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Heads of State

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A list of politicians who are or have been a head of state (constitutional monarchs, ceremonial presidents, etc); or a head of government (absolute monarchs, prime ministers, executive presidents, etc).

The term "head of state" is a little bit confusing to countries like the United States, where the President is both the head of state and the head of government. The head of state is the ceremonial representative of the country, the head of government runs the country. That's why in the United Kingdom, the King or Queen is the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government. In the British overseas territories and the Commonwealth realms, the Governor General is the de facto head of state as the personal representative of the monarch, and the Prime Minister is that country's head of government. But we won't make that distinction here; anyone who is some sort of national leader qualifies for this list.


Albania

  • Skanderbeg (Prince of Kastrioti from 1443 to 1468 and Chief of the League of Lezhë from 1443 to 1468)

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Brazil

Canada

Chile

China / Taiwan

Cuba

  • Fulgencio Batista: President from 1940-1944 and 1952-1959.
  • Fidel Castro: Leader from 1959-2008 (as Prime Minister from 1959-1976, then as President from 1976-2008, as well as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba 1965 to 2011).

Egypt

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

  • Matthias Corvinus (King of Hungary from 1458 to 1490, also King of Croatia during the same years)

India

Indonesia

Iran / Persia

Iraq / Mesopotamia

  • Ancient Mesopotamia
  • Ba'athist Iraq
    • Saddam Hussein (President of Iraq 1979-2003, Prime Minister 1979-1991 and 1994-2003, and Vice President 1968-1979)

Ireland

Israel

Italy / Rome

Japan

Korea (North, South, and undivided)

Libya

Monaco

Mongolia

  • Genghis Khan (first Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1206 to 1227)

Norway

  • Einar Gerhardsen: Prime Minister from 1945 to 1965 (with a brief two-week vacation in 1963).

Philippines

Portugal

Romania

Russia / Soviet Union

Saudi Arabia

Serbia / Yugoslavia

  • Josip Broz Tito (as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia 1944–1963, as President 1953-1980)
  • Slobodan Milošević (As president of the constituent Republic of Serbia 1989–1997, as president of Yugoslavia 1997-2000)

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Syria

Turkey / Ottoman Empire

Uganda

  • Idi Amin: Military dictator and President of Uganda (1971-1979).

United Kingdom / Great Britain

United States

Vatican City / Papal States

Venezuela

Zimbabwe

  • Ian Smith: Prime Minister of Rhodesia, 1964-79.

Other


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