Congress 36546 225874675 2008-07-15T20:26:12Z TerriersFan 1611404 /* 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]] [[Category:Legislatures]] [[Category:Elections]] [[Category:Meetings]] [[ast:Congresu]] [[ca:Congrés]] [[da:Kongres]] [[et:Kongress]] [[es:Congreso]] [[gl:Congreso]] [[gu:કોંગ્રેસ]] [[id:Kongres]] [[it:Congresso]] [[pt:Congresso]] [[simple:Congress]] [[sk:Kongres]] [[sv:Congreso Nacional]] [[tl:Kongreso]] [[vls:Congress]]