Country Information
From Simmons Library Research Guides
We have selected these resources to help you find relevant information on your research topic. Please contact a librarian for help using the resources listed in this guide or for help with your research process.
Contents |
Reference and Background Information
Search for Reference sources that contain information about your specific research topic here:
You may also consult the resources below for overviews of the topic that you have chosen to research. Use these resources to help you to put your topic in context and give you the big picture of what information exists about your topic. These resources may have bibliographies at the end of each entry that can help further your research.
- A-Z Countries of the World
Simmons Eresource
This handbook provides an up-to-date overview of each country in the world. Featuring maps and vital statistics, it also includes summaries of the social, economic, religious and political issues that shape each country. Global Data tables present the main economic and social indicators, such as GNP, life expectancy, and population growth and density.
- Columbia Gazetteer of the World
Level 1 Reference G103.5 C65 1998 and Free Online
The text version is a large, three-volume dictionary of names, descriptions, and characteristics of places in the world.
- Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook
Level 1 Reference G122. C67
A compilation of U.S. Department of State reports on contemporary political and economic conditions, government personnel and policies, political parties, religions, history, education, press, radio and TV, climate, and other characteristics of selected countries of the world.
- EIU Country Reports
ON CAMPUS ACCESS ONLY Simmons Eresource
The EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) is one of the leading publishers of in-depth information on countries world-wide. Country Reports contain background and historical context of current economic and political events, analysis of the infrastructure and major industrial sectors of each economy, and tables of key economic data for the past 5 years. Simmons subscribes to the following 77 Country Reports: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, SyriaTaiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia.
NOTE: Business Source Premier contains full EIU country reports for an additional 100 countries. These reports are one edition older than the EIU site itself. Generally this means reports are about 6 months old, and still quite useful for those countries that we cannot get directly from EIU itself.
- Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia
Level 1 Reference G103.5 G36 2003
Detailed and comprehensive descriptions of the physical geography of the world's 192 countries and 25 dependencies.
- Library of Congress Country Studies
Free Online
Description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world.
- World Bank: Countries and Regions
Free Online
Data and research on countries from the World Bank, including national and international statistics, cross-country, cross-sector, thematic research, and analysis of global trends in the world economy.
- The World Factbook
Level 1 Reference G122 .U57 and Free Online
Prepared by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for use by U.S. government officials, The World Factbook summarizes general information on the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, transnational issues, and other aspects of the world's countries and dependencies, including a small map of the country and a picture of the country flag.
Searching the Web
Simmons librarians have created a customized search engine that allows you
to find Country Information information on the free web.
Use this Country Information Google Custom Search Engine box to search all select, quality free web sites at the
same time:
You may also wish to go directly to, or bookmark, the Country Information Google Custom Search Engine
Tips for Searching the Internet:
- Use the advanced search function, which is available from most search engines:
- Google - See also "Advanced Search Tips"
- Ask - Click "Advanced." See also "Advanced Search Tips"
- Live (MSN) - See also "Options"
- Exalead - See also "Exalead FAQ"
- Yahoo! Search
- Limit your search to .edu and .gov sites. These often provide quality research, statistics, and commentary. Sites ending in .org often have good information, too, but are likely to espouse a strong stance or bias on the issues they cover and may not be objective.
- Try Scandoo, which presents search results from Google, Yahoo! Search, or Live (MSN) with an evaluation about the objectivity, credibility, and overall reliability of the site.
- Consider using a directory of pre-screened, annotated sites:
