In writing this article last year, I noted that Foreign Policy's readership appeared most interested in clicking on stories about the darkest corners of the planet -- and expressed hope that happier subjects would predominate in 2010. Well, consider my hopes dashed.

Another year has passed, and our readers are still captivated by the world's most blighted places. FP's most popular articles from 2010 included images from the world's failed states, a list of the planet's most tyrannical despots, and an angry plea for why the rest of us should care more about flood-ravaged Pakistan.

The major news of the past year also did much to drive page views. Amidst the conservative resurgence in U.S. politics, FP's account of how other countries perceive the Tea Party was a hit. In a year when China passed Japan as the world's second-largest economy and appeared poised to continue its torrid rise, you clicked on a forecast that the Chinese economy will reach a whopping $123 trillion in 2040. And as Julian Assange's release of thousands of U.S. State Department cables sparked apoplexy throughout the diplomatic establishment, a profile of some of the most colorful personalities in the WikiLeaked cables surged in popularity.

Overall, Foreign Policy had a blockbuster year in 2010, which witnessed our traffic grow more than 250 percent. Here's to an even brighter 2011!

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