Reference Internet Resources

Quick Reference

Almanacs and Country Info

BBC News - Country Profiles

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/country_profiles/default.stm

Profiles provide a guide to history, politics and economic background of countries. Country profiles include helpful chronologies of key events, media information, and related links.

Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments

www.cia.gov/cia/publications/chiefs/index.html

The Central Intelligence Agency publishes and updates this online directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments weekly.

Economist.com Country Briefings

www.economist.com/countries/

Country Briefings from the Economist Intelligence Unit provide country profiles, political and government information, economic indicators and statistics, news headlines and official web links.

The FACTS.com (access limited to LAC on-site users)

www.2facts.com/

Complete content from the Facts On File World News Digest since 1940. Includes country profiles, list of world heads of state and government leaders, key issues, key people, obituaries, newspaper editorials, maps and photos, years' top stories and historic events.

InfoNation

www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/infonation/e_infonation.htm

Contains geographical, economic, demographic, and social indicators data for UN member countries.

Information Please

www.infoplease.com/

Contains almanac, encyclopedia, and dictionary. Also contains phone and email directory.

International Data Base

www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbnew.html

Maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau.  Contains statistical tables of demographic and socio-economic data for 227 countries and areas of the world.

Library of Congress Country Studies

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/

Prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, this online series contains studies of 100 countries.

Portals to the World

www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

Links selected by Library of Congress subject experts provide authoritative, in-depth information about nations and other areas of the world.

U.S. State Dept. Background Notes

www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/

Background Notes provide extensive profiles and factual information on countries.

World Bank

www.worldbank.org

Provides access to Country Briefs and Country-at-a-Glance reports. Search engine to search World Development Sources, database of over 6000 World Bank Reports.

World Factbook

www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Web version of the CIA World Factbook.

World Statesmen

www.worldstatesmen.org/

List of the heads of state and heads of government for most countries and territories, going back to about 1700 or earlier. Most entries also include brief historical outlines, current and historical flags, and links to national anthems and constitutions.