This article was taken from the August 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
This is the map of international diplomacy according to Twitter. Compiled by Matthias Lüfkens, associate director of media at the World Economic Forum, it shows who follows whom among the world's leaders (although, says Lüfkens, none tweets personally).
It includes 47 Twitter accounts, from @BarackObama (eight million-plus followers) to the additions in March of Germany, Japan and a French account in English. Italy, India, Saudi Arabia and China were, in May, still not officially on Twitter. Although many nations have embraced the 140-character missive, others are not so engaged. "Things are moving fast in the Twittersphere but world leaders still don't understand its global dimension," says Lüfkens. "When I first presented this work [at Paris conference Le Web 2010], the
@elysee account wasn't even following its own ministries. But it is now."
Twitter has reached the global corridors of power -- but which leaders have joined the Twitterati, and which have nothing to say?
@BARACKOBAMA / @WHITEHOUSE
The US President draws a huge 8.38 million followers, and also has the most followees: 696,000. @whitehouse isn't following him -- but it probably doesn't need to.
@NUMBER10GOV
Team Cameron is embracing social media with 2,406 tweets, 1.8 million followers and an impressive 462,000 followees. It follows 16 world leaders; eight mutually and eight unilaterally.
@PRCAVACOSILVA / PRESIDENCIA / GOVPT
The most inquisitive of Twitter leaders, Portugal unilaterally follows 69 other accounts and is mutually followed by both of South Korea's profiles.
@GOBIERNODECHILE
With four mutually and three unilaterally followed leaders, the Chilean government's official account has been busy, having tweeted 6,574 times -- the most on this page.
@BLUEHOUSEKOREA / PRIMEMINISTERKR
With 56,000 followers and 58,000 followees, the account for South Korea's presidential office is enjoying healthy two-way traffic. Mutually follows six other leaders.
@GEORGI_PARANOV
With just 45 followers and following no one, the president of Bulgaria hasn't sent a single tweet -- making him the least- sociable person here. Isn't it time you got connected, Georgi?
*---
Don't miss the full-screen version of the infographic in the gallery below!*
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
