Countries of the World and International Organizations

Sources of Information

Barbara Salazar Torreon, Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report 96-816, updated 8 Jan 07

Entire report

 

 

Internet Sources for Countries of the World

 

Search Engines

- Altavista World. Translations of any text in English

to one of 12 other languages listed and vice versa, using Babelfish.

- Google - Countries. Also click on Language Tools for translation of text or websites.

- Info Please Countries of the World.

- Kasbah for world news and travel.

- WorldLingo. Translate English text, website, and email to language listed and vice versa.

- Yahoo! - Regional.

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Federal and Related Agencies

 

Bureau of the Census International Statistical Agencies. This website is a source of demographic, economic, and social statistics for several nations. Also available is the International Data Base (IDB), a databank containing demographic and socioeconomic statistics (population, migration, ethnicity, etc.) for 228 countries and areas of the world. A ranking of countries by total population is also available for any year from 1950 to 2050 by clicking on “Countries Ranked by Total Population” here.

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This website provides the latest information related to travelers’ health and high-risk areas worldwide here.

 

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Central Intelligence Agency website provides information by selected topics — What’s New, employment opportunities, related Web links, and current editions of the World Factbook here, Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments here, a listing of CIA Directors and Deputy director, maps, and other publications here.

 

Department of Commerce. This website provides commercial and non-commercial Web links on U.S. trade with other nations and information for American companies doing business overseas. It provides a listing of the Commerce Department agencies on the Web, such as the International Trade Administration, Bureau of Export Administration, and others.

 

Department of State. This website provides current information on U.S. foreign policy, current hot topics of interest, travel and business information. It also provides Internet links to related agencies and international

sources. Current editions of Background Notes, Consular Information Sheets, Country Commercial Guides, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Patterns of Global Terrorism, and Travel Advisories/ Travel Warnings are available full text here. Foreign travel information is available through the Bureau of Consular Affairs here. Information on foreign exchange and training programs, international broadcasting (including foreign commentary on the United States, Voice of America (VOA), Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe), international youth exchanges, and the Fulbright Program can be found at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs here. Links to U.S. embassies and other diplomatic missions abroad is available here.

 

International Trade Administration (ITA). The International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce provides background and information on promoting trade and investment.

 

Library of Congress. This website provides links to electronic resources from around the world listed first by country then by topics. It also has a link to “Selected Web Resources on Terrorism.”

 

Peace Corps. This website provides background information on its volunteer programs, countries where volunteers serve, press releases, and links to other government agencies.

 

United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This website of the USAID offers links to related government and international agencies dealing with development in the Third World. It includes background on USAID, press releases, and programs promoting economic growth, environmental protection, and basic health worldwide.

 

Voice of America (VOA). Official website of the VOA provides information on its history and current news releases. It lists the various languages the VOA broadcasts and links to websites in those languages here. It also includes a “Pronunciation Guide” for the names of some world leaders and regions of the world here.

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Foreign Embassies

 

The Electronic Embassy. This website links the staff and resources of selected embassies in Washington, DC, to their constituencies in business, education, and politics. It also provides links to other websites for the foreign affairs community.

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International and Regional Organizations

 

African Union, formerly the Organization of African Unity (OAU). This is the official website for the African Union (AU). In July 2002, the OAU, founded in 1963, was superseded by the AU. This site provides information on its members, the OAU Charter, its current activities, human rights, economy, peacekeeping, and conflict resolution.

 

Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). U.S. State Department website on APEC that contains current news and background information and a link to 2006 Annual Chair Web Site - Vietnam here.

 

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This website contains background information on ASEAN and its members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand (the original five members), Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar in the areas of politics, economics, business, trade statistics, and culture. It also provides links to each country’s home page, the latest ASEAN Summit and past Summits, press releases, and related websites.

 

European Union (EU). The European Union (EU), formerly known as the European Community (EC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), was founded in 1993. There were 15 member nations until May 1, 2004, when 10 new countries joined: Cyprus (Greek part), the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Included are detailed maps of each nation, a map of Europe, historical information on the EU and its related agencies, and links to other European sites and the EU Home Page here and summaries of EU legislation here.

 

G8 Summits. This site is maintained by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. It provides background information on the last G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 15-17, 2006, that focused on energy security, infectious diseases and education. Included are links to previous summits, and documents including lists of delegations, communiques, etc. that can be found here. It also has a link to the upcoming June 2007 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, here.

 

International Monetary Fund (IMF). This website provides links to IMF Country Reports on economic trends in IMF member countries, IMF Working Papers, press releases, annual meetings, and general background information on the IMF. It also provides links to other international organizations and can also be translated online into French and Spanish.

 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This website provides background information on NATO including its members, related agencies, and documents. Current issues of NATO Review are available electronically, as well as the latest press releases and links to related websites.

 

Organization of American States (OAS). The OAS is the world’s oldest regional organization (conceived in 1826 and OAS Charter created in 1890). This website provides information on the political, social, and economic issues in the region (today comprising Canada, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean). Information on the member states, text of speeches, and reports from the General Assembly are included (in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish).

 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD is an international organization composed of industrialized market-economy nations since 1960. This website is the home page of the OECD’s Washington Center. It provides information on its members, OECD publications, and frequently requested statistics. It also offers links to related agencies and to OECD’s Paris Headquarters Home Page.

 

Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Official Website of OPIC, an independent government agency that assists and advises 140 economies around the world. Included is information on the organization, employment, publications and press releases, and Web links.

 

Summit of the Americas. The official “Summit of the Americas Information Network” with information and Web links to all summits here. Included are texts of the summit declarations and information on the summit process.

 

United Nations (U.N.). The official Internet site for the U.N. in either graphic or text versions. An overview of the U.N. system, including its Charter, member states, conferences, and publications, is provided. This website also provides numerous links to U.N. organizations here; printable world maps here; and InfoNation for statistical data by member states by selecting basic or advanced here.

 

World Bank. This website provides a detailed collection of worldwide economic data, socioeconomic indicators, and links to other international organizations. It includes information on country projects, the International Development Association (IDA), and business opportunities.

 

World Trade Organization (WTO). This official website of the WTO provides information on the organization, WTO publications, news releases, links to U.N. and other related sites in English, French, and Spanish.

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Regional Areas

 

Africa

 

Country Specific Page for Africa here. Maintained by the African Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, this website lists each African nation alphabetically and provides a country map, African embassies in the United States, country-related links, and background from the CIA’s World Factbook.

 

Asia and the Pacific

 

Asia Source here. A source of current news on the region and sources of scholarly material on many aspects of Asia from the Asia Society. Included are maps, bibliographies, statistics, and country comparisons data such as GDP, population, etc., here.

 

Pacific Islands Internet Resources here. This website offers numerous links and information on the nations of the Pacific such as Hawaii, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Tonga, and others.

 

Australia and New Zealand

 

Australian Bureau of Statistics. This website provides links to statistical information on its states and territories as well as key national indicators (social and economic), census, media releases, and international statistics.

 

New Zealand. Official New Zealand country website provides a variety of information on its land, people, economy, international comparisons, and links to statistics in the Commonwealth and abroad.

 

Canada

 

Statistics Canada. This website provides statistical data on health, education, foreign trade, the labor market in Canada, census data, and selected international comparisons (in English and French).

 

Europe

 

Europa. Europa is a Web server offering information on the EU’s policies and current agenda. Provides Web links to European governments (in English and various other languages) as well as statistical information via Eurostat here.

 

Latin America (Central and South America)

 

Latinworld. Self-proclaimed “premier search engine for Iberoamerica and the Caribbean.” This website is searchable in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Click on “Countries” for information on Spain and countries in

North, Central, and South America, and is maintained by Netpoint Communications as a forum for Latin Americans and people interested in Latin America.

 

WWW Virtual Library: Latin American Studies. Maintained by the University of Texas at Austin, this website is a comprehensive source of information on Latin America and the Caribbean. It allows searches by key word, country, or selected topics (military, population, etc.), and provides links to related Web sources (in English and Spanish).

 

Middle and Near East

 

Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Maintained by the University of California at Berkeley, this site contains links to many Middle East country servers, Islamic studies, Judaism and Jewish studies, and Middle East centers in the United States.

 

Middle East Studies. Maintained by Columbia University, this website provides information to resources on the Middle East and Jewish Studies by region and by country. It also provides links to Middle East news sources and bibliographies.

 

Russia and Eastern Europe

 

Russian and Eastern European Studies. Maintained by the University of Pittsburgh, the Russian and East European Studies Internet Resources on the Web (REESWeb) provides information by subject, geographical region, and links to electronic resources on the Baltic states, Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the CIS, the Russian Federation, and the former Soviet Union.

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Selected Topics of Interest

 

Armed Forces Worldwide, Foreign Military. This website is maintained by Military.com, which provide descriptive and statistical information. Click on the map to access data on armed forces by individual country or by continent.

 

Cities of the World. This website has a database of more than 4,000 cities guides in 175 countries accessed by searching city, country, or subject.

 

Conflicts. This website, Flash Points, is maintained by Earthlink and provides links to contemporary conflicts worldwide by country as well as other related links. See also Peace and Conflicts.

 

Constitutions of the World. From the International Constitutional Law Project, this website offers links to sources for the text of constitutions of selected countries.

 

Country Studies. Produced by the Federal Research Division at the Library of Congress, this website contains electronic versions of the Country Studies book series. The majority of the text of the published books are included, but without tables, graphs, and other appendixes. Currently, 101 countries are available online.

 

Crime and Justice Information. United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network (UNCJIN) in Vienna, Austria, provides statistical information on crime prevention and criminal justice issues for numerous countries, including a link to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

 

Currency Converter. Maintained by OANDA, the Internet arm of Olsen & Associates of Switzerland, this website allows currency conversion for 164 currencies, both current and historical.

 

Distance (How Far Is It?). This website is a service of Bali Online and uses data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and a supplementary list of cities around the world to calculate the distance (in miles and kilometers) between any two places worldwide, and also give their respective latitude and longitude as well as a map showing the two places.

 

Elections and Electoral Systems. This website is a valuable source of information based in the United Kingdom on recent or upcoming elections for a selected list of countries, including the United States. It also provides links to government home pages, local elections, and electronic media.

 

Expatriates. The Escape Artist website provides information on “overseas living for international job seekers, expatriates, adventurers, and tax exiles.” It lists Web links to living overseas, country destination profiles, investing, expatriate magazines, and resources for global relocation.

 

Foreign Governments. Maintained by Northwestern University, this website provides official government links worldwide and Internet links to selected international organizations. See also National Parliaments.

 

Foreign Languages. Foreign Languages for Travelers allows users to search for a particular word or phrase in the various languages available at this website.

 

Human Rights. Amnesty International on the Internet provides links to all Amnesty Web pages by country, including Amnesty International USA, and provides links to other human rights organizations here.

 

International Affairs Resources. Maintained by the Political Science Department of Elizabethtown College, this website provides more than 2,600 annotated links related to international affairs in broad categories: media sources, organizations, regions and countries, and by topic.

 

International Business Resources. Now known as Global Edge, this site maintained by Michigan State University, offers an exhaustive listing of companies, directories, and yellow pages with regional or country specific information via “Country Insights” or “Global Resources.”

 

International Business and Economic Sources. The Virtual International Business and Economic Sources (VIBES) on the Internet is accessed and maintained by the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Entries in VIBES include more than 3,000 comprehensive Web links to business and economic information by country, region, and various subject areas, including industry sector (commodities), foreign exchange rates, banking, exporting/importing, trade issues, trade law, and intellectual property.

 

International Security. The International Relations and Security Network (ISN) on the Internet is maintained by the Center for Security Studies and Conflict Research in Zurich, Switzerland. It is a comprehensive network

for information on global security and defense issues, and allows searching by subject, region, or “What’s New” and Web links to other institutions worldwide.

 

Maps. Maintained by the Perry-Castañeda Library at the University of Texas at Austin, this website provides electronic copies of maps by current interest, region (Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, polar regions and oceans, etc.) and selected world cities. Also provides links for maps by country, city, and state and maps of special interest for hot spots. See also the entry for the U.N. for a link to printable maps online and Mapsarea here, for a portal of world maps and atlases.

 

National Parliaments. Maintained by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis, this site provides links to selected national parliaments. It is arranged alphabetically from the Albanian Parliament to Zimbabwe’s Parliament.

 

News Link. This site offers links to major news sources (newspapers, magazines, etc.) worldwide by continents and regions.

 

Newspapers. This website offers worldwide listings of major newspapers by type and by country. It allows searching by specific title, an alphabetical listing by country, and a clickable map.

 

Peace and Conflicts. Maintained by the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrated Network for Societal Conflict and Research (INSCR), this website provides an annual publication that updates its descriptions of the status of major armed conflicts worldwide.

 

Political Leaders, Chiefs of State and World Rulers. This website lists current political leaders worldwide by clicking on “Chiefs of State,” which links directly to the CIA’s Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments. This website also lists present and past world rulers by individual country. See also “World’s Statesmen,” below.

 

Political Resources on the Net. This website lists political sites on the Internet by country, and has links to parties, organizations, and national governments worldwide as well as international organizations such as the European Union and United Nations. A unique feature called “Political Site of the Week” focuses on the political activity of one nation for a given week.

 

Refugees. The official website of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offers background on the UNHCR, mapbased and text-based access to country-specific information about refugees, Refugees magazine, and related Web links.

 

Social Security in Other Countries. Maintained by the Office of International Programs of the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), this website provides details on 21 social security programs outside the United States and links to selected countries and their agencies.

 

Statistical Resources on the Web. Maintained by the University of Michigan’s Document Center, this website has numerous statistics on foreign economics, foreign trade, and foreign government data sources. It also provides links to U.S. government agencies, foreign governments, news sources, and related sites (in English and other languages).

 

Terrorism. The Terrorism Research Center is an independent institute dedicated to the study of terrorism and counter terrorism at home and abroad. This site features the Department of State’s Patterns of Global Terrorism, terrorist profiles, and governmental, academic, and institutional links.

 

Tourism Offices. The Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory indexes only official government tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, and similar agencies. It also provides addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail (if available) for various countries including the United States.

 

Treaties and International Agreements

 

The Multilaterals Project is maintained by the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. This website offers selected international laws and treaties by subject and a chronological listing. It also offers links to historical foreign documents, selected treaties, and the U.N. Treaty Database with selected U.N. documents.

 

Treaties from the Avalon Project at Yale Law School are available here. Maintained by Yale Law School, this website contains documents relevant in the areas of diplomacy, economics, history, government, law, and politics. It provides links supporting documents to the texts, includes a help desk and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and has a list of commonly named documents.

 

Work and Study Abroad. Maintained by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), this website provides materials on work and study abroad opportunities for American students and recent graduates on summer jobs, internships, and overseas career opportunities with a link to GoAbroad.com, a self-proclaimed “comprehensive online source for study abroad, language schools, overseas internships, international volunteer positions, teaching, Eco-travel, and more.”

 

Work Abroad and International Jobs. Overseas Job Express provides links to numerous Internet resources such as international job mailing lists, summer opportunities, internships, and résumés on the Web.

 

Work Opportunities/Resources for International Jobs. The Riley Guide to Job Resources includes a section on resources for international job opportunities for selected countries, including numerous Internet links.

 

World’s Statesmen. Self-proclaimed “encyclopedia of nations, colonies, international and religious organizations, and other polities mostly since the year 1700.” Included are fun facts, maps, anthems, flags, Web links, and indexes of global politics and history.

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