Will 2024 change history? This year will see elections held in 64 countries and the European Union. Some experts are calling it the biggest test democracy has ever faced.
The year half the world goes to the polls
Historic: Elections in these four countries could tilt the balance of power towards China. Glossary
Taiwanese - From Taiwan, an island country in east Asia. China still claims to be the legitimate owner of Taiwan, while the Taiwanese government until recently claimed to be the legitimate government of the whole of China.
Imran Khan - A former international cricketer who became the prime minister of Pakistan in 2018, until April 2022.
Rampant - Spreading quickly.
Vote-rigging - Another name for electoral fraud. Illegally interfering with an election to boost votes for one candidate or suppress votes for another.
Indonesia - A country in south-east Asia, made up of over 17,000 islands.
Narendra Modi - The prime minister of India. He inspires passionate support from many in his country, but his critics regard him as populist, anti-Muslim and authoritarian.
Mandate - Authority from the people to do something, usually given to politicians in an election.
Mexico - A country in the southern part of North America. It shares a long border with the USA. Most people in Mexico speak Spanish.
Liberal - Liberalism is a school of political thought that stresses individual liberty. Liberals believe that society should not try to impose values or behaviours on individuals but should be tolerant of different lifestyles. A leading exponent of liberal thought was the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, the author of the classic work On Liberty.
European Parliament - The EU's law-making body. Its members are directly elected by EU voters every five years.
Talking shop - A place known for unproductive talk rather than meaningful action.
Apartheid - A system of legally-enshrined racial discrimination and oppression which existed in South Africa from 1948 until the 1990s. It denied non-white South Africans basic human rights.
African National Congress - A South African political party, which has ruled the country since 1994. It was the party of Nelson Mandela.
Martial law - The temporary suspension of civil law and its replacement with direct military control of society and its institutions.
Volodymyr Zelensky - Zelensky won more than 73% of the vote to become Ukrainian President in April 2019. Incredibly, he once starred in a satirical drama in which his character accidentally wins the Ukrainian presidency.