Research Guides: Diplomacy and World Affairs: Finding Reference Sources

Online Reference Sources

CIA World Factbook This link opens in a new window
The World Factbook provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.
Library of Congress Country Studies This link opens in a new window
In-depth, book-length studies of 101 countries published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress between 1986 and 1998.

Oxford Companion to the Politics of the World
This new edition reflects the changing world with a reassessment of many of the core themes of the previous edition, and new articles on the people, concepts, and events that have shaped the world since 1993.