Ananova:

Britney Spears, Harry Potter and the The Matrix have topped the list of the most frequently searched subjects last year on Google.

In Britain the most-queried subject was Prince Charles.

Britney Spears was also the most-requested female photographic image of the year, followed by Jennifer Lopez and Pamela Anderson.

US socialite Paris Hilton turns up as the second-most-popular search query in Canada, third in Germany, eighth in Australia and ninth in Britain.

The war in Iraq finished seventh on the list of most popular general queries, beaten by Britney Spears, Harry Potter, the Matrix films, Shakira, David Beckham and 50 Cent.

In Canada, the most searched subject of the year was Finding Nemo, the animated film.

Actors Halle Berry and Jennifer Love Hewitt, who placed high on the Google lists in 2002, disappeared from the 2003 results. So, too, did Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and Ben Affleck. Madonna, once one of the world's most popular women, did not make a single national list in 2003.

In France, the most-queried subject was SNCF, the country's national rail service. In Australia, it was Australian Idol, the Down Under version of the international hit TV show. In Japan, it was Gundam, a video game, reports the Globe and Mail.