1. Tunisia The Jasmine Revolution, a sudden wave of street protests made the president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who had been president for 23 years left the country, after trying unsuccessfully to stop the riot with promises of stepping down.

2. Algeria On Feb. 12, 2011, riot police officers stopped a protest in Algeria’s capital, hundreds of people with the same demands for change, to overthrow the president and regain control of their country.

3. Egypt Protesters raided state security offices this month taking documents and reports that had files of the agency's political figures, religious leaders and even television celebrities.

4. Libya In February 2011, the sweeping through much of the Arab world started in several Libyan cities. it began with a organized core of antigovernment opponents in Benghazi that swiftly raided the capital.

5. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has been the central of the Arab world for decades. Its vast oil supplies, close ties to the United States and cash-heavy diplomacy assured its position from the years of the Cold War until a wave of violence broke in Tunisia and swept across the region.