List of state leaders in 1979

Africa

• Algeria -
  • President -
    1. Rabah Bitat, President of Algeria (1978-1979)
    2. Chadli Bendjedid, President of Algeria (1979-1992)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Position re-established by constitution
    2. Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani , Prime Minister of Algeria (1979-1984)
• Angola -
  • President -
    1. António Agostinho Neto , President of Angola (1975-10 September 1979)
    2. José Eduardo dos Santos, President of Angola (10 September 1979-present)
• Burundi - Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, President of Burundi (1976-1987)
• 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)
• Gabon
  • President - Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (1967-present)
  • Prime Minister - Léon Mébiame , Prime Minister of Gabon (1975-1994)
• 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)
• Rhodesia -
  • President -
    1. Jack William Pithey , acting President of Rhodesia (1978-1979)
    2. 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)
• Uganda -
  1. Idi Amin, President of Uganda (1971-1979)
  2. Yusufu Lule, President of Uganda (1979)
  3. Godfrey Binaisa, President of Uganda (1979-1980)
• Zambia
  • President - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)
  • Prime Minister - Daniel Lisulo, Prime Minister of Zambia (1978-1981)

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • President -
    1. Nur Mohammad Taraki, President of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
    2. Hafizullah Amin, President of Afghanistan (1979-1979)
    3. Babrak Karmal, President of Afghanistan (1979-1986)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Nur Mohammad Taraki , Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
    2. Hafizullah Amin, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1979)
    3. Babrak Karmal, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1979-1981)
• 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 -
    1. Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India (1977-1979)
    2. Charan Singh, Prime Minister of India (1979-1980)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
  • Prime Minister - Masayoshi Ohira, Prime Minister of Japan (1978-1980)
• South Korea -
  • President -
    1. Park Chunghee, President of the Republic of Korea (1963-1979)
    2. Choi Kyuha, President of the Republic of Korea (1979-1980)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Choi Kyu-hah , Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1975-1979)
    2. 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 -
    1. Kirti Nidhi Bista , Prime Minister of Nepal (1977-May 30 1979)
    2. 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)
• 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)

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)
• New Zealand
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (1952-present)
  • Governor-General - Sir Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1977-1980)
  • Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1972-1984)
• 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

• 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 -
    1. Kalevi Sorsa (1972-1975, 1977-1979, 1982-1987)
    2. 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 -
    1. Walter Scheel, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974-1979)
    2. 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 -
    1. Jack Lynch, Taoiseach (1977-1979)
    2. Charles Haughey, Taoiseach (1979-1981)
• Italy
  • President - Sandro Pertini, President of Italy (1978-1985)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy (1976-1979)
    2. Francesco Cossiga, Prime Minister of Italy (1979-1980)
• 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)
• United Kingdom -
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952-present)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976-1979)
    2. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979-1990)
• Vatican City
  • Pope - John Paul II, Bishop of Rome (1978-2005)
  • Secretary of State -
    1. Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot , Cardinal Secretary of State (1969-1979)
    2. 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

• Canada
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1962-present)
  • Governor General -
    1. Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada (1974-1979)
    2. Edward Schreyer, Governor General of Canada (1979-1984)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979)
    2. Joe Clark, Prime Minister of Canada (1979-1980)
• 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)

South America

• Argentina - Jorge Rafael Videla, President of Argentina (1976-1981)
• Bolivia -
  1. David Padilla Arancibia , Chairman of the Bolivian Junta (1978-1979)
  2. Wálter Guevara Arze , Acting President of Bolivia (1979)
  3. Alberto Natusch Busch , President of Bolivia (1979)
  4. Lidia Gueiler Tejada, Acting President of Bolivia (1979-1980)
• Brazil -
  1. Ernesto Geisel, President of Brazil (1974-1979)
  2. João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo, President of Brazil (1979-1985)
• Paraguay - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
• Peru - Francisco Morales Bermudez Cerruti , President of Peru (1975-1980)