Japan is still by far the world's leading consumer of fish, and for decades if not centuries it was also the top fishing nation.

America is the leading consumer of energy.

In many developed countries the construction and use of buildings is the leading consumer of energy and producer of greenhouse gas emissions.

Finland is also the leading consumer of ice cream in Europe, with 13.7 liters per person in 2003.

In China, already the world's leading consumer of cigarettes, the percentage is over 60 percent, and cigarettes are often offered to visitors along with tea.

Today, it's one of Austria's leading consumer and auto finance businesses and a market leader in retail sales financing.

Similarly, it sank more than $500 million into Thomson, the nation's leading consumer and military electronics group, to help it develop high definition television.

For one, since it is the world's leading consumer, it is the number one customer of companies all around the world.

It is the most popular bread in Norway, Europe's leading consumer.

All the leading consumer on-line services, which have more than seven million subscribers in the United States, offer either Web access or will soon.