Congress

A congress is a gathering of people.

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Congress is the name of the main legislative body in a nation that operates under a congressional system of government.

A congress is different from a parliament in that it has no Prime Minister as its leader, and rarely has a sitting member as the nation's Head of State or Head of Government.

Countries with Congresses:

• The United States Congress is the legislature of the United States federal government
• The National People's Congress is the highest legislative body in the People's Republic of China

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Congress is included in the name of several political parties:

• The Congress Party of India
• The African National Congress.

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Congress has also been used to describe certain historical gatherings of independence-minded nationalists or revolutionaries:

• The United States Continental Congress
• The Indian National Congress
• The Iraqi National Congress