Republic of Congo

The Republic of Congo (until 1960 Central Congo, 1969 to 1991 People's Republic of Congo) is a republic in Central Africa. Its capital and largest metropolitan area before the port city of Pointe-Noire is Brazzaville; the country is also known as Congo-Brazzaville. The state borders Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly the Belgian Congo or Zaire), the Angolan exclave of Cabinda, and the Atlantic Ocean. It ranks 138th out of 189 in the Human Development Index (as of 2019). The Republic of Congo has a population of nearly five million with an average age of 19.7 years (as of 2017).

The population density is low, with eleven inhabitants per km². French is the official language, a legacy of the colonial era. In addition, the constitution of the Republic of Congo recognizes the lingua franca and Kituba as "national lingua franca. In 1990, after support from the socialist states ceased, the country began to abandon socialism, and in 1991 the "Republic of Congo" was finally proclaimed. Only in 1992 were there genuine democratic elections, in which Sassou-Nguesso was defeated by Pascal Lissouba. From 1997 to 1999, however, a civil war that paralyzed the country raged, ending with the victory of the so-called Cobra militias of Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who had returned from French exile, over the militias of incumbent President Pascal Lissouba and former presidential candidate Bernard Kolelas, who had lost in 1992.

Since that time, Sassou-Nguesso has held power as the country's president without interruption. According to the constitution adopted by referendum on January 20, 2002, and which entered into force on August 9, 2002, the form of government is that of a presidential republic. The head of state is the president, who is also head of government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

He is elected by an absolute majority of the people for a seven-year term, and a single re-election was possible. On October 25, 2015, the constitution was amended by referendum; since then, the current ruler Denis Sassou-Nguesso has been able to run again. He was also confirmed in office in the election on March 21, 2021.