Background & Overviews of Countries
- Library of Congress Country Studies80 books published in the 1980s-90s. "Present a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of select countries throughout the world. Each book was written by a multidisciplinary team of social scientists, who sought to adhere to accepted standards of scholarly objectivity."
- CIA World FactbookBrief information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for countries around the world.
- BBC News Country ProfilesThe portal to these country profiles is broken, so this one is an example for Mexico. To find other countries, use the search box and type "country profile" [name of country].
Offers a brief overview of the politics, the media, and a timeline of the country.
Countries of the World and Their Leaders YearbookPublication Date: 20142014 edition of this compilation of information about a country from the US State Department. Why not just use the State Department's website? Because it isn't as easy to find all of this information in one spot. The current State Department's country profile information is much more bare bones than what you can find here. "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."
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily LifePublication Date: 2009Covers cultural groups in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa. Each volume is organized by continent, covering history, politics, customs, religion, education, human rights issues, etc.
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and CulturePublication Date: 20086-volume set with over 5,700 entries. Provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of Latin American history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. Covers cultural issues and includes numerous biographical profiles of important figures in politics, letters and the arts.
New Encyclopedia of AfricaISBN: 9780684314549Publication Date: 20075 volumes - "Addresses the entire history of African cultures from the pharaohs and the ancient civilizations of the south through the colonial era to the emergence of 53 independent countries, some of them newly emergent in world commerce and others deep in conflict. Covers issues facing the continent such as global development, the AIDS crisis, and international terrorism."
