LibGuides: International Relations: Country Profiles

Country Profiles and Statistics

BBC News Country Profiles
Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions. Choose a country from the drop down lists.
Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets
Covers all the countries of the world with which the United States has relations. Each report contains info on bilateral relations with the U.S., travel, and business.

CIA World Factbook This link opens in a new window
Most recent edition of the CIA World Factbook (available in print beginning in 1981 in the Main Library at G122.U56). Offers country profiles covering geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues. Includes maps and country flags.
Economist Intelligence Unit Country Profiles & Reports This link opens in a new window
Provides background and historical context of current economic and political events along with in-depth analysis of political and economic trends for countries and regions.

EIU historical data can be accessed at: https://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://www.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=AllTitles
Europa World This link opens in a new window
Europa World is the online version of the Europa World Yearbook, one of the leading reference sources on international affairs. It covers political and economic information on over 250 countries, plus international organizations.

Library of Congress Country Studies
Contains the electronic versions of 80 books previously published in hard copy as part of the Country Studies Series by the Federal Research Division. Intended for a general audience, books in the series 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. Most books in the series deal with a single foreign country, but a few cover several countries or a geographic region. The series includes several books on countries that no longer exist in their original configuration—such as Czechoslovakia, East Germany, the Soviet Union, Sudan, and Yugoslavia. These books remain in the series because they continue to offer valuable historical information and perspective. In some cases, studies on successor states are also part of the series.
MSU globalEDGE
Created by MSU's Center for International Business Education and Research (MSU-CIBER), globalEDGE provides insight into global business activities. Includes country profiles with corporate culture and risk, statistics, industry overviews, news, and more.

ProQuest Statistical Insight This link opens in a new window
Indexes and abstracts statistical publications from the US government, state governments, international organizations, and professional associations. Includes ProQuest Statistical Datasets and the ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S. [It is the WWW version of 3 print indexing sources: American Statistics Index (ASI), Index to International Statistics (IIS), and Statistical Reference Index (SRI).] Links to selected full-text materials are provided, some in spreadsheet format. The Library owns almost all the materials indexed in ProQuest Statistical Insight.

SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Databases
Contains information and data related to conflicts, arms transfers, military expenditures, and states and international organizations.
U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – the Human Rights Reports – cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The U.S. Department of State submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
World Constitutions Illustrated
World Constitutions Illustrated contains thousands of contemporary and historical documents, as well as many features to enable one to browse and search across constitutional law of more than 190 countries.

Country and Regional Data

ACLED Regional and Country Reports
Provides detailed conflict profiles for selected African regions and countries. Historical patterns of violence, regional dynamics and key actors are explored.
Correlates of War
COW seeks to facilitate the collection, dissemination, and use of accurate and reliable quantitative data in international relations
Eurostat
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union situated in Luxembourg. Its mission is to provide high quality statistics for Europe.

FAOSTAT This link opens in a new window
FAOSTAT is an on-line and multilingual database currently containing over 1 million time-series records covering international statistics in the following areas: Production, Trade, Food Balance Sheets, Food Aid Shipments, Fertilizer and Pesticides, Land Use and Irrigation, Forest Products, Fishery Products, Population, Agricultural Machinery.
OECD iLibrary Statistics This link opens in a new window
OECD Statistical Data cover the broad range of OECD activities including finance, sustainable development, social issues, food and agriculture, education, employment, information technology, nuclear energy, transport, and much more.
UN Comtrade This link opens in a new window
A searchable database of import and export data from over 130 countries that provide the United Nations Statistics Division with their annual international trade statistics, detailed by commodity and partner country. For many countries the data coverage starts as far back as 1962 and goes up to the most recent completed year.
UNData This link opens in a new window
UNdata is a web-based data service for the global user community. It brings international statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single-entry point. Users can search and download a variety of statistical resources compiled by the United Nations (UN) statistical system and other international agencies. The numerous databases or tables collectively known as "datamarts" contain over 60 million data points and cover a wide range of statistical themes including agriculture, crime, communication, development assistance, education, energy, environment, finance, gender, health, labour market, manufacturing, national accounts, population and migration, science and technology, tourism, transport and trade.

MSU Libraries

Research Guides

International Relations: Country Profiles

Country Profiles and Statistics

Country and Regional Data