Denis Sassou-Nguesso
President

(pronounced "DEN-ee SAH-soo en-GESS-oo")

"We must respond to the call of history. In this country with a multitude of political groups, we must organize so that people see in us the fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations."

The Republic of the Congo lies in Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and Gabon to the west, Cameroon and Central African Republic to the north; the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) lies across the Congo River to the country's east and south. The capital is Brazzaville, and the country is sometimes referred to as Congo-Brazzaville (to distinguish it from its neighbor, Democratic Republic of Congo, known as Congo-Kinshasa). The national territory encompasses 342,000 sq km (132,047 sq mi), which spans the equator.

The country's population was estimated at 2,958,448 in 2002. Ethnic groups are the Kongo (about...