There are 18 civilizations in Civ5 vanilla and 4 additional as downloadable content, each with its own leader and unique unit. In addition, every leader has a semi-unique "personality", consisting of traits that determine their in-game behavior.
For example, Elizabeth of the English, a historical naval power, emphasizes a pursuit of naval dominance and the choices she makes reflects this desire. However, in order to prevent leaders from becoming too-predictable, these traits have the potential to be changed slightly and weighted differently before a new game begins, keeping diplomacy fresh.
... Domination
Victory
Science
Victory
Cultural
Victory
Diplomatic
Victory
Points
Victory
Basic
Military
Strategy
Managing
and
Conducting
a
War
Basic
Military
Units
Basic
Military
Tactics
Advanced
Military
Tactics
Aerial
Combat
Naval
Combat
How
Research Works
Planning
Toward
Technological Goals
Mao's
Folly: How the
Great Leap Forward Gets You Killed
Acquiring
Technology
Outside of Research
Eras
Tech
Trees
America
Arabia
Aztec
China
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Greece
India
Iroquois
Japan
Ottoman
Empire
Persia
Rome
Russia
Siam
Songhai
Regardless of Leadership or
nationality, all rival civilizations in the Civilization 5 are
dangerous. Civilization 5's take on world politics is decidedly
bloodier in nature than its recent prequels. Some civilizations act
more aggressively than others, but any of them will attack you if they
smell weakness. Beware.
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