Research Guides: Country Information: Country Information

In This Guide

The purpose of this guide is to assist you in finding country information for research papers and class projects.

Country information
- Find best databases and general resources
Languages Research Guide
- Main library guide for languages
Additional Research Help
- Find citation managers, additional research guides, and contact information for help

Best Bets

Best places to find country information:

Europa World Plus
Best database to find country information. Not just for Europe. Covers political and economic information in more than 250 countries and territories.
Countries, Peoples and Cultures (link to Online Versions)
Call Number: CFL Floor 2 Reference (GN307 C687 2015)
Publication Date: 2015
Central & South America, Western & Central Africa, Western Europe, Central & South America, North America & the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Middle East & North Africa, East Asia & The Pacific

General Resources

Amnesty International
A global grassroots human rights organization fighting injustice and promoting human rights. Investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and helps transform societies to create a safer, more just world. Provides county-by-country information & more under Research, News, Events, and Blog Tabs.
CIA World Factbook
General handbook-type information on different countries.
Country Data (World Bank)
Provides information on countries and economies.
Country Information
The globalEDGE web-portal (created by the International Business Center (IBC) at Michigan State University) provides international country, industry, and business information.
Country Information (IMF)
International Monetary Fund works to foster global monetary cooperation and financial stability.
Country Studies
Compiled by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress.
Economist Country Briefings
Compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit of Economist Newspaper, Ltd. This resource gives access to fact sheets about major world countries, up-to-date gross domestic product data, policy issues, and taxation information, as well as economic and political forecasts for the month. Provides some free and some fee-based information.
Freedom House
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world. Click on "Freedom in the World" for electoral democracy data, freedom population trends, and other comparative and historical data.
Human Rights Watch
One of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. Focused attention on human rights gives voice to the oppressed and holds oppressors accountable for their crimes.
International Committee of the Red Cross
Operating areas of the ICRC worldwide. The ICRC is present in some 80 countries with around 11,000 staff worldwide. Its extensive network of missions and delegations allows it to act close to people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with a meaningful response to their plight.
National Constitutions
From the Constitution Society. Alphabetical list of countries' constitutions.
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) information on countries.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States.
United Nations Data -- Country Data Services
Links to country web sites and various country data sources (often with a translate feature).
U.S. Department of State
Includes country political overviews and more. Click on "Countries & Areas," then find the "A-Z List of Countries and Areas."
U.S. Department of State. Background Notes. / U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets
Used to be called Background Notes. Good for current state of relations with other countries.
World Bank -- eLibrary
Provides access to electronic documents. Many are public access.
World Bank Working Papers
Includes Policy Research Working Papers. Search by region or by country.
World Report (Human Rights Watch)
Summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. Reports from 1990 to the present are available to view online.