YCCC: Country Research: Websites

Recommended Web Sites

Center for World Indigenous Studies (CWIS)
An independent, non-profit [U.S. 501(c)(3)] research and education organization dedicated to wider understanding and appreciation of the ideas and knowledge of indigenous peoples and the social, economic and political realities of indigenous nations.
CIA World Factbook
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities, updated bi-weekly.
Country Studies
Offers valuable historical information and perspective Presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world.
U.S. Dept. of State's Background Notes
Facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of countries around the world.
World Culture Encyclopedia
Topics include Linguistic Affiliation, History and Ethnic Relations, Food in Daily Life, Economy and Business, Political Life, Gender Roles and Statuses, Marriage and Family, Socialization, Religion, Arts and Humanities.

U.S. Department of State Travel website
Information for domestic and international travelers including travel tips and documents, currency exchange rates, emergency situations and specific country guides.
Exchange Rates
Conversion rates for world currencies.

Al Jazeera

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)

Jerusalem Post

Independent (UK)

Prague Post (Czech Republic)

Moscow Times

Japan Times

Greek News

Greek Reporter

Statistics can provide valuable information for many of your research projects, from comparing countries to comparing changes across time.

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Click on the International tab.
Eurostat
A guide to European statistics
UN Data
Official statistics covering agriculture, crime, education, energy, industry, labour, national accounts, population and tourism. International statistics from the World Bank, World Development Indicators (WDI) and Global Development Finance (GDF) , International Monetary Fund (IMF) , UNESCO and other organizations. A total of 438 series are included for 274 countries.
World Health Organization Infobase
A data warehouse that collects, stores and displays information on chronic diseases and their risk factors for all WHO member states, complete with the ability to compare and contrast among countries.
World Databank: World Bank
The primary World Bank database for development data from officially-recognized international sources.

Asking these questions will help you to determine whether the resources you find are credible and reliable.

Who created the page? Does the person or organization have the appropriate credentials?
What is the purpose of the site? For example, is it sponsored by a company that has a financial interest in the topic?
When was the page last updated? How current is the information?
How does the author support his/her argument? Does the author cite trustworthy sources?

Learn more about evaluating websites from Cornell University; or print out our handy tipsheet.