Germany’s Merkel tops Forbes’ most powerful women list

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most powerful women for the fourth year in a row, followed by Janet Yellen, the new  — and first female — U.S. Federal Reserve chair.

Nearly half of those on the list are women who have become the first to ascend to their roles, such as General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust, African self-made billionaire Folorunsho Alakija and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the only woman to have held the position of House speaker.

Merkel was the first woman to become German chancellor, in 2005. Since then she has taken the No. 1 spot on the Forbes list eight times.

The annual list, now in its 10th year, ranks nominees by "money, media momentum, spheres of influence and impact," according to Forbes.

Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, took third place.

The 2014 list features nine heads of state, 28 corporate CEOs and 13 billionaires, including Sara Blakely, the world's youngest self-made female billionaire, at No. 93.

Eighteen are new to the list, including Yellen and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, at No. 63.

Hillary Clinton, who appeared on Forbes' inaugural list in 2004, made this year's list at No. 6.

Forbes describes Clinton, who many speculate may run for president again in 2016, as "one of the most watched-and-listened-to women on the planet."

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 57 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of Clinton, including about a quarter of the Republicans polled. 

More than half, or 58 percent, of the women on the Forbes' list are American, while Asians and Southeast Asians made the second strongest showing at 23.

Latin America and the Middle East boast five citizens on the list, followed by four Europeans and one African.

Russia marked its debut on the list with Elvira Nabiullina, former economic adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the current head of the Central Bank of Russia. She is the first woman to head a central bank in the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations. 

Celebrities who made this year's Forbes' list include Angelina Jolie and Shakira, for their work with the United Nations.