- For other uses, see G8 (disambiguation).
 G-8 work session; July 20-22, 2002. The Group of Eight (G8) is the coalition of eight of the world's leading industrialized nations: France, Germany (West Germany to 1991), Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, (the G6, 1975), Canada (the G7, 1976), and Russia (not participating in all events), as well as the European Union. The hallmark of the G8 is an annual economic and political summit of the heads of government with international officials, though there are numerous subsidiary meetings and policy research.
The G8 leaders as of September 30, 2004 were:
The annual summits are often the focus of anti-globalization movement protests.
Participation of Russia
Effectively from 1997, at the instigation of then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, "Group of Seven" became the "Group of Eight," with the Russians attending most sessions rather than being invited along after dinner for coffee and cigars. It was a thank you to then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin for pursuing economic reforms and for not kicking up a fuss about the eastward expansion of NATO. Because the original G7 are effectively the leading industrial democracies and the Russian economy (as well as democracy) is still struggling, there are still some G7 sessions on economic affairs in which the Russians do not participate.
Past G7/G8 Summits
The location of the summit meetings rotate anually among member countries in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada (the order in which each nation joined the group).
| number | date | country | place | official website
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| 1st | 1975, November 15–November 17 | France | Rambouillet |
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| 2nd | 1976, June 27–June 28 | United States | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| 3rd | 1977, May 7–May 8 | United Kingdom | London, England |
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| 4th | 1978, July 16–July 17 | Germany | Bonn |
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| 5th | 1979, June 28–June 29 | Japan | Tokyo |
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| 6th | 1980, June 22–June 23 | Italy | Venice |
|
| 7th | 1981, July 20–July 21 | Canada | Montebello, Ottawa, Ontario |
|
| 8th | 1982, June 4–June 6 | France | Versailles |
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| 9th | 1983, May 28–May 30 | United States | Williamsburg, Virginia |
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| 10th | 1984, June 7–June 9 | United Kingdom | London, England |
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| 11th | 1985, May 2–May 4 | Germany | Bonn |
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| 12th | 1986, May 4–May 6 | Japan | Tokyo |
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| 13th | 1987, June 8–June 10 | Italy | Venice |
|
| 14th | 1988, June 19–June 21 | Canada | Toronto, Ontario |
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| 15th | 1989, July 14–July 16 | France | Paris |
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| 16th | 1990, July 9–July 11 | United States | Houston, Texas |
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| 17th | 1991, July 15–July 17 | United Kingdom | London, England |
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| 18th | 1992, July 6–July 8 | Germany | Munich, Bayern |
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| 19th | 1993, July 7–July 9 | Japan | Tokyo |
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| 20th | 1994, July 8–July 10 | Italy | Naples |
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| 21st | 1995, June 15–June 17 | Canada | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
|
| - | 1996, April 19–April 20 | Russia | Moscow
(Special summit on nuclear security) |
|
| 22nd | 1996, June 27–June 29 | France | Lyon |
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| 23rd | 1997, June 20–June 22 | United States | Denver, Colorado |
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| 24th | 1998, May 15–May 17 | United Kingdom | Birmingham, England
(First G8 official Summit) |
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| 25th | 1999, June 18–June 20 | Germany | Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia |
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| 26th | 2000, July 21–July 23 | Japan | Okinawa |
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| 27th | 2001, July 20–July 22 | Italy | Genoa |
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| 28th | 2002, June 26–June 27 | Canada | Kananaskis, Alberta | http://www.g8.gc.ca/
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| 29th | 2003, June 2–June 3 | France | Évian-les-Bains | http://www.g8.fr/
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| 30th | 2004, June 8–June 10 | United States | Sea Island, Georgia | http://g8usa.gov/
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Future G8 Summits
Links to unofficial G8-related websites (alternative or protest)
See also
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