marais
Marais Viljoen was a South African politician, who was the fifth state president (1979â84) of South Africa, a largely......
von der Leyen, Ursula
Ursula von der Leyen is a Belgian-born German politician who is the first woman to serve as Germanyâs minister......
Voronin, Vladimir
Vladimir Voronin was a Moldovan politician who served as president of Moldova from 2001 to 2009. Voronin graduated......
Voroshilov, Kliment Yefremovich
Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov was a military and political leader of the Soviet Union who served as head of state......
Vorster, John
John Vorster was a far-right Nationalist politician who served as prime minister (1966â78) and president (1978â79)......
Våzquez, Tabaré
Tabaré Våzquez was an Uruguayan doctor and politician who served as president of Uruguay from 2005 to 2010 and......
Wade, Abdoulaye
Abdoulaye Wade was a lawyer and professor who was president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. Wade was educated in......
Wahid, Abdurrahman
Abdurrahman Wahid was an Indonesian Muslim religious leader and politician who was president of Indonesia from......
Waldheim, Kurt
Kurt Waldheim was an Austrian diplomat and statesman who served two terms as the fourth secretary-general of the......
Walker, William
William Walker was an adventurer, filibuster, and revolutionary leader who succeeded in making himself president......
Washington, George
George Washington was an American general and commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution......
Wasmosy, Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos Wasmosy was a Paraguayan civil engineer and businessman who served as president of Paraguay (1993â98).......
Weah, George
George Weah is a Liberian politician and a former football (soccer) player who served as president of Liberia from......
Weizman, Ezer
Ezer Weizman was an Israeli soldier and politician who was the seventh president of Israel (1993â2000). Weizman......
Weizmann, Chaim
Chaim Weizmann was the first president of the new nation of Israel (1949â52), who was for decades the guiding spirit......
Welti, Emil
Emil Welti was a statesman, six times president of the Swiss Confederation, and a champion of federal centralization.......
Widodo, Joko
Joko Widodo is an Indonesian businessman, politician, and government official who served as governor of Jakarta......
Wilson, Woodrow
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States (1913â21), an American scholar and statesman known for......
Wojciechowski, StanisĆaw
StanisĆaw Wojciechowski was one of the leaders in the struggle for Polish independence from Russia in the years......
Wolde-Giorgis, Girma
Girma Wolde-Giorgis was an Ethiopian political leader who served as president of Ethiopia (2001â13). Girma graduated......
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping is a Chinese politician and government official who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese......
Yanukovych, Viktor
Viktor Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who served as prime minister (2002â05, 2006â07) and president (2010â14)......
YarâAdua, Umaru Musa
Umaru Musa YarâAdua was a Nigerian politician who served as president of Nigeria (2007â10). His inauguration marked......
Yeltsin, Boris
Boris Yeltsin was a Russian politician who became president of Russia in 1990. In 1991 he became the first popularly......
Yoon Suk-Yeol
Yoon Suk-Yeol is a South Korean lawyer and public official who served as prosecutor general (2019â21) and president......
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was a Chinese army leader and reformist minister in the twilight of the Qing dynasty (until 1911) and......
Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is an Indonesian military officer, politician, and government official who was the first......
Yun Po-Sun
Yun Po-Sun was a Korean politician who served (1960â62) as a liberal president of South Korea during the Second......
Yushchenko, Viktor
Viktor Yushchenko is a Ukrainian politician who served as president of Ukraine (2005â10). Yushchenko grew up in......
Zardari, Asif Ali
Asif Ali Zardari is the president of Pakistan (2008â13; 2024â ) and is the first to have completed a full term......
Zedillo, Ernesto
Ernesto Zedillo is a former president of Mexico, serving from 1994 to 2000. Reared in a working-class family in......
Zelaya, José Santos
José Santos Zelaya was a Nicaraguan politician and dictator from 1893 to 1910, noted for his hostility toward the......
Zelaya, Manuel
Manuel Zelaya is a Honduran politician who served as president of Honduras (2006â09). In 2009, after having proposed......
Zelensky, Volodymyr
Volodymyr Zelensky is a Ukrainian actor and comedian who was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. Although he......
Zeroual, Liamine
Liamine Zeroual was an Algerian military officer and politician who served as the president of Algeria (1994â99).......
Zhelev, Zheliu
Zheliu Zhelev was a Bulgarian dissident and politician who served as president of Bulgaria from 1990 to 1997. Zhelev......
Zhivkov, Todor
Todor Zhivkov was the first secretary of the ruling Bulgarian Communist Partyâs Central Committee (1954â89) and......
Zia-ul-Haq, Mohammad
Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq was the Pakistani chief of Army staff, chief martial-law administrator, and president of Pakistan......
Zinsou, Ămile Derlin
Ămile Derlin Zinsou was a nationalist politician and president (1968â69) of Dahomey (now Benin), noted for the......
Zog I
Zog I was the president of Albania from 1925 to 1928 and king from 1928 to 1939. Though able to manipulate Albaniaâs......
Zuma, Jacob
Jacob Zuma is a politician who served as president of South Africa from 2009 until he resigned under pressure in......
ZĂĄpotockĂœ, AntonĂn
AntonĂn ZĂĄpotockĂœ was a political leader, cofounder of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and the native Czech......
Ălvarez, Juan
Juan Ălvarez was a revolutionary leader for more than 40 years, before and after the end of Spanish rule, and provisional......
Ăvila Camacho, Manuel
Manuel Ăvila Camacho was a soldier and moderate statesman whose presidency (1940â46) saw a consolidation of the......
Ă DĂĄlaigh, Cearbhall
Cearbhall Ă DĂĄlaigh was the chief justice of the Irish Supreme Court (1961â74) and the fifth president of Ireland......
Ăzal, Turgut
Turgut Ăzal was a Turkish politician, prime minister from 1983 to 1989 and president from 1989 to 1993. Ăzal studied......
Äakste, Janis
Janis Äakste was a patriot and president (1922â27) of the Republic of Latvia, who, through political activity in......
Ä°nönĂŒ, Ä°smet
Ä°smet Ä°nönĂŒ was a Turkish army officer, statesman, prime minister (1923â24; 1925â37; 1961â1965), and collaborator......
ÊżAtÄsÄ«, HÄshim al-
HÄshim al-ÊżAtÄsÄ« was a nationalist politician and three-time president of Syria. An official in the Ottoman administration......
ÊżÄrif, ÊżAbd al-SalÄm
ÊżAbd al-SalÄm ÊżÄrif was an Iraqi army officer and politician who was president of Iraq from 1963 to 1966. ÊżÄrif,......