Each year, photographers around the world document the stories, personalities and places that capture our interest and demand our attention. Political unrest sparked by contentious elections, the effects of 90 years of the former Soviet Union's agricultural policies on central Asia and the escalating violence inflicted by drug traffickers in Latin America were issues of importance in 2009. Some events seized major media attention, while others would have slipped below the public gaze were it not for the efforts of photojournalists.
