A republic is a form of government
in which affairs of state are a "public matter", not the private
concern of the rulers. In a republic, public offices are appointed or elected
rather than inherited, and are not de jure the private property of the
individuals who hold them. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a
republic is a government where the head of state is not a monarch. Currently,
135 of the world's 206 sovereign states use the word "republic" as
part of their official names.
