Who is the president of the USA?

On 4 November 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was voted in as America's 44th President and officially took over the role on 20 January 2009.

His election made history as he is the USA's first black president.

He was born on 4 August 1961 in Hawaii. He spent his early childhood in Indonesia, before moving back to Hawaii when he was 10 to be brought up by his grandparents.

He was one of only three black students at the school. This is where Barack first realised what racism is and what it meant to be an African-American.

Legal work

After college, Barack worked in community projects before he went to law school and then worked as a civil rights lawyer.

Barack with his dad

He then went on to work for the local government of Illinois, a state in the mid-west of America.

In 2004, Barack was elected to the Senate - part of America's law-making system.

The president before him was George W Bush, who was elected in 2000, and was a member of the Republican Party.