List of state leaders in 1978

Africa

* Algeria -
*# Houari Boumédiènne, President of Algeria (1965-1978)
*# Rabah Bitat, President of Algeria (1978-1979)
* Angola -
** President - António Agostinho Neto, President of Angola (1975-1979)
** Prime Minister -
**# Lopo do Nascimento, Prime Minister of Angola (1975-9 December 1978)
**# "Position eliminated"
* Benin - Mathieu Kérékou, President of Benin (1972-1991)
* Botswana - Seretse Khama, President of Botswana (1966-1980)
* Burundi
** President - Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, President of Burundi (1976-1987)
** Prime Minister -
**# Édouard Nzambimana, Prime Minister of Burundi (1976-1978)
**# "Position eliminated"
* Cape Verde
** President - Aristides Pereira, President of Cape Verde (1975-1991)
** Prime Minister - Pedro Pires, Prime Minister of Cape Verde (1975-1991)
* Comoros
** President -
**# Ali Soilih, President of the Comoros (1976-1978)
**# Said Atthoumani, President of the Comoros (1978)
**# Ahmed Abdallah, President of the Comoros (1978-1989)
** Prime Minister -
**# Abdallah Mohamed, President of the Comoros (1976-1978)
**# 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 -
**# Ahmed Dini Ahmed, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1977-1978)
**# Abdallah Mohamed Kamil, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978)
**# Barkat Gourad Hamadou, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978-2001)
* Equatorial Guinea - Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong, President of Equatorial Guinea (1968-1979)
* Ethiopia - Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairmen of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (1977-1987), President of Ethiopia (1987-1991)
* 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 -
*# Jomo Kenyatta, President of Kenya (1964-1978)
*# 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 -
**# Moktar Ould Daddah, President of Mauritania (1960-1978)
**# Mustafa Ould Salek, President of Mauritania (1978-1979)
* Mauritius
** Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Mauritius (1968-1992)
** Governor-General -
**# Henry Garrioch, Governor-General of Mauritius (1977-1978)
**# 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 - Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria (1976-1979)
* Rhodesia -
**President -
**# John Wrathall, President of Rhodesia (1976-1978)
**# Henry Everard, acting President of Rhodesia (1978)
**# Jack William Pithey, acting President of Rhodesia (1978-1979)
**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)
* Togo - Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President of Togo (1967-2005)
* Uganda - Idi Amin, President of Uganda (1971-1979)
* Upper Volta
**President - Sangoulé Lamizana, President of Upper Volta (1966-1980)
**Prime Minister -
**# Sangoulé Lamizana, Prime Minister of Upper Volta (1974-1978)
**# Joseph Conombo, Prime Minister of Upper Volta (1978-1980)
* Zambia
**President - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)
**Prime Minister -
**# Mainza Chona, Prime Minister of Zambia (1977-1978)
**# Daniel Lisulo, Prime Minister of Zambia (1978-1981)

Asia

* Afghanistan
** President -
**# Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan, President of Afghanistan (1973-1978)
**# General Abdul Qadir, President of Afghanistan (1978-1978)
**# Nur Mohammad Taraki, President of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
**Prime Minister - Nur Mohammad Taraki, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
* Bangladesh -
**President - Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh (1977–1981)
**Prime Minister - Mashiur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1978–1979)
* Brunei - Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (1967–present)
*People's Republic of China
** "De facto" Head of State -
**#Vice Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1976-1978)
**#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)
*Indonesia - Haji Mohammad Suharto, President of Indonesia (1967–1998)
*Japan
**Monarch - Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
**Prime Minister -
**#Takeo Fukuda, Prime Minister of Japan (1976-1978)
**#Masayoshi Ohira, Prime Minister of Japan (1978-1980)
* South Korea -
**President - Park Chunghee, President of the Republic of Korea (1963-1979)
**Prime Minister - Choi Kyu-hah, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1975-1979)
* Malaysia
**Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim Petra, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1975 - 1979)
**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 (1977-1979)
* Pakistan -
**President -
**# Fazal Elahi Chaudhry, President of Pakistan (1973-1978)
**# 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 -
**#Yen Chia-kan, President of the Republic of China (1975-1978)
**#Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Republic of China (1978-1988)
** Premier -
**#Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Executive Yuan (1972-1978)
**#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)
*Nauru -
*#Bernard Dowiyogo, President of Nauru (1976-1978)
*#Lagumot Harris, President of Nauru (1978)
*#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 (1975-1984)
*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
*# "Became independent member of Commonwealth of Nations, 1 October"
** 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
** King - Baldwin I, King of the Belgians (1951-1993)
** Prime Minister -
**#Leo Tindemans, Prime Minister of Belgium (1974-1978)
**#Paul Vanden Boeynants, Prime Minister of Belgium (1966-1968, 1978-1979)
* Denmark
** Monarch - Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (1972-present)
** Prime Minister - Anker Jørgensen, Prime Minister of Denmark (1975-1982)
* Finland
** President - Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland (1956-1981)
** Prime Minister - Kalevi Sorsa, Prime Minister of Finland (1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-1987)
* 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)
**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)
* Italy
**President -
**# Giovanni Leone, President of the Italian Republic (1971-1978)
**# Amintore Fanfani, acting President of the Italian Republic (1978)
**# Sandro Pertini, President of the Italian Republic (1978-1985)
**Prime Minister - Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy (1976-1979)
* Liechtenstein
**Prince - Prince Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1938-1989)
**Head of government -
**#Walter Kieber, Head of Government (1974-1978)
**#Hans Brunhart, Head of Government (1978-1993)
* Luxembourg
**Monarch - Grand Duke Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1964-2000)
**Prime Minister - Gaston Thorn, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (1974-1979)
* Malta
**President - Anton Buttigieg, President of Malta (1976-1981)
**Prime Minister - Dom Mintoff, Prime Minister of Malta (1971-1984)
* Monaco
**Monarch - Prince Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (1949-2005)
**Head of Government - André Saint-Mleux, Minister of State of Monaco (1972–1981)
* 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 -
**#Mário Soares, Prime Minister of Portugal (1976-1978)
**#Alfredo Nobre da Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal (1978)
**#Carlos Mota Pinto, Prime Minister of Portugal (1978-1979)
*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 -
**#Thorbjörn Fälldin, Prime Minister of Sweden (1976-1978, 1979-1982)
**#Ola Ullsten, Prime Minister of Sweden (1978-1979)
*Switzerland -
**Swiss Federal Council - Rudolf Gnägi, Ernst Brugger (until 1978), Pierre Graber (until 1978), Kurt Furgler, Willy Ritschard, Hans Hürlimann, Georges-André Chevallaz, Fritz Honegger (since 1978), Pierre Aubert (since 1978)
* Turkey
** President - Fahri Korutürk, President of Turkey (1973-1980)
** Prime Minister -
**# Süleyman Demirel, Prime Minister of Turkey (1977-1978)
**# Bülent Ecevit, Prime Minister of Turkey (1978-1979)
* United Kingdom -
**Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952-present)
**Prime Minister - James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976-1979)
*Vatican City
** Pope -
**# Paul VI, Bishop of Rome (1963-1978)
**# John Paul I, Bishop of Rome (1978)
**# John Paul II, Bishop of Rome (1978-2005)
** Secretary of State - Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot, Cardinal Secretary of State (1969-1979)

Middle East

* Egypt
**President - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt (1970-1981)
**Prime Minister -
**# Mamdouh Muhammad Salem, Prime Minister of Egypt (1975-1978)
**# Mustafa Khalil, Prime Minister of Egypt (1978-1980)
* Israel -
**President -
**# Ephraim Katzir, President of Israel (1973-1978)
**# 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 -
**# Salim Ali Rubai, Chairman of the Presidential Council (1970-1978)
**# Ali Nasir Mohammed, Chairman of the Presidential Council (1978)
**# 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 -
**# Ahmed al-Ghashmi, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1977-1978)
**# Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1978)
**# 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)
**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)
**Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979) (1980-1984)
*Costa Rica -
*#Daniel Oduber Quirós, President of Costa Rica (1974–1978)
*#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)
**Prime Minister - Patrick John, Prime Minister of Dominica (1974–1979)
*Dominican Republic -
*#Joaquín Balaguer, President of the Dominican Republic (1966–1978)
*#Antonio Guzmán Fernández, President of the Dominican Republic (1978–1982)
* El Salvador - Carlos Humberto Romero, President of El Salvador (1977–1979)
*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 -
*#Hugo Banzer Suárez, President of Bolivia (1971-1978)
*#Juan Pereda Asbún, President of Bolivia (1978)
*#David Padilla Arancibia, Chairman of the Bolivian Junta (1978-1979)
* Brazil - Ernesto Geisel, President of Brazil (1974-1979)
* 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)