It takes more accomplishment than ever to get on this year's list: Forbes

Right now, more women are sitting in the cushy chairs of some of the world's most powerful positions, taking over corporations, nonprofits and even entire countries as outlined in Forbes magazine's list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

Over half of the world's most powerful women are actually from the United States: 53 of 100.

Coming in first is German chancellor Angela Merkel, who bounced last year's most powerful woman, Condoleezza Rice, out of the top position the same way she bounced Gerhard Schroder out of the chancellor's chair.

Merkel is the first female chancellor in Germany's history and brings strong pro-free market ideas to the position. She's been revamping the government's heath care system and tax policies while trying to build strong German-American ties.

As America's Secretary of State, Rice is taking an increasingly influential role during U.S. President George W. Bush's terms in office and comes in second on the list.  Rice promotes "transformational democracy," a political philosophy that will see the U.S. work with the rest of the world to build democratic states that respond to the needs of the people who live there.

Rounding out the top three is Wu Yi, the Vice Premier of China. Yi is a long-time Communist Party member who has been dealing with trade imbalances, new markets and a volatile Chinese economy in the past year. She announced new bilateral trade initiatives worth more than $18 billion US this year and traveled to North Korea on a goodwill visit to end nuclear stand-offs.

There are 30 women total on this year's list who work in upper government positions, up from 24 last year. Others include Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile, at number 17, Christine Lagarde, France's minister of trade, at 30, and Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the president of Latvia, at number 63.

Other notables in the top 100 include Melinda Gates, co-founder and director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at number 12.  Gates manages the nonprofit's $30 billion US, which will double after a $30 billion US donation from investor Warren Buffet.  The Gates Foundation targets the world's three biggest diseases (AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria) in addition to other human causes.

Talk show queen and chairman of Harpo Oprah Winfrey came in at number 14.  Winfrey has a net worth of about $1 billion US and has founded a magazine, cable channel and charity foundation.

Playboy Chairman and Chief Executive Christie Hefner, daughter of Hugh, also made the list at number 80.  Hefner has overseen the expansion of the Playboy empire and is making efforts to combat losses the company has faced due to advertising slowdown.

There are 48 women in total on the list running companies as chief executives or chairwomen, up from 35 last year.  These include PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, who came in fourth, Theresa Gattung, CEO of Telecom New Zealand, at number 49, and Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, who came in at number 76.

From Canada.com