Typical questions

• • Where can I get a copy of the flag of Norway?

• • What is the population of Wales?

Starting points

• • Many students use Wikipedia to find basic facts and figures. Sometimes sources can be biased or out of date. When using Wikipedia entries, always advise exploring the linked references to consult the original source.

• • This section focuses on academic sources which cover general economic, social and political facts. Other detailed rankings of nations can be found in the Human Rights, Population and Development Studies chapters. There is also a separate Maps chapter.

Recommended resources

CIA World Factbook [Basic]

www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook

Annual publication providing factual information about the history, population, government, economy, geography, communications and military of over 267 nations. Includes maps, images of flags and some comparative ranking tables.

Economist Intelligence Unit Country Reports (Subscription) [Specialist]

www.eiu.com

Established in 1946. Comprehensive analysis and forecasts of political, economic conditions and policy for over 180 nations worldwide.

Library of Congress Country Studies [Basic]

www.loc.gov/collections/country-studies

This series was published by the Federal Research Division of the United States Library of Congress to provide members of the public with background information on the history, social, economic, political and national security systems of individual nations. Note, due to limited funding many editions have not been updated since 2000 so dates should be checked carefully. However, all contain useful facts on history.