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History of Republic of the Congo

A country on the western coast of Central Africa, named after the Congo River. 4 eras, 1550 to today.

Kingdom of Loango, 1550–1883 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Loango was a state created by Kongo people during approximately the 16th to 19th centuries in what is now the western part of the Republic of the Congo, Southern Gabon and Cabinda. At its height in the 17th century, Loango influence extended from Cape St Catherine in the north to almost the mouth of the Congo River. Loango exported copper to the European market, and was a major producer and exporter of cloth. The earliest reference to Loango in a documentary source is a mention around 1561 by Sebastião de Souto, a priest in Kongo.

Seat of power: Loango, Republic of Congo

French Equatorial Africa, 1910–1958 Draft, not yet reviewed

French Equatorial Africa was a federation of French colonial territories in Equatorial Africa which consisted of Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. It existed from 1910 to 1958 and its administration was based in Brazzaville. During World War II, French Cameroon and the entirety of the AEF except for Gabon rallied to the Free French Forces in August 1940. When the territories voted in the September 1958 referendum to become autonomous within the French Community, the federation was dissolved.

Seat of power: Brazzaville

People's Republic of the Congo, 1969–1992 Draft, not yet reviewed

The People's Republic of the Congo was a communist state in Central Africa that was established in 1969 following a military coup the previous year, and it remained in place until political reforms in 1992. It was founded in December 1969 as the first Marxist-Leninist state in Africa. The ruling Congolese Party of Labour appointed Marien Ngouabi as president, who established the Congo as a one-party communist government aligned with the Soviet Union. The People's Republic of the Congo transitioned into a multi-party system following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, restoring the earlier name and flag, and ceased to exist by March 1992.

Seat of power: Brazzaville

Rulers

Republic of the Congo, 1992 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is a country on the western coast of Central Africa, to the west of the Congo River. The Republic of the Congo was established on 28 November 1958 and gained independence from France in 1960. After the introduction of multi-party elections in 1992, the democratically elected government was overthrown during the civil war, after which Denis Sassou Nguesso, who had previously served as president from 1979 to 1992, returned to office in 1997. It is the fourth-largest oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea.

Seat of power: Brazzaville

Rulers

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