There's no question that 2013 was a strong year for many individual stocks and their respective markets, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.41%) up 30% and the Nikkei (NIKKEIINDICES: ^NI225) up a blistering 56%.

But not all markets enjoyed 2013. In the following slideshow, read about two regions that dominated the equities markets last year and one that can only hope for a better 2014.