Subject Guide: Country Info
Country Profiles
Economic Conditions
Culture & Society
Population
Politics & Government
Business Conditions
Industrial Sectors
Labor Market
Trade Policy
Accounting & Tax Policy
COUNTRY PROFILES
Note: Country profiles range from brief fact sheets to comprehensive historical studies. They offer basic facts about specific countries and valuable introductions to current conditions.
Country Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring are brief introductions to countries and their leaders. They feature links to the country's media (press, television, radio and news agencies) and often include audio and video clips from BBC archives.
Country Studies
The Country Studies book series, published between 1988 and 1998,
focuses primarily on lesser-known countries and provides useful historical
essays. Volumes typically cover social, economic, political and national security
systems.
Economist.com's
Country Briefings
Also available through Factiva;
Selected profiles available in ISI Emerging
Markets
Country Briefings consist of news, articles from The Economist magazine,
country data, economic forecasts, descriptions of the political and economic
systems, lists of political parties and their leaders, and links to government
sites. Profiles of 60 countries are available.
Europa World Yearbook
Reference 2nd Floor JN1 .E85
This annual two-volume directory provides worldwide
coverage of the history and economy of nations. Each essay is followed by
selected statistics and lists of government agencies, local media, and industry
organizations.
globalEDGE. Country
Insights
GlobalEDGE, a Web portal at Michigan State University, offers country
profiles with information on the history, economy and government of the country
(from the CIA World Factbook and the Department of State Background
Notes). It also has statistical indicators, today's news, links to selected
government Web sites and a tool that ranks countries based on selected economic
indicators.
Portals to the
World
Portals to the World is a collection of selected country Web sites with information
on culture, education, tourism, government, history, health and business, commerce
and the economy. All sites are chosen and described by subject experts at the
Library of Congress.
U.S. Department of State Background
Notes
Also Available through Stat-USA - National
Trade Data Bank
The U.S. Department of State compiles brief country profiles featuring current
facts about the people, politics, government, and foreign relations of countries.
Walden Country Reports
Available through LexisNexis
Each country report of about sixty pages provides a comprehensive country
profile with key geographical, economic, social and political facts. It identifies
major industries, the largest companies, and key banking and finance leaders. To
access the Walden reports in LexisNexis choose "Reference" and then "Country
Profiles."
World Factbook
Brief
factual up-to-date profiles of every country in the world are compiled by the
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in the annual World Factbook.
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ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
Note: Economic data, forecasts and analysis are published by central banks, government agencies, international organizations (the World Bank, OECD and IMF) and research consultants.
Dismal Scientist
This Web-based
portal for economic information and analysis includes over 180 economic indicators
for about 40 countries and the EURO zone. Indicators can include GDP, employment,
industrial production, CPI, trade, monetary policy and consumer confidence
but will vary by country. Also included are "Economic
Commentary & Forecasts" for individual countries.
Euromonitor Global Market Information
Database(GMID)
This database of market research reports also includes socio-economic and lifestyle
demographic data as well as statistics on specific consumer and industrial
markets in various countries and regions.
Eurostat.
Statistics in Focus
Four to eight page summaries of all the Statistics in Focus reports
from Eurostat are available free. The reports are organized by themes (use
the pull down menu at the bottom of the page) and cover the economy and finance,
population and social conditions, industry, trade and services, agriculture
and fisheries, external trade, transport, environment and energy, and science
and technology. About 200 reports are published each year.
Eurostat Yearbook: The Statistical Guide to Europe
Reference 2nd Floor HA1107
.E89
This annual Yearbook provides comparable statistical data for members of
the European Union and EU candidate countries. The report focuses on three
areas: people, the economy, and entrepreneurial activity. Tables show trends
over the last ten years.
Index of Economic
Freedom
The Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal produce the annual Index
of Economic Freedom which rates countries according to measures of
free enterprise such as their foreign investment codes, taxes, tariffs, banking
regulations, monetary policy and black market activity. Use the "Countries" tab
at the top of the page to access the country ratings and profiles.
ISI Emerging Markets
ISI Emerging Markets is a country-focused news database covering
35 emerging market countries. News is presented in English and native languages.
The news is supplemented with an extensive collection of financial markets
data and economic data from central banks, government agencies, rating agencies,
bank analysts and independent consulting firms. To use ISI select a country
and click on the appropriate tab from the top of the page.
OECD Economic Surveys
Reference 2nd Floor; Check CUNY+ for call numbers
These lengthy periodic economic
assessments cover individual member countries of the OECD. They examine
recent trends, provide short term economic forecasts, and often report on
key issues such as competition, financial markets, labor and migration.
Source OECD Statistics
Source OECD is a Web portal for all the statistics collected by the OECD.
It includes statistics from more than 25 OECD databases covering national accounts,
labor, prices, international trade, industry and services, agriculture and
finance. It also contains statistical tables selected from books and periodicals
published by the OECD.
WDI-World Development Indicators
The World Bank produces this database of social and economic development data. Query the time series for annual data (since 1960) for over 200 countries and over 900 indicators. The text of the accompanying annual report is available at the World Bank Data web site.
World Bank Atlas
Reference 2nd Floor G1046 .G1W6
Maps, graphs, charts, and short essays in this
atlas provide a picture of global development. The data section features
social, economic, and environmental indicators for countries, regions and
the world.
World Bank. Key Development Data and Statistics
This World Bank Web site presents two types of country
profiles: "Data
Profiles" are drawn from the World Development Indicators database
and are used for cross-country comparisons; "Country at a Glance" tables
are intended for country-focused analysis at the annual World Bank/IMF meetings
and may contain unofficial, not-yet published, economic estimates.
World Bank. Country at a Glance Tables
This World Bank Web site presents two types of country profiles: "Country Profiles" are drawn from the World Development Indicators database and are used for cross-country comparisons; "Country at a Glance" tables are intended for country-focused analysis at the annual World Bank/IMF meetings and may contain unofficial, not-yet published, economic estimates.
World
Economic Outlook Database
This International Monetary Fund database supplies economic-time-series data
for nominal GDP (at market and purchasing parity exchange rates), real GDP,
per capital GDP and inflation. Data in spreadsheet format is available for
series dating back to 1970; aggregate data for the world and country-specific
data are included.
Databases
Note: Bring your examination of a country and its economy up to date by using business databases to find analysis, commentary, research, and the latest economic news.
ABI
Inform/Global
The ABI Inform database provides a combination of citations, abstracts
and full text articles from over 1800 business periodicals, including many
scholarly research journals. International journals are well represented, and
there is excellent coverage of management topics, economic issues and financial
products.
Business
Source Premier
This database offers full text access to nearly 2,280 business journals covering
management, economics, finance, accounting, and international business. It
features the entire series of many journals including the Harvard Business
Review. Its Country Economic Data includes such publications
as the Political
Risk Yearbook, Business Monitor Quarterly Forecasts, and the EIU
Country Profiles.
Factiva
Factiva, one of the most comprehensive business news databases,
features news from the Dow Jones and Reuters wire services, the Wall
Street Journal, Barrons and more than 9,000 other sources
in English and 21 other languages. To search for economic news on a specific
country, use the Region Lookup to select Factivas country code. Combine
this code with terms like "economic performance" or "trade
figures" from the Subject Lookup menu.
LexisNexis
Nearly 5,000 publications in LexisNexis provide coverage of news,
financial topics, and legal information. The database includes newspapers,
magazines, wire services, federal and state court opinions, federal and state
statutes, federal regulations, and SEC filings. From the left hand side of
the screen, choose Business and "Business News" to search any
company, industry or business topic. To access the Walden Country Reports,
choose "Reference" and
then "Country Profiles."
PAIS
International
This database is devoted to international public and social policy issues
including international banking and finance, economic development, and international
relations. It provides citations and abstracts of journal articles and selected
books, conference proceedings, research reports, and international government
documents. Updated monthly.
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CULTURE & SOCIETY
Note: Doing business in foreign countries requires knowledge of local customs, language and business practices. Literacy rates and other social conditions may also affect decisions about business location.
ExecutivePlanet
This Web site gives advice on business negotiation, entertaining, conversation,
and general business etiquette for countries that are U.S. trading partners.
It includes practical information about business attire and forms of address.
A local author, often from a consulting agency or research institute, writes
each country page.
Global Information Technology Report
The World Economic Forum produces this annual survey of the environment for information technology in 115 countries. They apply a Network Readiness Index and also rank the countries.
Human Development Reports
Reports from the United Nations Development Program are available by country or by selecting development themes such as education, poverty, health, science & technology, youth or social cohesion. Statistics from the reports can be found on the “Get Data” pages. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/
ICT at a
Glance Tables
Data on communications infrastructure, computer and internet access
and technology spending are included in these one-page country profiles compiled
by the World Bank.
Social
Indicators
The United Nations Statistics Division compiles tables of the latest
indicators of social development for housing, health, education, illiteracy,
income and economic activity, youth and elderly population, urban and rural
population, and unemployment.
UNESCO
Institute for Statistics
The UNESCO Institute provides statistical data and country profiles that focus
on four themes: culture and communications, education, literacy, and science
and technology.
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POPULATION
Population Reference Bureau
A key feature of this site is the World
Population Data Sheet, which provides population estimates and projections
for all countries that are members of the United Nations or have a population
over 150,000. The database includes over 85 demographic variables collected
from official country statistical offices, the U.N., the Council of Europe,
and the U.S. Census Bureau. Some hard-to-find data such as population per
square mile, percentage of population living in urban areas, and gross national
income per capita is included.
State of World Population
This annual report from the United Nations Population Fund examines trends
in the world population and includes tables of demographic, social, and economic
indicators.
U.S. Census Bureau's International
Data Base
The Census Bureau maintains this database of demographic statistics
for countries. Use "Online Access" to search by country, date, and subject; or choose "Summary
Demographic Data" for country profiles. "Countries Ranked by Total
Population" provides population tables for any date between 1950 and 2050,
and "Population Pyramids" displays graphs that show the distribution
of population by age and sex for any country you choose.
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POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Note: The stability of local government as well as national policies toward business are important factors in the success of business ventures.
Country Indicators for Foreign
Policy (CIFP)
The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
and the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University
sponsor the CIFP project. They collect foreign policy data from 196 countries.
Over one hundred indicators are used to measure governance and political instability,
militarization, religious and ethnic diversity, demographic stress, economic
performance, human development, and environmental stress.
Economist
Intelligence Unit. RiskWire
Available through Factiva
Risk Briefing is a daily news bulletin that reports on ten areas of risk analysis for global business: security, political stability, government effectiveness, legal and regulatory institutions, macroeconomics, foreign trade & payments, tax policy, labor markets, financial markets, and infrastructure. They rate each of these areas in the monthly Risk Overviews for various countries.
Transparency International
Transparency
International is "dedicated to increasing government accountability
and curbing both international and national corruption." They publish
a variety of "Corruption Reports and Indexes" including an annual Global
Corruption Report, a Bribe Payers Index and a Corruption
Perceptions Index, which ranks countries by the degree to which corruption
exists among public officials.
Country Indicators for Foreign
Policy (CIFP)
The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
and the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University
sponsor the CIFP project. They collect foreign policy data from 196 countries.
Over one hundred indicators are used to measure governance and political instability,
militarization, religious and ethnic diversity, demographic stress, economic
performance, human development, and environmental stress.
Economist
Intelligence Unit. RiskWire
RiskWire's daily news bulletins
report on ten areas of risk analysis for global business: security, political
stability, government effectiveness, legal and regulatory institutions, macroeconomics,
foreign trade & payments,
tax policy, labor markets, financial markets, and infrastructure.
Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit organization that promotes freedom and democracy. They publish several annual studies. Freedom in the World is a survey of the state of human rights in 192 countries. Countries at the Crossroads examines governance issues including rule of law, anticorruption, accountability and civil liberties in a selection of transitional economies.
Transparency International
Transparency
International is "dedicated to increasing government accountability
and curbing both international and national corruption." They publish
a variety of "Corruption Reports and Indexes" including an annual Global
Corruption Report, a Bribe Payers Index and a Corruption
Perceptions Index, which ranks countries by the degree to which corruption
exists among public officials.
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BUSINESS CONDITIONS
Note: Estimating the risk of investing in a foreign country includes an examination of its financial markets, regulatory climate, economic stability and potential for growth.
Country
Commerce
Available through Factiva
Country Commerce reports are guides to operating a business or entering
into an alliance or merger in foreign countries. They cover business regulations
in 60 countries and include information on licensing and trading regulations,
foreign tax rates, competition codes, and rules on foreign investment. The
reports are published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Country Commercial Guides
Industry Sector Analysis Reports
Available through Stat USA - Globus & NTDB
These comprehensive guides, produced by the
U.S. Department of State, analyze the political and economic climate for
U.S. exports in countries around the world. Each guide includes a survey
of the leading market sectors of the country.
Country Finance
Available through Factiva
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), in its Country Finance reports,
explains financing techniques and financial instruments used by countries around
the world. These can include long and short term debt, swaps, hedging, cash
management and trade finance. They also examine aspects of a country's financial
system, from banks to foreign exchange operations.
Doing Business
Stacks K3840 .D64
This report provides a snapshot of business environments in 130 countries based on how regulation promotes or restrains business activity. It rates each country on the ease or difficulty of hiring and firing of workers, starting a business, getting credit, enforcing contracts, and closing a business. This annual report is published by the World Bank.
Economist
Intelligence Unit. RiskWire
Available through Factiva
Risk Briefing is a daily news bulletin that reports on ten areas of risk analysis for global business: security, political stability, government effectiveness, legal and regulatory institutions, macroeconomics, foreign trade & payments, tax policy, labor markets, financial markets, and infrastructure. They rate each of these areas in the monthly Risk Overviews for various countries.
Global
Competitiveness Report
Stacks HF1414 .G599
In this annual survey produced by the World Economic Forum
in Geneva, country competitiveness is measured by economic factors, technology
and infrastructure development, and the quality of the country's public institutions.
The report includes rankings, individual country profiles, and statistical tables;
only selected chapters are available on the Web site.
Globalization
Index
Periodicals 3rd floor
Foreign Policy magazine, in collaboration with A. T. Kearney, publishes
this index in their March/April issue. It offers evaluations of a country's
global integration based on measures of direct foreign investment, trade, travel,
technology and political engagement.
Institutional
Investor. Country Credit Ratings
Institutional Investor magazine publishes Country Credit Ratings
twice a year in its March and September issues. Sovereign risk analysts rate
credit quality in 172 countries based on political and economic factors and
the chance of default.
MAC: Market Access and Compliance
The International Trade Administration offers help to U.S. exporters on questions
of market access and compliance. They promote trade through their market information
centers for these regions:
AGOA - Africa
BISNIS - Eurasia including Russia, the Newly Independent States, Caucasus and Central Asia
MAC: Market Access and Compliance - China
OCEA - Office of the China Economic Area
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INDUSTRIAL SECTORS
Note: An examination of industry size, structure, concentration and contribution to the local or global economy will help estimate the potential for entry into new markets.
Encyclopedia of Global Industries
Reference 2nd floor HD2324 .E53 2003
Available in Business
and Company Resource Center
This book is a collection of industry snapshots that cover the structure of
large global industries. It identifies companies which are current industry
leaders and examines the markets of those countries where the industry has
a dominate presence.
Euromonitor Global Marketing
Information Database (GMID)
Market research reports from Euromonitor cover
selected consumer product markets in the United States and 52 other countries.
They describe the market and provide profiles of leading multinational and
consumer brand companies. Socio-economic and lifestyle demographic data are
included. To use GMID click on "Major
Market Profiles" and select either country or industry from the drop down
menus.
Global Production.com
This Swiss business consultancy publishes an annual “Global Production Scoreboard” that benchmarks the potential of 25 leading exporting countries to serve as locations for global manufacturing. Using data from the World Bank, UNCTAD, UNESCO and other international organizations, the Scoreboard ranks countries on their business environment, potential for export growth and the performance of various industry sectors.
International Marketing Data & Statistics
Reference Desk, 2nd Floor, HA42
.I56
This annual statistical yearbook provides data on a wide variety of marketing
topics and socio-economic trends. It estimates the size of consumer markets
and consumer expenditures for products in countries around the world.
International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics
Reference 2nd Floor HC10 .I673
This annual publication provides statistics on the number of establishments
and the number of persons employed in manufacturing in individual countries.
All manufacturing sectors are listed according to their specific ISIC (International
Standard Industrial Classification) code to make international comparison easy.
The Yearbook is produced by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO).
ISI Emerging Markets
This is a country-focused news database covering 35 emerging market countries.
It includes company profiles and industry information from analysts research
reports, rating agency reports, stock exchanges, government agencies and independent
consulting firms. To use ISI, select a country and click on the appropriate
tab from the top of the page.
Panorama of EU Industry
Reference 2nd Floor HC241.2 .P323
This two-volume directory, published by
the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, surveys
manufacturing and service industries in the European Union. Statistics are
included.
Stat USA - Globus & NTDB
The U.S. Department of Commerces Stat USA database is one
of the best sources for research on foreign markets. Its reports cover countries
and industries having the best opportunities for U.S. exports. Begin by selecting
the GLOBUS & NTDB database and scrolling
down to the Market & Country Research section. The Industry Sector
Analysis reports provide in-depth information about industries in various
countries and are kept current with International Market Insights(IMI)
from American consulates.
UNIDO Industrial Statistics
The
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) maintains several
databases of global statistics on manufacturing. Open the page entitled "Selected
Industrial Country Statistics" for country-level data on manufacturing
value added (MVA), value added by top industries, composition of trade, and
employment and wages by industry.
World Market Share Reporter
Reference Desk 2nd Floor HD2757.15 .W67
This book is a guide to the leading
companies and brands in major markets around the world with tables taken
from newspapers, magazines and trade associations.
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LABOR MARKET
Note: Examine data on the size and composition of the labor force and labor costs.
Euromonitor Global Market Information
Database (GMID)
Euromonitor GMID contains "Consumer Lifestyles Reports" that
survey the work force and working conditions in over fifty countries. The
reports include data on male and female employment by age group along with
analysis of the growth rates of these groups.
Foreign Labor Statistics
Foreign labor statistics, gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
from national statistical offices and international agencies, provide comparative
country data on productivity, unit labor costs, compensation, labor force,
employment and unemployment, and consumer prices.
International Comparisons
of Manufacturing Productivity and Unit Labor Cost Trends
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles annual data on manufacturing
employment, work hours, productivity, and compensation for the United States
and thirteen other countries: Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
Laborsta
The International Labour Organization (ILO) compiles this database of statistics from selected chapters of the Yearbook of Labour Statistics. Users can build tables by selecting countries, employment and labor variables, and time periods. One dataset covers “Economically Active Population Estimates & Projections: 1980-2020.”
Yearbook of Labour Statistics
Reference 2nd Floor HD4826 .I63
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
publishes this annual collection of country data on wages and hours, employment
and unemployment and labor costs. The first chapter gives data on the economically
active population by age group for all countries.
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TRADE POLICY
Note: Consider the effect of barriers to trade, local and multilateral trade agreements, and trade data in potential export markets.
Foreign
Trade Statistics
The U.S. Census Bureau collects statistics on U.S. trade,
analyzed according to various commodities and products. The Bureau publishes
rankings of our top ten trading partners. At "State Export Data" you
can find the top 25 export countries and the top 25 export commodities for
each state.
Global Trade Negotiations
The
Center for International Development at Harvard University publishes brief
reports on the current trade systems operating in various countries. They
identify key trade issues specific to the country and examine their participation
in GATT, the WTO, and other multilateral trade organizations. To use this Web
site choose "Governments" from the "Resources" tab at
the top of the page.
International Trade
Centre
The ITC produces comprehensive country market analysis profiles with trade
statistics, analytical reports on the demand for imports and the supply of
exports, and links to trade information sources. The International Trade Centre
(ITC) is an agency of the World Trade Organization and UNCTAD.
WISERTrade
WISER, the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research, provides detailed state export and import data. Their annual State Exports reports feature analysis of each state's export position and include data on the state's top 100 export products, top trading partners, top growth categories, and top ten potential markets.
National Trade Estimate
Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
This annual report from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outlines
foreign trade barriers in countries around the world. Each brief report examines
a country's import policies, accounting, legal and other service barriers,
investment barriers, and factors such as corruption that impede trade.
Trade Policy
Reviews
The World Trade Organization reviews the trade policies and
practices of member countries at regular intervals. For each review, two
reports are prepared: a policy statement by the government and a report by
the WTO Secretariat.
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ACCOUNTING & TAX POLICY
Note: Interpreting corporate financial statements requires knowledge of both national and international accounting standards and reporting practices.
Accounting
IAS Plus
IAS Plus is an international financial reporting news site sponsored
by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. It provides daily news, summaries of International
Accounting Standards, profiles of accounting standards in over 30 nations,
a resource library, and a set of financial reporting and accounting links.
International Accounting Standards Board
The International Accounting Standards Board is an independent London-based
accounting standards-setting body. Many countries require public companies
to prepare reports in accordance with IASB standards. Brief descriptions of
IASB accounting standards, current exposure drafts, and news and press releases
are available.
International
Financial Reporting Standards
This collection of reports from PricewaterhouseCoopers offers advice on interpreting
IFRS and explains the differences between the IFRS, U.S. GAAP, U.K. GAAP and
standards used by a selection of other countries.
International Federation of Accountants
The IFAC, a federation of over 150 national accounting organizations with
the aim of harmonizing accounting standards worldwide, publishes studies and
international standards.
Taxes
CCH
Tax Research Network
The Tax Treaties Reporter is part of this database of federal and state tax
law and analysis. It contains the text of income tax treaties between the United
States and over sixty countries as well as news on current developments in
international tax law.
Corporate Taxes, A Worldwide Summary
Reference 2nd Floor HD1008 .D6C6
This annual guide published by PricewaterhouseCoopers
provides basic information about corporate taxes in 120 countries. It covers
corporate income taxes, business and valued added taxes, and taxes on investment.
It includes information about tax rates and corporate tax law.
Tarrif and Import Fee Information
This
page at the U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Information Center is a resource
for both exporters and importers in the United States. It includes a database
of tariffs for exporting to forty-eight countries; links to sources on import
duties and taxes for products coming into the U.S.; country-specific tariff
and tax resources; and a search engine for locating the Harmonized System or
Schedule B number for your product.
Tax
Notes International
This weekly news magazine covers new tax legislation,
court decisions, treaties and regulation in countries worldwide.
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