Washington - Until late August, few people had ever heard of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, even within the United States.

Now, the woman named by Republican presidential nominee John McCain's as his running mate is the subject of headlines and debate around the world, and increasingly a contentious figure for Democrat, independent voters and even some leading Republicans.

Following several slip-ups in interviews, which exposed Palin's lack of experience in several fields of policy, there were record TV ratings for her one debate against Democratic counterpart and rival Joe Biden.

Cheekiness, disposition for attack, ambition and drive are the trademarks of the 44-year-old mother of five children. Because of her aggressive attitude on the basketball court in high school, she was nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda" by her teammates.

Palin - a keen hunter since her youth, and a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) - studied journalism and politics. At 32, she became mayor of her home town Wasilla, with 9,000 people. There, she made a name for herself as a skilled, enterprising manager. From 2003, as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, she fought the influence of lobbyists.

In 2006 she comfortably won election as governor of Alaska. Palin earned respect with her cross-party fight against corruption, but that was somewhat tarnished by allegations of abuse of her own power. Earlier this month, a state investigation found she had abused her position by firing an official for allegedly refusing to dismiss a state trooper who was divorced from her sister.

Sarah Palin is very conservative. She rejects the theory of evolution and she is against same-sex marriage, sex education at school and abortion. Her six-month-old son suffers from Down's syndrome. Palin found out during her pregnancy, but she chose to have the child nonetheless, a decision which has endeared her to conservative Republican voters.

Palin is seen often carrying the baby, Trig, on the campaign trail.