Federal Sources for International and Foreign Information

 

Country Information

Central Intelligence Agency. CIA World Factbook. Washington D.C., GPO, 1981-. (Stacks PrEx 3. 15: Latest in the Reference Room and Online) provides brief information on the geography, people, government, economy, communications, and defense of countries and regions of the world

Library of Congress. Country Studies/Area Handbook (Stacks: D 101.22:550- Latest in Supplemental Reference) 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 and examines the interrelationships of those systems and the way they are shaped by cultural factors.

Library of Congress Portals to the World contains selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about specific nations and other areas of the world.

U.S. Department of State. Background Notes. Washington D.C., GPO (Stacks S 1.123 Latest in Reference Room) short, factual pamphlets written by officers in the Department of State's geographical bureaus, including information on the country's land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, foreign relations, and United States policy.

U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. (Stacks Y 4. F76/1-15:979-994; Y4. IN8/16-15:995- Present, Latest in Reference Room). The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are submitted annually by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress. The reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights..

 

Crime

Bureau of Justice Statistics. International Justice Statistics, provides criminal justice data and a listing of various country's statistical agency or department responsible for justice, public safety, and/or law.  

U.S. Department of Justice. National Criminal Justice Reference Service, is an information Clearinghouse for the International Criminal Justice Community.

 

U.S. Department of Justice. Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), offers services and informational resources related to international crime victim issues.

 

National Institute of Justice International Center. Global Crime Issues offers topical information resource in areas such as transnational organized crime, international cooperation, and cross-national studies.

 

Demographic and Statistical Information

Congressional Information Service, Inc. American Statistics Index (ASI) (Reference Room: 310.973 A512) Covers 1974-2000. Comprehensive guide to statistical publications of the U.S. government that contains social, economic, demographic, and natural resources data.  A section of the collection is dedicated to demographic and statistical information of various nations.

U.S. Census Bureau. International Data Base (IDB) is a computerized data bank containing statistical tables of demographic, and socio-economic data for 227 countries and areas of the world.

 

U.S. Census Bureau. International Programs Center conducts demographic and socioeconomic studies and strengthens statistical development around the world through technical assistance, training, and software products.

 

U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Agencies (International) is a listing of foreign countries’ statistical agencies, provided by the U.S. Census.  Some sites are not in English.

 

  Labor and Trade

Bureau of International Labor Affairs conducts research on and formulates international economic, trade, immigrataion, and labor policies in collaboration with other U.S. Government agencies and provides international technical assistance in support of U.S. foreign labor policy objectives.

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers. Washington D.C., GPO, (Stacks: PREX 9.10: Latest in Reference Room). Department holds 1986-1987, 1989-1995, 1997- Present. Surveys significant foreign barriers to United States exports. Provides quantitative estimates of the impact of foreign practices on the value of United States exports.

 

U.S. Census Bureau. Foreign Trade Statistics. A compendium of statistics compiled by the Foreign Trade Division of the United States Census Bureau.

 

U.S. Census Bureau. USA Trade Online provides access to U.S. merchandise trade data, offering cumulative export and import data on more than 18,000 export commodities and 24,000 import commodities worldwide.

 

U.S. Department of Commerce. International Trade Library is a comprehensive collection of over 40,000 documents related to international trade. All are full text searchable, as well as keyword searchable by country or product.

U.S. Department of Commerce. National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) provides access to Country Commercial Guides, Market Research Reports, Best Market Reportsand other programs.

U.S. Department of Commerce. Stat-USA provides vital economic, business, and international trade information produced by the U.S. Government
(Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department access and 2 simultaneous users only).

U.S. Department of Labor. Foreign Labor Trends (Stacks: L 29.16:) are reports on individual countries, and occasional special reports on regional or international labor issues.

 

Foreign Relations

U.S. Congress. American State Papers: Foreign Relations. Buffalo, N.Y., William S. Hein& CO., Inc. 1833–1859. (Supplemental Reference: 328.73 U581A). Covers 1789–1828 in 6 volumes.

Hasse, Adelaide R. Index to United States Documents Relating to Foreign Affairs, 1828–1861. Washington, D.C., Carnegie Inst., 1914–1921. (Stacks: 016.327 H35) Covers 1828–1861 in 3 volumes.

U. S. Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States. Washington, D.C., GPO. 1861–. (Supplemental Reference: S 1.1:) Several volumes per year. Contains material once classified. About 30 years behind.

U.S. Department of State. Dispatch. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1990–. (Microtext S1.3/5:) Contains official statements of policy, texts of important documents, etc. Earlier, see Department of State Bulletin (1939–89) (Storage 341.05 U58D:) and Department of State Press Releases (1929–1939) (Stacks: 341.05 U58).

U.S. Department of State. U.S. Foreign Affairs on CD-ROM [USFAC]. (Reference Room: S 1.142/2:). Coverage from 1993–. Contains various Dept. of State publications, including: U.S. Department of State Dispatch and its supplement issues; current Background Notes for all countries; daily press briefings; reports submitted to Congress; and current regional maps from the Office of the Geographer.

 

Treaties

Bevans, Charles I. Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776–1949. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1968-76. (Supplemental Reference: S 9.12/2:) Covers 1776–1949.

Kavass, Igor I. Cumulative Index to Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776–1949. (Stacks: 342.026 K21U Index 1776–1949). Indexes U.S. treaties for this period.

Wiktor, Christian L. Unperfected Treaties of the United States of America, 1776–1976. (Supplemental Reference: 341.0264 U58). Contains text of international agreements concluded by the United States, which failed to enter into force.

U.S. Department of State. United States Treaties and Other International Agreements. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1952–. (Supplemental Reference: S 9.12:). Cited as UST. Contains text of U.S treaties 1950+. Prior to 1950, treaties also published in the Statutes at Large (Stacks: fKF50 .A3).

U.S. Department of State. Treaties and Other International Acts. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1946–. (Supplemental Reference: S 9.10:). Cited as TIAS. Contains text of U.S treaties in "slip" format; later superseded by UST.

U.S. Department of State. Treaties in Force. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1941, 1959, 1964-. (Stacks: S 9.14:). List of U.S. treaties and other international agreements in force. The State Department also has an electronic archive for information released prior to January 20, 2001.

 

Northwestern University
University Library
Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department
Summer 2007