Can You Name These World Leaders?

Tasha Moore

Image: Wiki Commons by G20 Argentina/Alex Guibord/ Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom/ABr

About This Quiz

Now is your chance to learn more about the world leaders you read so much about. Take this word leaders quiz and see how many heads of state you can identify without scratching your head. There are a few facts given with each question to narrow down the choices if you should stumble along this brief scholastic journey of world politics.

All around the world, there are regular people performing astonishing tasks. Our world leaders are among the few who get to showcase their unique talents on the world stage. Look past the news headlines and peer a bit into their lives, and you will discover commonalities shared by all. Many leaders come from humble beginnings, many started out their professional careers doing menial tasks, and some suffered harder lives than most but managed to transcend dire circumstances.

Perhaps you can consider these leaders as true sources of inspiration when pondering your own life goals. Athlete, lawyer, engineer, poet, bank clerk, musician and spy are all professions certain world leaders once pursued before achieving high office in their respective cuts of the globe. Scroll on to fortify your current events knowledge.

He was born in Tokyo, Japan on September 21, 1954, and is prime minister of Japan. Who is this world leader?

In the late 1970s, Shinzo Abe studied political science in the United States at the University of Southern California. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960.

The 45th president of the United States was born in New York, and his father ran a successful real estate business. Who is this leader?

Donald John Trump was born in New York City and attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in the late 1960s. After graduating, Trump worked for his father's real estate business.

She is the second female prime minister of the United Kingdom. Who is this world leader?

Theresa May was born Theresa Mary Brasier on October 1, 1956 in Eastbourne, England. She replaced former prime minister David Cameron in July 2016.

Who is the current president of Russia and a former Russian intelligence agent?

In addition to serving as president of Russia, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin also served as Russia's prime minister in 1999 and president from 2008 to 2012. Putin was an intelligence officer for the Russian KGB for 15 years before serving in political office as a top head of state.

The current president of France is 40 years old. Who is he?

Emmanuel Macron was elected to the high office of president in France in 2017. He is a former banker and the youngest chief leader of France since Napoleon Bonaparte.

The current president of Germany also served as foreign minister from 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2017. Who is this person?

Frank-Walter Steinmeier served as German vice-chancellor from 2007 to 2009. His father was a factory worker.

He succeeded his father as head of state of North Korea. Who is he?

Kim Jong-un succeeded his father, Kim Jong Il, as North Korea's head of state. He is affiliated with the Korean Worker's Party.

Since 2015, this person has served as the president of the Italian Republic. What is the name of this leader?

Sergio Mattarella was a lawyer, and he taught at the Law School of the University of Palermo before venturing into politics. Mattarella was elected as the twelfth president of Italy in 2015.

The president of Brazil is affiliated with the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement. Who is this leader?

Michel Temer was born in Tiete, Brazil on September 23, 1940. He was elected as president of Brazil in August 2016 and replaced former president Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached.

Did you know that the current president of Mexico is the former mayor of Mexico City? Who is he?

On December 1, 2018, Mexico swore in Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as president. He is a leftist politician who formed his own political party, MORENA, in 2014.

Who is the successor of former president of Cuba, Raul Castro?

Cuba's former president Raul Castro picked Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez to succeed him. Diaz-Canel became president of Cuba in April 2018.

Who is the prime minister of Canada?

Justin Pierre James Trudeau was born on Christmas Day in 1971 in Ottawa, Canada. His father, Pierre Trudeau, was also prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.

Which person is a former anti-apartheid activist and current president of South Africa?

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa was born in Johannesburg on November 17, 1952. He served as secretary general from 1991 to 1997.

He was a military leader and is now the head of state of Nigeria. Do you know his name?

In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was elected president of Nigeria. Buhari ran failed campaigns for president several times previously, in 2003, 2007 and again in 2011. He'd previously served as Nigeria's head of state from 1983 to 1985 following a military coup.

He is the son of Saudi Arabia's first monarch and the country's current ruler. Who is this leader?

King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has ruled Saudi Arabia since 2015. He was born on December 31, 1935. One of the most noteworthy initiatives of his reign so far was allowing Saudi women to drive in 2017.

He became Egypt's de facto leader in July 2013. Who is he?

President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, was formally elected in May 2014. He replaced former president Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted following mass protests in the country.

This former sports exec is the president of Argentina. What is the name of this world leader?

Mauricio Macri comes from a wealthy family in Argentina. His father, Franco Macri, was born in Italy. He is the first non-Radical president to be democratically elected since 1916.

He won Venezuela's special election for the presidency in 2013. What is this leader's name?

Nicolás Maduro replaced former president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez, who died in March 2013. Maduro served as vice president of the country under Chavez from October 2012 to March 2013.

This world leader is president of Iceland. What is his name?

Guðni Th. Johannesson taught history at the University of Iceland before he was elected president. Johannesson was also a reporter. He was 48 years old when elected, making him Iceland's youngest president.

She was appointed as prime minister of Norway in October 2013 and re-elected in 2017. Can you identify this world leader's name?

In addition to tending to her duties as prime minister of Norway, Erna Solberg is co-chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Goals group. Solberg is leader of the Conservative Party of Norway.

Can you identify the current prime minister of Sweden, who was born on July 21, 1957?

Stefan Löfven was a foster child and grew up in Västernorrland County in north Sweden. Lofven was elected prime minister of Sweden in 2014. He served in the Swedish Air Force and worked as a welder before entering politics.

What is the name of the leader who is president of the world's most densely populated country?

Xi Jinping has been president of China since 2013. He served as vice president from 2008 to 2013. He is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China. Xi Jinping is the first general secretary to be born since the end of World War II.

The president of India is a lawyer who graduated from Kanpur University. What is his name?

Ram Nath Kovind's mother died when he was a young child, and his father was a farmer. He was elected fourteenth president of India in 2017.

Who is the liberal politician currently serving as prime minister of Australia?

Scott John Morrison ascended to his prime minister role in August 2018. He is the leader of the Liberal Party in Australia. His earlier career included working as director of New Zealand's Office of Tourism and Sport.

Who is the military man that led a successful coup and became prime minister of Thailand in 2014?

Prayuth Chan-ocha is Thailand's 29th prime minister. He's been in office since August 24, 2014 and is affiliated with the National Council for Peace and Order political party.

He goes by the nickname "Digong," and he is president of the Philippines. Who is he?

Rodrigo Duterte is the sixteenth president of the Philippines, elected in 2016. In 1988, he was elected mayor of Davao City, Philippines and served in that position for over two decades.

This world leader is a religious authority and president of Iran. Who is it?

Hassan Rouhani became president of Iran in 2013. He graduated the University of Tehran with a law degree in 1972. He was a lawyer, diplomat, and Islamic cleric before becoming president.

The president of Indonesia has the nickname "Jokowi." Can you spot the full name of this world leader?

Joko Widodo served as governor of Jakarta, Indonesia from 2012 to 2014. He was elected president in 2014. He's the first president of the country to not come from a military or politically elite background.

Which world leader has been president of Kazakhstan since March 2019?

President Tokayev's predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, was known to have a peculiar sense of humor during his long term in office. In 1998, he forced his government officials to endure freezing temperatures by moving the nation's capital from sunny Almaty to wintry Akmola.

The president of Ukraine began his political career in 1998 as a member of parliament. What is his name?

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko studied law and international affairs at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kiev. As a member of parliament, he represented the city of Vinnytsya in western Ukraine.

This world leader is president of Turkey and a former semi-professional soccer player. Can you guess his name?

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul, Turkey in 1994. He served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and was elected president of the country in 2014.

Did you know that the president of Ireland is a poet and human rights activist? Can you identify the leader's name?

Michael D. Higgins worked as a bank clerk before attending University College Galway (now called National University of Ireland, Galway) at the age of 20. Higgins was elected president of Ireland in 2011.

This Finnish lawyer has been president of Finland since 2012. What is this world leader's name?

Sauli Vainamo Niinistö was born on August 24, 1948 in Salo, Finland. In 1974, Niinisto earned a law degree from the University of Turku in Turku, Finland. He is the country's twelfth president.

He is the leader of Spain's Socialist Workers’ Party. He is also the prime minister of Spain. What is his name?

Pedro Sánchez replaced Mariano Rajoy as prime minister of Spain in June 2018. Sanchez studied business and economics at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain. He is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party.

The president of Pakistan is affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. What is his name?

Dr. Arif ur Rehman Alvi is a former dentist who was elected president of Pakistan in 2018. He was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1947 and first became politically activated while studying at the De'Montmorency College of Dentistry.

The president of Peru is a former engineer. What is the name of this world leader?

Martín Vizcarra is the former vice president and current president of Peru. He was born in Lima, Peru in 1963. In 1984, he graduated with a civil engineering degree from the National University of Engineering in Lima.

He was born on June 26, 1968 in Trou du Nord, Haiti. What is this world leader's name?

Jovenel Moïse moved to Port-au-Prince, Haiti with his family in July 1974. Moise was elected president of Haiti in 2017. He first ran for the office in 2015, but lost that election because of potentially fraudulent results.

The prime minister of Portugal was born in Lisbon in 1961. What is his name?

António Costa was elected mayor of his hometown of Lisbon in 2007. He was re-elected in 2009, then again in 2013. He was elected the 119th prime minister of Portugal in November 2015.

This world leader was born in the city of Koutiala in Mali. He is this African country's head of state. Who is he?

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was born on January 29, 1945. He studied history, political science and international affairs at universities in Paris and Dakar. He has been the president of Mali since 2013.

He is the president of Costa Rica, and he's also a musician. Can you identify his name?

Carlos Alvarado Quesada was elected president of Costa Rica in 2018. He was born to a middle-class family on January 14,1980 and studied communications at the University of Costa Rica.

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