Where Dangers Lurk

Every January, New York-based risk advisory firm Eurasia Group issues an annual list of the top 10 global geopolitical threats in the upcoming year. This year's roster, released on Jan. 4, contains its share of surprises. Eurasia Group downplays problems in Iraq and Afghanistan, for instance, but highlights dangers from an economically weakened Japan, a widening fiscal gap between Northern and Southern Europe, and the worrisome rise in nationalism and populism across the globe.

The No. 1 risk in 2010: growing tension between the U.S. and China, driven by diverging economic situations and political differences on issues ranging from climate change to security to trade. Click on for a look at Eurasia Group's top 10 risks of 2010, and five "red herrings," or risks that are less hazardous than they appear.

All material © Eurasia Group, 2010