NationMaster.com - This site gathers statistics from a variety of sources and presents them in an easy-to-use and interesting graphical format. Sources for all facts and figures are cited. Since this is a .com site there are some links to ads.

• Ghana
• Peru
• Sierra Leone

GeoHive - gathers statistical data

Geosource - resources by country and region

Governments on the WWW - Ghana

Governments on the WWW - Peru

Governments on the WWW - Sierra Leone

The following resources are good places to look for background information on countries.

BBC News Country Profiles   This site will provide a guide to the history, politics and economics of countries and territories. Use it to locate background information. You can also find audio and video from the BBC archives.

CIA World Factbook Updated on a bi-weekly basis, the CIA Factbook, give a quick snapshot of each nation's demography, economy, government, geography, and other sectors such as transportation, communication, transportation and military.

Country Studies "On-line versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Army. The Country Studies Series 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." While some of these books are dated ( check the title page for the date of publication) they are a good source for information on geograpy, culture, history. The library also has most of these titles in print in our collection.

CREDO reference online. Credo is a collection of reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, atlases and  subject-specific reference titles. Cross references link within and across the books available. Subjects include a broad coverage of science, social sciences, humanities and technology.

Eldis: A gateway to information on development  Eldis provides a gateway to online information on development. coverage includes social, economic, political and environmental issues. You can use it to locate basic background information but what makes it particularly special is that it will pull together information produced by major development organizations and direct you to those reports.

Findlaw Resources by Country
Use this website to locate government websites of foreign countries. Results may vary depending on country.

Oxford Reference Online A searchable collection of online reference books including specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks. Select from appropriate subject headings, for example, Political Science and Social Sciences. 

 U.S. Department of State Background Notes Find facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.