- Country name
- conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)
local long form: République du Congo
local short form: Congo
former: French Congo, Middle Congo, People's Republic of the Congo, Congo/Brazzaville
etymology: named for the Congo River, which makes up much of the country's eastern border; the river name derives from Kongo, a Bantu kingdom in the area - Government type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- name: Brazzaville
geographic coordinates: 4 15 S, 15 17 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: named after the Italian-born French explorer and humanitarian, Pierre Savorgnan de BRAZZA (1852-1905), who founded the town in 1883 - Administrative divisions
- 15 departments; Bouenza, Brazzaville, Congo-Oubangui, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Djoue-Lefini, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Nkeni-Alima, Plateaux, Pointe-Noire, Pool, Sangha
- Legal system
- mixed system of French civil law and customary law
- Constitution
- history: several previous; latest approved by referendum 25 October 2015
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; passage of presidential proposals requires Supreme Court review followed by approval in a referendum; such proposals may also be submitted directly to Parliament, in which case passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote of both houses in joint session; proposals by Parliament require three-fourths majority vote of both houses in joint session; constitutional articles including those affecting the country’s territory, republican form of government, and secularity of the state are not amendable - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Republic of the Congo
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Anatole Collinet MAKOSSO (since 12 May 2021)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms)
most recent election date: 21 March 2021
election results: 2021: Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (PCT) 88.4%, Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 8.0%, other 3.6% 2016: Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (PCT) 60.4%, Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 15.1%, Jean-Marie MOKOKO (independent) 13.9%, Pascal Tsaty MABIALA (UPADS) 4.4%, other 6.2%
expected date of next election: 21 March 2026 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)
legislative structure: bicameral - Legislative branch - lower chamber
- chamber name: National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
number of seats: 151 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 8/20/2023
parties elected and seats per party: Congolese Workers Party (PCT) (112); Other (39)
percentage of women in chamber: 14.6%
expected date of next election: July 2026 - Legislative branch - upper chamber
- chamber name: Senate (Sénat)
number of seats: 72 (all indirectly elected)
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 6 years
most recent election date: 7/10/2022 to 7/31/2022
percentage of women in chamber: 31.9%
expected date of next election: August 2029 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by Parliament and serve until age 65; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president of the republic - 3 directly by the president and 6 nominated by Parliament; members appointed for renewable 9-year terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years
subordinate courts: Court of Audit and Budgetary Discipline; courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts - Political parties
- Alliance of the Presidential Majority or AMPAction Movement for Renewal or MAR Citizen's Rally or RC Congolese Labour Party or PCT Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI Congo on the Move or LCEM Movement for Unity, Solidarity, and Work or MUST Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS Club 2002-Party for the Unity and the Republic or Club 2002 Patriotic Union for Democracy and Progress or UPDP Perspectives and Realities Club or CPR Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS Republican and Liberal Party or PRL Union of Democratic Forces or UDF Union for Democracy and Republic or UDRUnion of Humanist Democrats or UDH-YUKI Union for the Republic or UR
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Firmine BOUITY (since 6 September 2025)
chancery: 1720 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860
email address and website: info@ambacongo-us.orghttp://www.ambacongo-us.org/en-us/home.aspx - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Amanda S. JACOBSEN (since 18 July 2025)
embassy: 70-83 Section D, Boulevard Denis Sassou N'Guesso, Brazzaville
mailing address: 2090 Brazzaville Place, Washington DC 20521-2090
telephone: [242] 06 612-2000, [242] 05 387-9700
email address and website: BrazzavilleACS@state.govhttps://cg.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC (observer), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Independence
- 15 August 1960 (from France)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
- Flag
- description: divided diagonally from the lower-left side by a wide yellow band; the upper triangle (left side) is green, and the lower triangle is redmeaning: green stands for agriculture and forests, and yellow for the people's friendship and nobility; the meaning of the red color is not noted but has been associated with the struggle for independence
- National symbol(s)
- lion, elephant
- National color(s)
- green, yellow, red
- National anthem(s)
- title: "La Congolaise" (The Congolese)
lyrics/music: Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE
history: originally adopted 1959, restored 1991 - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 2 (natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Sangha Trinational Forest; Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua