Europe.

• Position: World Affairs Annual 2013

RUSSIA

Vladimir Putin has led Russia since 2000, serving two terms as president and one term as prime minister before his re-election to the presidency in 2012. Although Putin has taken his nation down an increasingly autocratic path, the U.S. and Russia will need to work together on issues like the conflict in Syria and the nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.

GERMANY

The world's fourth-largest economy and a key player in the European Union, Germany has taken a lead role in tackling the economic crisis facing the Continent. The U.S. has been urging Chancellor Angela Merkel (above) to help bail out struggling countries in Europe.

TURKEY

A Muslim nation that's part of both Europe and Asia, Turkey continues to work toward membership in the European Union. The U.S. hopes that as a democracy with a booming free-market economy, Turkey will serve as a model for other Muslim nations undergoing political and economic change.

GREECE

The economic crisis in Greece has prompted protests (below, at the Parthenon) and talk of Greece possibly giving up the euro as its currency. The crisis has spread to other shaky European economies, like Spain, Italy, and Portugal; the U.S. fears Europe could pull the American economy back into recession

Europe COUNTRY AREA (SQ MI) URBAN POP. % POPULATION POP. RISE %/YEAR 11,082 54 Albania 2,800,000 0.6 179 90 Andorra 100,000 0.7 32,386 67 Austria 8,500,000 0 80,153 76 Belarus 9,500,000 -0.3 11,787 99 Belgium 11,100,000 0.2 Bosnia and 19,772 46 Herzegovina 3,800,000 -0.1 Bulgaria 42,858 73 7,200,000 -0.5 21,851 56 Croatia 4,300,000 -0.2 30,450 74 Czech Republic 10,500,000 0 16,640 72 Denmark 5,600,000 0.1 17,462 69 Estonia 1,300,000 0 130,666 68 Finland 5,400,000 0.2 210,026 78 France 63,600,000 0.4 137,879 73 Germany 81,800,000 -0.2 Greece 50,949 73 10,800,000 0.1 Hungary 35,919 69 9,900,000 -0.4 39,769 94 Iceland 300,000 0.8 27,133 60 Ireland 4,700,000 1.0 116,346 68 Italy 60,900,000 -0.1 Kosovo (2) 4,212 NA 2,300,000 1.2 24,938 68 Latvia 2,000,000 -0.5 62 15 Liechtenstein 40,000 0.4 25,212 67 Lithuania 3,200,000 -0.2 Luxembourg 999 83 500,000 0.3 9,928 65 Macedonia 2,100,000 0.2 Malta 122 100 400,000 0.2 Maldova 13,067 42 4,100,000 0 Monaco 1 100 40,000 0 5,333 64 Montenegro 600,000 0.2 Netherlands 16,040 66 16,700,000 0.2 Norway y 148,718 80 5,000,000 0.4 120,726 61 Poland 38,200,000 0.1 35,558 38 Portugal 10,600,000 -0.1 Romania 92,043 55 21,400,000 -0.4 Russia (3) 6,601,700 74 143,200,000 -0.1 24 84 San...