Congress
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/* Non-political congress */ sorted AZ
{{wiktionary}}
In [[politics]], a '''congress''' ("a [[gathering]] of people") is the name of the main [[legislative]] body in a [[state]] that operates under a [[congressional system]] of government. In non-political usage congress is a term applied to a large national or international grouping of people meeting together with common interests or concerns, e.g. an [[academic conference]].
==Political congress==
===Legislative congress===
'''Countries with Congresses and [[presidential system]]s:'''
* The [[Congress of Mexico]] ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Congreso de la Unión'') is the legislative branch of [[Mexico|Mexican]] government.
* The [[Argentine National Congress|Congress of the Argentine Nation]] (Spanish: ''Congreso de la Nación Argentina'') is the legislative branch of the government of [[Argentina]].
* The [[Congress of the Philippines]] ([[Filipino language|Filipino]]: ''Kongreso ng Pilipinas'') is the legislative branch of the [[Philippines|Philippine]] government.
* The [[Congress of Peru|Congress of the Republic of Peru]] (Spanish: ''Congreso de la República'') is the unicameral legislature of [[Peru]].
* The [[United States Congress|Congress of the United States]] is the bicameral legislative branch of the [[United States federal government]].
* The [[National Congress of Bolivia]] is the national legislature of [[Bolivia]].
* The [[National Congress of Brazil]] ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''Congresso Nacional'') is Brazil's legislature.
* The [[National Congress of Chile]] (Spanish: ''Congreso Nacional'') is the legislative branch of the government of [[Chile]].
* The [[National Congress of Ecuador]] is the unicameral legislature of Ecuador.
* The [[Congress of Guatemala]] (Spanish: ''Congreso de la República'') is the unicameral legislature of Guatemala.
* The [[Congress of Honduras]] (Spanish: ''Congreso nacional'') is the legislative branch of the government of [[Honduras]].
* The [[Congress of Paraguay]] is the bicameral legislature of [[Paraguay]].
* The [[Congress of the Dominican Republic]] is the bicameral legislature of the [[Dominican Republic]].
* The [[Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia]] is the unicameral legislature of the [[Federated States of Micronesia]].
'''Other countries with ''Congresses'':'''
* The legislature of the [[People's Republic of China]] is known in [[English language|English]] as the [[National People's Congress]]. The PRC is nevertheless not a congressional system.
* In [[France]], the ''congrès'' is a formal and exceptional joint meeting of [[Parliament of France|both houses of Parliament]] in order to ratify an amendment to the [[Constitution of France|Constitution]].
* [[Spanish Congress of Deputies]] (Spanish: ''Congreso de los Diputados''), the lower house of the [[Cortes Generales]], Spain's legislative branch
===Political party and organizations===
'''''Congress''''' is included in the name of several [[political parties]], especially those in former British colonies:
* The [[African National Congress]] of [[South Africa]]
* The [[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]] of [[Sri Lanka]]
* The [[All People's Congress]] of [[Sierra Leone]]
* The [[Basotho Congress Party]] of [[Lesotho]]
* The [[Congress of Democrats]] of [[Namibia]]
* The [[Indian National Congress]] of [[India]]
* The [[Lesotho Congress for Democracy]] of [[Lesotho]]
* The [[Lesotho Peoples' Congress]] of [[Lesotho]]
* The [[Malawi Congress Party]] of [[Malawi]]
* The [[Malaysian Indian Congress]] of [[Malaysia]]
* The [[National Congress of American Indians]]
* The [[National Congress of Fiji]]
* The [[National Congress (Sudan)]]
* The [[National Congress of the Canaries]]
* The [[Nationalist Congress Party]] of [[India]]
* The [[Nationalist Trinamool Congress]] of [[India]]
* The [[Nepali Congress]] of [[Nepal]]
* The [[Ngwane National Liberatory Congress]] of [[Swaziland]]
* The [[Pan-Africanist Congress]] of [[South Africa]]
* The [[People's National Congress]] of [[Guyana]]
* The [[Sri Lanka Muslim Congress]] of [[Sri Lanka]]
* The [[Tamil Maanila Congress]] of [[India]]
* The [[Ugandan People's Congress]] of [[Uganda]]
* The [[United National Congress]] of [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
===Political gatherings===
'''''Congress''''' has also been used to describe certain historical gatherings, such as
* The [[Congress of Berlin]] (1877-78), reorganizing conditions in the [[Balkans]],
* The [[Congress of Gniezno]] (1000)
* The [[Congress of Panama]] was an 1826 meeting of representatives from several Latin American republics organized by Simon Bolivar in an attempt to promote Pan-American unity.
* The [[Congress of Tucumán]] (1816)
* The [[Congress of Vienna]] (1815), reorganizing [[Europe]] after the [[Napoleon wars]],
* The [[National Congress of Belgium]] was a temporarly legislative assembly in 1830, formed to create a constitution for the [[Belgian Revolution|new state]].
It has been used for meetings of independence-minded [[nationalist]]s or [[revolutionary|revolutionaries]]:
* The [[African National Congress]]
* The [[Indian National Congress]]
* The [[Iraqi National Congress]]
* The United States [[Continental Congress]]
(Note, the political parties mentioned above also began as groups of this type).
''Congress'' is also part of the name of certain international bodies, such as
* The [[Congress of the Council of Europe]].
===Party congress===
Many political parties also have a '''Party Congress''' which is held every few years to make decisions for the party and elected governing bodies. These are sometimes called [[political convention]]s.
==Non-political congress==
===Chess congress===
[[Image:Chess congress, Ormskirk.jpg|thumb|Chess congress]]
A '''''Chess congress''''' is a [[chess]] tournament, in one city, where a large number of contestants gather to play competitive chess over a limited period of time; typically one day to one week.
===Scientific congress===
'''''Congress''''' is an alternative name for a large national or international [[academic conference]].
===Transportation===
* [[List of shipwrecks in 1909|''Congress'']], a ship caught in a storm at [[St Ives, Cornwall]] in 1909.
==See also==
* [[Congress Poland]]
* [[Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange]]
* [[Congressional Country Club]]
* [[List of African Union member states by political system]]
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