Coup d'état

A coup d'état (pronounced /ku de 'ta/), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. It is different from a revolution, which is staged by a larger group and radically changes the political system. The term is French for "(a sudden) blow (or stroke) to a state". The term coup can also be used in a casual sense to mean a gain in advantage of one nation or entity over another; e.g. an intelligence coup. By analogy, the term is also applied to corporations, etc; e.g. a boardroom coup.

Recent coups and coup attempts

• 1999: Military coup in Pakistan
• 1999: Military coup in Côte d'Ivoire
• 1999: Military coup in Fiji
• 2000: Coup in Ecuador
• 2000: Overthrow of President Fujimori in Peru
• 2002: Unsuccessful coup to overthrow Hugo Chávez in Venezuela
• 2002: Military coup in Central African Republic
• 2003: Attempted coup in Mauritania
• 2003: Military coup in São Tomé and Príncipe
• 2003: Military coup in Guinea-Bissau
• 2004: Military coup in Haiti
• 2004: Attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• 2004: Second attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo (June)
• 2004: Attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea (August)
• 2005: Coup in Togo legalized by parliamentary vote but unrecognized by international community.
• 2005: Coup in Ecuador overthrows Lucio Gutiérrez
• 2005: Coup by Nepalese monarch, overthrows constitutional monarchy. Restoration of absolute monarchy.
• 2005: Military coup in Mauritania overthrows president Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, who came to power after a coup, in 1984.