List of state leaders in 1979

Africa

* Algeria -
** President -
**# Rabah Bitat, President of Algeria (1978-1979)
**# Chadli Bendjedid, President of Algeria (1979-1992)
** Prime Minister -
**# "Position re-established by constitution"
**# Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani, Prime Minister of Algeria (1979-1984)
* Angola -
** President -
**# António Agostinho Neto, President of Angola (1975-10 September 1979)
**# José Eduardo dos Santos, President of Angola (10 September 1979-present)
* Benin - Mathieu Kérékou, President of Benin (1972-1991)
* Botswana - Seretse Khama, President of Botswana (1966-1980)
* Burundi - Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, President of Burundi (1976-1987)
* Cape Verde
** President - Aristides Pereira, President of Cape Verde (1975-1991)
** Prime Minister - Pedro Pires, Prime Minister of Cape Verde (1975-1991)
* Comoros
** President - President of the Comoros (1978-1989)
** Prime Minister - Salim Ben Ali, Prime Minister of the Comoros (1978-1982)
* Côte d'Ivoire - Félix Houphouët-Boigny, President of Côte d'Ivoire (1960-1993)
* Djibouti -
** President - Hassan Gouled Aptidon, President of Djibouti (1977-1999)
** Prime Minister - Barkat Gourad Hamadou, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978-2001)
* Ethiopia - Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairmen of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (1977-1987), President of Ethiopia (1987-1991)
* Equatorial Guinea
** President -
**# Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong, President of Equatorial Guinea (1968-1979)
**# Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea (1979-present)
* Gabon
**President - Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (1967-present)
**Prime Minister - Léon Mébiame, Prime Minister of Gabon (1975-1994)
* The Gambia - Dawda Jawara, President of The Gambia (1970-1994)
* Guinea
**President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958-1984)
**Prime Minister - Louis Lansana Beavogui, Prime Minister of Guinea (1972-1984)
* Kenya - Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya (1978-2002)
* Liberia - William R. Tolbert, Jr., President of Liberia (1971-1980)
* Malawi - Hastings Kamuzu Banda, President of Malawi (1966-1994)
* Mali - Moussa Traoré, President of Mali (1968-1991)
* Mauritania
** President -
**# Mustafa Ould Salek, President of Mauritania (1978-1979)
**# Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly, President of Mauritania (1979-1980)
** Prime Minister -
**# Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Prime Minister of Mauritania (1979)
**# Ahmed Salem Ould Sidi, Prime Minister of Mauritania (1979)
**# Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, Prime Minister of Mauritania (1979-1980)
* Mauritius
** Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Mauritius (1968-1992)
** Governor-General - Dayendranath Burrenchobay, Governor-General of Mauritius (1978-1983)
** Prime Minister - Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of Mauritius (1968-1982)
*Mozambique - Samora Machel, President of Mozambique (1975–1986)
* Nigeria
** President -
**# Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria (1976-1979)
**# Shehu Shagari, President of Nigeria (1979-1983)
* Rhodesia -
**President -
**# Jack William Pithey, acting President of Rhodesia (1978-1979)
**# Henry Everard, acting President of Rhodesia (1979)
**Prime Minister - Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (1965-1979)
* Rwanda - Juvénal Habyarimana, President of Rwanda (1973-1994)
* São Tomé and Príncipe
** President - Manuel Pinto da Costa, President of São Tomé and Príncipe (1975-1991)
** Prime Minister - Miguel Trovoada, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Principe (1975-1979)
* Senegal
** President - Léopold Sédar Senghor, President of Senegal (1960-1980)
** Prime Minister - Abdou Diouf, Prime Minister of Senegal (1970-1980)
* Seychelles - France-Albert René, President of Seychelles (1977-2004)
* Somalia - Muhammad Siad Barre, President of Somalia (1969-1991)
* Swaziland
** Monarch - Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland (1968-1982)
** Prime Minister -
**# Maphevu Dlamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland (1976-1979)
**# Ben Nsibandze, Prime Minister of Swaziland (1979)
**# Prince Mabandla Dlamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland (1979-1983)
* Togo - Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President of Togo (1967-2005)
* Uganda -
*# Idi Amin, President of Uganda (1971-1979)
*# Yusufu Lule, President of Uganda (1979)
*# Godfrey Binaisa, President of Uganda (1979-1980)
* Upper Volta
**President - Sangoulé Lamizana, President of Upper Volta (1966-1980)
**Prime Minister - Joseph Conombo, Prime Minister of Upper Volta (1978-1980)
* Zaïre
**President - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaïre (1965-1994)
* Zambia
**President - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)
**Prime Minister - Daniel Lisulo, Prime Minister of Zambia (1978-1981)

Asia

* Afghanistan
** President -
**# Nur Mohammad Taraki, President of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
**# Hafizullah Amin, President of Afghanistan (1979-1979)
**# Babrak Karmal, President of Afghanistan (1979-1986)
**Prime Minister -
**#Nur Mohammad Taraki , Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
**#Hafizullah Amin, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1979)
**#Babrak Karmal, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1979-1981)
* Bangladesh -
**President - Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh (1977–1981)
**Prime Minister -
**#Mashiur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1978–1979)
**#Shah Azizur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1979–1982)
* Brunei - Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (1967–present)
*People's Republic of China
** "De facto" Head of State - Ye Jianying, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1978-1983)
** Premier - Hua Guofeng, Premier of the State Council (1976-1980)
** Head of Communist Party - Hua Guofeng, Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1976-1981)
** "De facto" leader - Deng Xiaoping (late 1970s - early 1990s)
* India -
**President - Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, President of India (1977-1982)
**Prime Minister -
**# Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India (1977-1979)
**# Charan Singh, Prime Minister of India (1979-1980)
*Indonesia - Haji Mohammad Suharto, President of Indonesia (1967–1998)
*Japan
**Monarch - Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
**Prime Minister - Masayoshi Ohira, Prime Minister of Japan (1978-1980)
* South Korea -
**President -
**# Park Chunghee, President of the Republic of Korea (1963-1979)
**# Choi Kyuha, President of the Republic of Korea (1979-1980)
**Prime Minister -
**# Choi Kyu-hah, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1975-1979)
**# Shin Hyun-hwak, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1979-1980)
* Malaysia
**Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim Petra, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1975 - March 29,1979)
**Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (March 29, 1979 - 1984)
**Tun Hussein Onn, Prime Minister of Malaysia (1976-1981)
*Nepal
**Monarch - Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (1972–2001)
**Prime Minister -
**#Kirti Nidhi Bista, Prime Minister of Nepal (1977-May 30 1979)
**#Surya Bahadur Thapa, Prime Minister of Nepal (May 30 1979-1983)
* Pakistan -
**President - Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, President of Pakistan (1978-1988)
**Head of Government - Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Chief Martial Law Administrator (1977-1985)
*The Philippines
**President/Prime Minister - Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Philippines (1965-1986); Prime Minister of the Philippines (1978-1981)
* Singapore -
**President - Benjamin Sheares, President of Singapore (1971-1981)
**Prime Minister - Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1990)
* Taiwan (Republic of China)
** President - Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Republic of China (1978-1988)
** Premier - Sun Yün-suan, President of the Executive Yuan (1978-1984)
*Thailand -
** King - Rama IX, King of Thailand (1946-present)
**Prime Minister - Kriangsak Chomanan, Prime Minister of Thailand (1977-1980)

Australia and Oceania

*Australia
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia (1952-present)
**Governor-General - Sir Zelman Cowen, Governor-General of Australia (1977-1982)
**Prime Minister - Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia (1975-1983)
*Federated States of Micronesia - Tosiwo Nakayama, President of the Federated States of Micronesia (1979–1987)
*Kiribati - Ieremia Tabai, President of Kiribati (1979–1982)
*Nauru - Hammer DeRoburt, President of Nauru (1978-1986)
*New Zealand
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (1952-present)
**Governor-General - Sir Keith Holyoake, Governor-General of New Zealand (1977-1980)
**Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1972-1984)
*Solomon Islands -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the Solomon Islands (1978–present)
**Governor-General - Baddeley Devesi, Governor-General of the Solomon Islands (1978–1988)
**Prime Minister - Peter Kenilorea, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (1978–1981)
* Tonga
** Monarch - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, King of Tonga (1965 – 2006)
** Prime Minister - Tu'i Pelehake (Fatafehi), Prime Minister of Tonga, (1965 – 1991)
* Tuvalu
** Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Tuvalu (1978-present)
** Governor-General - Fiatau Penitala Teo, Governor-General of Tuvalu (1978-1986)
** Prime Minister - Toaripi Lauti, Prime Minister of Tuvalu (1978-1981)

Europe

* Andorra
**Co-Princes -
***Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of France (1974-1981)
***Joan Martí Alanis, Bishop of Urgel (1971-2003)
*Austria -
**President - Rudolf Kirchschläger, President of Austria (1974–1986)
**Chancellor - Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (1970–1983)
* Belgium -
**Monarch - Baldwin I, King of the Belgians (1951-1993)
**Prime Minister -
**#Paul Vanden Boeynants, Prime Minister of Belgium, (1978-1979, 1966-1968)
**#Wilfried Martens, Prime Minister of Belgium, (1979-1981, 1981-1992)
* Denmark
** Monarch - Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (1972-present)
** Prime Minister - Anker Jørgensen, Prime Minister of Denmark (1975-1982)
* Finland
** President - Urho Kekkonen (1956-1981)
** Prime Minister -
**# Kalevi Sorsa (1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-1987)
**# Mauno Koivisto (1968-1970, 1979-1982)
* France -
**President - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of France (1974-1981)
**Prime Minister - Raymond Barre, Prime Minister of France (1976-1981)
* Federal Republic of Germany -
**President -
**# Walter Scheel, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974-1979)
**# Karl Carstens, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1979-1984)
**Chancellor - Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974-1982)
* German Democratic Republic -
**Communist Party Leader - Erich Honecker, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1971-1989)
**Head of State - Erich Honecker, Chairman of the Council of State (1976-1989)
**Premier - Willi Stoph, Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1976-1989)
* Ireland -
**President - Patrick Hillery, President of Ireland (1976-1990)
**Prime Minister -
**# Jack Lynch, Taoiseach (1977-1979)
**# Charles Haughey, Taoiseach (1979-1981)
* Italy
**President - Sandro Pertini, President of the Italian Republic (1978-1985)
**Prime Minister -
**# Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy (1976-1979)
**# Francesco Cossiga, Prime Minister of Italy (1979-1980)
* Liechtenstein
**Prince - Prince Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1938-1989)
**Head of government - Hans Brunhart, Regierungschef (1978-1993)
* Luxembourg
**Monarch - Grand Duke Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1964-2000)
**Prime Minister -
**#Gaston Thorn, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1974-1979)
**#Pierre Werner, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1954-1974, 1979-1984)
* Malta
**President - Anton Buttigieg, President of Malta (1976-1981)
**Prime Minister - Dom Mintoff, Prime Minister of Malta (1971-1984)
* Netherlands
**Monarch - Queen Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands (1948-1980)
**Prime Minister - Dries van Agt, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1977-1982)
* Poland
**Communist Party Leader - Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party (1970-1980)
**Head of State - Council of State, Chairman - Henryk Jabłoński (1972-1985)
**Premier - Piotr Jaroszewicz, President of the Council of Ministers (1970-1980)
* Portugal -
**President - António Ramalho Eanes, President of Portugal (1976-1986)
**Prime Minister -
**#Carlos Mota Pinto, Prime Minister of Portugal (1978-1979)
**#Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Prime Minister of Portugal (1979-1980)
*Spain -
**Monarch - King Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (1975-present)
**Prime Minister - Adolfo Suárez González, Prime Minister of Spain (1976-1981)
* Sweden -
**Monarch - King Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden (1973-present)
**Prime Minister -
*#Ola Ullsten, Prime Minister of Sweden, (1978-1979)
*#Thorbjörn Fälldin, Prime Minister of Sweden, (1976-1978, 1979-1982)
*Switzerland -
**Swiss Federal Council - Rudolf Gnägi, Kurt Furgler, Willy Ritschard, Hans Hürlimann, Georges-André Chevallaz, Fritz Honegger, Pierre Aubert
* Turkey
** President - Fahri Korutürk, President of Turkey (1973-1980)
** Prime Minister -
**# Bülent Ecevit, Prime Minister of Turkey (1978-1979)
**# Süleyman Demirel, Prime Minister of Turkey (1979-1980)
* United Kingdom -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952-present)
**Prime Minister -
**# James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976-1979)
**# Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979-1990)
*Vatican City
** Pope - John Paul II, Bishop of Rome (1978-2005)
** Secretary of State -
**# Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot, Cardinal Secretary of State (1969-1979)
**# Agostino Cardinal Casaroli, Cardinal Secretary of State (1979-1990)

Middle East

* Egypt
**President - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt (1970-1981)
**Prime Minister - Mustafa Khalil, Prime Minister of Egypt (1978-1980)
* Israel
**President - Yitzhak Navon, President of Israel (1978-1983)
**Prime Minister - Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel (1977-1983)
* Oman - Qaboos Bin Said, Sultan of Oman (1970-)
* People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
** President - Abdul Fattah Ismail, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council (1978-1980)
** Prime Minister - Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1971-1986)
* Yemen Arab Republic
** President - Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1978-1990)
** Prime Minister - Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1975-1980)

North America and the Caribbean

*Bahamas -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the Bahamas (1973–present)
**Governor-General -
**#Milo Butler, Governor-General of the Bahamas (1973–1979)
**#Gerald Cash, Governor-General of the Bahamas (1979–1988)
**Prime Minister - Lynden Pindling, Prime Minister of the Bahamas (1973–1992)
*Barbados -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados (1966–present)
**Governor-General - Deighton Lisle Ward, Governor-General of Barbados (1976–1984)
**Prime Minister - John Michael Geoffrey Manningham Adams, Prime Minister of Barbados (1976–1985)
*Canada
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1952-present)
**Governor General -
**# Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada (1974-1979)
**# Edward Schreyer, Governor General of Canada (1979-1984)
**Prime Minister -
**# Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979)
**# Joe Clark, Prime Minister of Canada (1979-1980)
*Costa Rica - Rodrigo Carazo Odio, President of Costa Rica (1978–1982)
* Cuba - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba (1976-2008)
*Dominica -
**President -
**#Louis Cools-Lartigue, interim President of Dominica (1978–1979)
**#Fred Degazon, President of Dominica (1979–1980)
**Prime Minister -
**#Patrick John, Prime Minister of Dominica (1974–1979)
**#Oliver Seraphin, Prime Minister of Dominica (1979–1980)
*Dominican Republic - Antonio Guzmán Fernández, President of the Dominican Republic (1978–1982)
* El Salvador
**President -
**# Carlos Humberto Romero, President of El Salvador (1977–1979)
**# Revolutionary Government Junta (1979–1982)
* Mexico - José López Portillo, President of Mexico (1976-1982)
*Trinidad and Tobago
**President - Ellis Clarke, President of Trinidad and Tobago (1976-1987)
**Prime Minister - Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (1956-1981)
* United States - Jimmy Carter, President of the United States (1977-1981)

outh America

*Argentina - Jorge Rafael Videla, President of Argentina (1976-1981)
*Bolivia -
*#David Padilla Arancibia, Chairman of the Bolivian Junta (1978-1979)
*#Wálter Guevara Arze, Acting President of Bolivia (1979)
*#Alberto Natusch Busch, President of Bolivia (1979)
*#Lidia Gueiler Tejada, Acting President of Bolivia (1979-1980)
* Brazil -
*# Ernesto Geisel, President of Brazil (1974-1979)
*# João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo, President of Brazil (1979-1985)
* Chile - Augusto Pinochet, President (1974-1990)
* Paraguay - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
* Peru - Francisco Morales Bermúdez, President of Peru (1975-1980)
*Uruguay - Aparicio Méndez, President of Uruguay (1976-1981)
*Venezuela -
*#Carlos Andrés Pérez, President of Venezuela (1974-1979)
*#Luis Herrera Campins, President of Venezuela (1979-1984)