List of state leaders in 1978

1977 state leaders – Events of 1978 – 1979 state leaders – State leaders by year

Africa

• Algeria -
  1. Houari Boumédiènne, President of Algeria (1965-1978)
  2. Rabah Bitat, President of Algeria (1978-1979)
• Angola –
  • President – António Agostinho Neto, President of Angola (1975-1979)
  • Prime Minister –
    1. Lopo do Nascimento, Prime Minister of Angola (1975-9 December 1978)
    2. Position eliminated
• Burundi
  • President – Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, President of Burundi (1976-1987)
  • Prime Minister –
    1. Édouard Nzambimana, Prime Minister of Burundi (1976-1978)
    2. Position eliminated
• Djibouti -
  • President – Hassan Gouled Aptidon, President of Djibouti (1977-1999)
  • Prime Minister –
    1. Ahmed Dini Ahmed, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1977-1978)
    2. Abdallah Mohamed Kamil, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978)
    3. 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 –
  1. Jomo Kenyatta, President of Kenya (1964-1978)
  2. Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya (1978-2002)
• Liberia – William R. Tolbert, Jr., President of Liberia (1971-1980)
• Rhodesia -
  • President –
    1. John Wrathall, President of Rhodesia (1976-1978)
    2. Henry Everard, acting President of Rhodesia (1978)
    3. 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)
• Somalia – Muhammad Siad Barre, President of Somalia (1969 – 1991)
• Uganda – Idi Amin, President of Uganda (1971-1979)
• Zambia
  • President – Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)
  • Prime Minister –
    1. Mainza Chona, Prime Minister of Zambia (1977-1978)
    2. Daniel Lisulo, Prime Minister of Zambia (1978-1981)

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • President –
    1. Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan, President of Afghanistan (1973-1978)
    2. General Abdul Qadir, President of Afghanistan (1978-1978)
    3. Nur Mohammad Taraki, President of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
  • Prime Minister – Nur Mohammad Taraki, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1978-1979)
• Brunei – Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (1967–present)
• People's Republic of China
  • De facto Head of State -
    1. Vice Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1976-1978)
    2. 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)
• Japan
  • Monarch – Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
  • Prime Minister –
    1. Takeo Fukuda, Prime Minister of Japan (1976-1978)
    2. 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 –
    1. Fazal Elahi Chaudhry, President of Pakistan (1973-1978)
    2. 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 -
    1. Yen Chia-kan, President of the Republic of China (1975-1978)
    2. Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Republic of China (1978-1988)
  • Premier –
    1. Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Executive Yuan (1972-1978)
    2. 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 (1975-1984)
• Tuvalu
  1. 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

• 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)
• 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 -
    1. Giovanni Leone, President of Italy (1971-1978)
    2. Amintore Fanfani, acting President of Italy (1978)
    3. Sandro Pertini, President of Italy (1978-1985)
  • Prime Minister – Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy (1976-1979)
• 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 – James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976-1979)
• Vatican City
  • Pope –
    1. Paul VI, Bishop of Rome (1963-1978)
    2. John Paul I, Bishop of Rome (1978)
    3. 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 –
    1. Mamdouh Muhammad Salem, Prime Minister of Egypt (1975-1978)
    2. Mustafa Khalil, Prime Minister of Egypt (1978-1980)
• Israel -
  • President –
    1. Ephraim Katzir, President of Israel (1973-1978)
    2. 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 –
    1. Salim Ali Rubai, Chairman of the Presidential Council (1970-1978)
    2. Ali Nasir Mohammed, Chairman of the Presidential Council (1978)
    3. 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 –
    1. Ahmed al-Ghashmi, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1977-1978)
    2. Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1978)
    3. 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 – Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada (1974-1979)
  • Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968-1979)
• 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)

South America

• Argentina – Jorge Rafael Videla, President of Argentina (1976-1981)
• Bolivia –
  1. Hugo Banzer Suárez, President of Bolivia (1971-1978)
  2. Juan Pereda Asbún, President of Bolivia (1978)
  3. David Padilla Arancibia, Chairman of the Bolivian Junta (1978-1979)
• Brazil – Ernesto Geisel, President of Brazil (1974-1979)
• Paraguay – Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
• Peru – Francisco Morales Bermúdez, President of Peru (1975-1980)