Country Background Info

>About this Category

Sites in this category publish narratives on countries: history, politics, culture, economy, and so on. For analysis -- forecasts of what's ahead and risk assessments -- you'll generally have to pay (see the "Reviews" section) but there are exceptions.

Amnesty International Library

http://web.amnesty.org/library/engindex

Has less background info than the Human Rights Watch site, but from the library page you can jump to all the Amnesty press releases grouped by country -- and they issue quite a few press releases. As a result, it provides a good catalog of individual human rights abuses by country.

KEYWORDS: human rights

BBC Country Profiles

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm

Britain's public broadcaster, the BBC, maintains profile pages for a long list of countries. Where "the Beeb" truly shines is the "media" sections of these profiles -- with country by country reviews of press freedom and links to each country's major media outlets. Also, the bios of leaders are a nice touch, hard to find elsewhere.

KEYWORDS: media, leader bios

CIA World Factbook

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Casting about for something to do as the Cold War wound down, and before the War on Terror heated up, the CIA came up with this online Factbook, and it rocks. There's no analysis, ratings or recent news, but the background information is solid (and uncopyrighted -- steal it and sell it if you want, you wouldn't be the first). The info on geography, natural resources, and, of course, the military, is a cut above other sites. As it's only updated annually, though, beware out-of-date political info.

KEYWORDS: international relations, military strength, geography, demographics, ethnicity, religion, transportation, languages, military statistics

Constitution Finder

http://confinder.richmond.edu/

This slick site by the University of Richmond provides the full text of constitutions from countries around the world. Doubles as a superb sleep aid.

KEYWORDS: constitutions

DOE International Energy Information

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/contents.html

The Department of Energy has a site so good it almost makes you forget it's corporate welfare. All the energy stats you could wish, for countries worldwide: oil, gas, coal, electricty, etc. Plus country briefings covering politics and the economy -- brief, but more hard-hitting than most government pubs -- as well as excruciating detail on who's doing what and where in exploration and production. These are updated regularly but also based on who's in the news. Thanks to Jeff Wolf for the tip.

KEYWORDS: energy, energy statistics

Deloitte and Touche Country Snapshots

http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/section_node/0,1042,sid%253D11410,00.html

Global accountancy Deloitte and Touche provide ringside seats to the global race to the bottom in corporate tax rates. These Country Snapshots have some standard details -- politics, finace, labor -- but where they shine is the tax info, co-produced with the Economist Intelligence Unit. It's not easily available (free of charge) elsewhere.

KEYWORDS: taxation, labor

EIU Country Pages on the Economist Magazine Website

http://www.economist.com/countries

Hey, the first time it's free. The Economist Intelligence Unit here employs that old drug-pushin' tactic, posting abbreviated reports gratis on the Economist magazine's website. Background info on politics, the economy, and some social and economic data are provided -- along with plenty of enticing links to the pay stuff. The "Forecast" section is a cut above the ordinary. One usually doesn't see forward-looking analysis dispensed without charge. Just be careful not to accidentally buy anything.

KEYWORDS: political system, political parties, history, political forecast, economic forecast, economic structure, unemployment statistics, labor cost statistics

Executive Planet Business Culture Guides

http://www.executiveplanet.com/

South Africa a "macho society?" Who knew?! Well, you would have if you'd read the handy business culture profiles from Executive Planet. Covering topics from business dress, conversation topics, and public behavior to the all-important negotiation of deals, the guide has what you need to get up to speed as a travelling exec -- still for a fairly small selection of countries, though.

KEYWORDS: culture

Human Rights Watch

http://www.hrw.org/countries.html

The country pages on the Human Rights Watch make for a spectacularly depressing read, with great detail on state-sponsored repression and overlooked bloodshed worldwide. Nothing escapes the attention of these righteously angry lefties -- the page for the U.S. under Ashcroft is as long as any of them.

KEYWORDS: human rights

Library of Congress Country Studies

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html

For the true nerd, the Library of Congress country studies delve into politics and history in excruciating detail. Society and culture are also covered. If you want background info, these reports are unmatched.

KEYWORDS: history, political history, geography, climate, ethnicity, religion, languages, culture, economic history, economic structure, economic liberalization, privatization, labor, political system, international relations, media, foreign trade, military strength

NewNations.com

http://www.newnations.com

Newnations.com is a strange bird, a site dedicated to analysis of emerging markets "finance, business, trade..." that is, for reasons unexplained, supported by World Concern, a Christian charity. For starters there's background information (politics, history, economy) similar to what you can get elsewhere. But the country outlooks and updates are a cut above. These sometimes read more like journalism than country analysis but are often quite interesting. It's all free of charge, though it requires registration.

KEYWORDS: political analysis, economic analysis

U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office Country Profiles

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365

The U.K.'s FCI country profiles jockey with those produced by America's CIA for the best on earth. (Sorry Canada.) Good background information on history, politics, geography and society, plus bonus material on human rights and recent diplomatic visits. Includes a link to the U.K. Trade & Investment profiles, which are also superb (see separate entry).

KEYWORDS: history, international relations, foreign aid, human rights

U.K. Travel Warnings

http://www.fco.gov.uk

Don't believe what the U.S. State Department is telling you? Get a second opinion on where in the world you really should not be, from the U.K.'s FCO.

KEYWORDS: travel safety

U.S. Commerce Department Country Commercial Guides

http://www.buyusainfo.net/adsearch.cfm?search_type=int&loadnav=no

From this interface, select a country, then select "CCG" and click "Go." America's Country Commercial Guides are in a close race with the U.K.'s Trade and Investment Reports as the globe's top source of business information for foreign markets. The U.S. Guide contains longer sections on both the economy and politics -- but keep in mind, subject to political constraints, the "outlook" sections tend to be more cheery than is justified. In general, the sections on marketing, distribution, legal representation and such are about equivalent to the U.K.'s. Fun additions include a sector-by-sector review of hot sectors for U.S. business, and a very useful "Investment Climate Statement" which includes info on outstanding expropriations and investment disputes. Your tax dollars at work.

KEYWORDS: investment disputes, business practicalities, economic history, political history, risk for investors

U.S. State Department Background Notes

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/

It's the same stuff that's everywhere else, but the U.S. State Deparment's Background Notes have a little more detail, notably on history and politics. (On economy, trade, and human rights, you're best off looking elsewhere.) Note: if you're really a history buff, try the Library of Congress reports instead.

KEYWORDS: economic structure, foreign trade, history

U.S. State Department Human Rights Reports

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/c1470.htm

Who's doing the most repressing these days? The U.S. State Department has a lot to say on the subject, with its impressive and highly-detailed human rights reports. Extrajudicial killings and the like are documented, often down to the level of single cases. Read about how Uzbekistan -- a key U.S. ally in the War on Terror, and now home to a U.S. military base -- turns out prisoners with "extensive bruises and burns, the latter reportedly caused by immersion in boiling water." Sweet Lord.

KEYWORDS: human rights

U.S. Travel Warnings

http://travel.state.gov

Where do you really not want to be? Browse the worst of the worst on the Travel Warnings site, which tells you when U.S. embassies are shut down and U.S. citizens ought to flee.

KEYWORDS: travel safety

Walden World of Information Reports

http://www.worldinformation.com/

A good source for the basics. Click on any region ("Africa", "Asia", and so on) and there's an essay on recent developments. Then there's the country reports, on over 100 countries, with sections including detailed background profiles (everything from politics to economy to history) and a visitor's guide (including health precautions, transport, time, and other basics). There's also weather, maps and news cribbed from other sites. Most of this can be found elsewhere; but having it all assembled is convenient.

KEYWORDS: travel information, labor, education

World Bank Investment Climate Assessments

http://rru.worldbank.org/EnterpriseSurveys/ICAs.aspx

Produced by the World Bank, but for only a few countries so far, these spectacularly detailed reports assess the quality of regulation and infrastructure for business. Surveys add hard data on the greatest obstacles to business progress (for instance, in Bangladesh the top three are "electricity," "corruption," and arbitrary "tax administration"). Note that these reports focus on domestic firms, not foreign investors -- but give an unmatched picture of the business environment nonetheless.

KEYWORDS: risk for investors, regulatory quality