Taking Rallye Monte Carlo's traditional place as the first rally of the year, the wintry January weather is likely to present a big challenge in Ireland – with ice and snow a distinct possibility. Included in the WRC for the first time in 2007, this cross-border rally includes stages in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Essentially an asphalt event, the tight and twisty roads in the Sligo Mountains and Fermanagh Lakelands are bumpy and narrow - little more than the width of a car in places - and feature many surface changes.

Rally Norway was first included in the WRC in 2007. Based only 250km from Rally Sweden's host town of Karlstad, Norway's snow covered stages are similar but generally narrower and more technical. Like Sweden, however, Norway is an extremely fast rally. Roadside snow-banks will offer a cushion for the lack of grip, but as always, they may be as dangerous as they are helpful. The rally is based from the town of Hamar which, along with its neighbouring city of Lillehammer, hosted much of the action of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team driver Henning Solberg will look to turn in an impressive performance in front of his huge legion of fans in his home country.

Returning to the WRC after a two-year absence, Rally Cyprus has undergone a serious makeover. Once purely a hot, dusty and rough gravel rally - similar in character to the Acropolis Rally of Greece - Cyprus is now the only the rally of the year to feature a mixture of road surfaces. Day one will be contested on asphalt roads, while days two and three will continue to offer the sort of challenging gravel stages for which the event is renowned. As in previous years the Service Park and rally headquarters will be located close to the seafront in the holiday resort of Limassol on the island's south coast.

Back in the WRC calendar after a year out in 2008. The first Portuguese round of the WRC came in 1973, and for the next 29 years the event went on to become one of the most difficult and notorious rallies on earth. The event earned a reputation for tricky road conditions and unruly crowds of spectators. In more recent years Portugal was a gravel-only event, based on the west coast near Porto, but in 2001 it was dropped - replaced on the calendar by Rallye Deutschland. In 2007, after two years of candidacy, Portugal's return to the WRC represented a fresh start. The new-look rally moved to a new host town, Vilamoura, in the Algarve holiday region on the south coast. The event base is the Algarve Stadium, where two Super Special stages will be held, while the spectacular gravel stages are located in the Algarve and Alentejo regions.

One of the WRC's most spectacular and demanding events, Rally Argentina is based from the town of Villa Carlos Paz, 35km south of Cordoba and right in the heart of the stunning Cordobese Sierras. The competitive action takes place in the three valleys of Cordoba province, each of which offers gravel stages of differing character and landscape. The blend of high speeds and bumpy terrain can make Argentina a car breaker. If that wasn't enough, the high altitude of the stages, just as in Mexico, saps the cars of power as they struggle for breath in the thin air.

The Italian round of the WRC was previously the Rallye San Remo, based on the twisty asphalt roads around the Italian Riviera resort. But in 2004 the event switched from asphalt to gravel and from the mainland to the island of Sardinia where it's remained ever since. The stages themselves are made of fine and sandy gravel and are surprising fast, given their tight, narrow nature. Saturday's competition features two new stages, located in the Goceano area in the middle of the island. This year's ceremonial start will be held on the waterfront in Olbia while the finish podium remains in Porto Cervo.

First run in 1953, the Greek event is one of the longest-standing in world rallying. The mix of rough, twisty mountain stages, blistering heat and choking dust makes the Acropolis Rally of Greece the toughest on the WRC calendar. Cars have to be built extra-sturdy to cope with the surprisingly fast, but rock-strewn stages, while drivers and co-drivers have to be at peak physical fitness to cope with the pounding terrain and temperatures in the cockpit which can top 50 degrees Celsius. After being based for a number of years near the historic city of Delphi, in 2007 the event returned to its spiritual home of Athens. This year it's on the move again, to a new base in the town of Loutraki approximately 85 km west of Athens.

Last included as a round of the WRC in 1973, Poland's most prestigious motorsport event celebrates its 67th anniversary this year with a return to the WRC calendar. The event has a long and illustrious history stretching back to 1921, making it the second oldest rally in the world after Rally Monte Carlo. For many years 'Polski' was an asphalt round of the European Championship, based on the roads in the south of the country in Cracow and the Lower Silesia regions. In 2005, however, the rally was moved to the Mazurian Lakes District in 2005. A base in the town of Mikolajki provides excellent access to some spectacular gravel stages.

Formerly known as the 1000 Lakes, Neste Rally Finland is one of the most popular events on the WRC calendar. Based in the bustling student town of Jyvaskyla, located in the lake district area in the centre of the country. To win here, you need a savvy combination of tactical nous, smooth and efficient technique and flat-out commitment to cope with the high speeds, fast kinks and mammoth jumps that litter the smooth, loose-surface stages. Over the years, the event has been dominated by the Scandinavians, but in 2008 Sebastien Loeb flew a French flag over the top step of the podium. The Finns will be out to reclaim their event in 2009.

After two years away from the WRC in 2007 and 2008, Rally Australia returns in 2009 with an all-new event. Previously run from the city of Perth, the rally's new base is 4000km away on the east coast in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales (NSW), with the majority of competition taking place in the Tweed and Kyogle Shires. Rally headquarters will be the Salt Resort complex in the town of Kingscliff, while the service park will be constructed on the beach nearby. The route includes high speed hard packed gravel stages located in the Kyogle, Murwillumbah and Mullumbimby areas. Like Rally Poland the re-born Rally Australia represents a huge step into the unknown for WRC crews.

There has been significant change for Spain's round of the WRC in recent years. First the move from the Costa Brava to the Costa Daurada on the other side of Barcelona in 2005, and then a calendar move back to autumn in 2007. The event's nature hasn't changed much, however, with the wide, sweeping asphalt roads providing the fastest sealed-surface stages of the season. Racing driving techniques can pay dividends on the fast asphalt stages as drivers aim for smooth lines through the turns to maximise their speed. The event is based in the PortAventura theme park, in the town of Salou in the Tarragona region.

As one of the oldest rallies in the world, Wales Rally GB - known for much of its history as the RAC Rally - has reflected the numerous changes in the sport. From its heyday as a national event that roamed around the country and included stages in the North-East, Scotland, the Lake District, the North-West and the Midlands, it later developed into a tight, spectator-friendly cloverleaf format rally. Since 2007 the service park has been located in the docklands area of Swansea, providing a more easily accessible location for spectators. Cardiff remains the host city, staging the ceremonial start, the finish and the fan-friendly Super Special stage. The gravel forest stages of south and mid-Wales are fast and flowing and, when wet, can become as slippery as any in the world. Scheduled almost two months earlier in the calendar than the wintry 2008 event, this year's Wales Rally GB will potentially offer a slightly less harsh climate.