Country Information
These sources provide quick overviews of countries as well as country comparisons. Helpful when selecting similar or dissimilar countries for a project.
Europa World (Opens in new window) provides in-depth coverage of countries and regions. This resource offers an excellent starting point for in-depth research on an individual country or region.
Select the Countries/Territories link. Type a country name in the search box and press enter or select a country/territory from the alphabetical directory. NOTE: Coverage is also provided for sub-regions within a country (U.S. states, sub-units within the Russian Federation, Canadian provinces, etc.)
Select Recent History and other topics of interest from the menu at the left. The History section often provides detailed information about conflicts and other events that will have an impact on security, policy, and international relations.
Regional profiles often provide helpful context since neighboring countries affect and are affected by events in the country of interest. Select the Regions link and make your choice from the map or list of regions. The Topical Essays are of particular interest.
EIU Viewpoint (Opens in new window) provides in-depth coverage of current and projected political and economic trends affecting countries and world regions. Historical country and regional reports are also available.
Country reports provide in-depth information about a nation's economy and political environment. All countries have what is called a One Click Report; the availability of additional reports on the regulatory environment, key industries, five-year forecasts, and the business environment varies by country. Here is a sample of Russia's One Click report.
The Political Handbook is an excellent place to get an understanding of a country's political system. This resource provides detailed information about a country's form of government, government structure, recent political history, and political parties.
View the screenshot below to see the contents of a typical country report, in the case, Ukraine.
The Handbook provides several special features, including a classification of countries by their type of political and electoral systems as shown below.
Despite its business orientation, Business Source Ultimate (Opens in new window) provides access to a broad range of country reports, including a number of reports from companies like IHS Market and Fitch which provide detailed risk assessments based on PEST and PESTEL analyses(political-economic-social-technological-environmental-legal).
Use the dashboard at the left of the results list to select a date range and choose the category Country Reports. In many instances, reports are available from the late 1990’s to present.
Select the Report tab beneath the Statista logo to see report categories, including the Country & Region & and Politics & Society publications. Click the database link highlighted in red to begin.
These are sample Country & Region and Politics & Society reports published in 2021 and 2022.
After examining the country reports, use the main search box to retrieve statistics and infographics on other relevant topics which can add detail to a profile, i.e., detailed demographics, education, crime, social media use, etc.
- StatistaCovers a broad range of topics and, as such, is an excellent first place to look for statistics. Provides infographics, charts, and statistical reports. International in scope. Also contains country reports.
- KnoemaSearch engine for locating public data and statistics. International in scope.
- UN DataThis site provides access to 35 UN databases, covering a broad range of data from crime to industry to demographics. Offers links to statistical portals of the world's nations.
- Statistical Abstract of the United StatesContinues the Census Bureau's invaluable annual compendium which ceased publication in 2012. Editions available for 2013 to present.
- CIA's World Factbook MapsPhysical and political maps in jpg or pdf format.
Selected country rankings and indicators provided by a variety of organizations.
Need more help?
Please e-mail Roxanne Palmatier, library contact for Political Science, Security and Resilience, Security and Intelligence Studies, International Affairs, and the Policy School.