Country & World Business and Economics Resources @ Smith Library

Finding business reference works on country and world resources: in the library & on the Internet

The Reference Collection in Smith Library is located on the second floor

Area Handbook Series / Country Studies (Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the Department of the Army). Most books in the series deal with a particular foreign country, describing and analyzing its political, economic, social, and national security systems and institutions, and examining the interrelationships of those systems and the ways they are shaped by cultural factors. Each study is written by a multidisciplinary team of social scientists. This resource, which currently includes over 100 studies, is available online at ( http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ ). Smith Library has many country studies in paper and Babbidge Library at UCONN/Storrs and the State Library also hold extensive collections of paper reports. Take care to note the date on which the study was completed - funding for this project ended in 1998 so none of these studies are current.

Area Studies, ( http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area.htm ) Richard Kimber, Keele University, UK., gives access to information on individual countries through A to Z links. It may be used to access all the information on the site for a given country, since the sub-pages for each country have links, where relevant, to all the other pages.

CIA World Factbook ( http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html ) was created as an annual summary and update to the encyclopedic National Intelligence Survey studies. The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The 1996 edition was printed by GPO and the 1997 edition was reprinted by GPO. The year 1999 marks the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 56th year of continuous basic intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its two predecessor programs.

Country Profiles and Resources ( http://fita.org/countries/index.html ), produced by the Federation of International Trade Associations, lists services and tools useful to the international trade community doing business globally. 450,000+ organizations are linked to FITA representing a broad cross-section of the international trade and business community: manufacturers, trading companies, contractors, freight forwarders, custom house brokers, airlines, shipping companies, port authorities, banks, insurance brokers and underwriters, associations and a wide range of service providers including telecommunications companies, law firms and consultants.

The Economist Atlas of the New Europe (Holt, 1992, 1st American edition) is shelved at G1797.2 .E2 1992 in the Reference Collection/Atlas & Map cases.

Encyclopedia of Global Industries (HD2324.H53 2007 in the Reference Collection) discusses 125 industries in 23 broader chapters. Each industry essay includes and industry snapshot, organization and structure, background and development, current conditions, research and technology, work force, industry leaders, and major countries hosting the industry. There is an SIC index, a geographic index and general index

Encyclopedia of the Developing World ( HC59.7.E52 2006 v.1-3) includes about 800 entries, including factual narratives (e.g., country descriptions, biographies), interpretations and analyses of timely topics (e.g., global trading patterns), and overview articles on the history and economic development of a particular region. The focus is on 1945 to the present.

The Europa World Yearbook (JN1 .E85 in the Reference Collection) is a good source of demographic, political and economic information about countries around the world. The arrangement is alphabetical by country in two volumes. The library holds the current year plus last year.

European Marketing Data and Statistics 2006 (HD1107.E87 2006 in the reference collection) is a compendium of statistical information on the countries of Western and Eastern Europe. Published annually since the late 1960's EMDAS this is the 41st edition of detailed, current statistical information relevant for pan-European market planning. Time series data describe socio-economic trends over extended time periods. The volume has an alphabetical index and a list of the major sources of pan-regional and international information which have been used to compile the data.

Exporter's Encyclopedia (HF3011.E9 2008/09 and supplements in the Reference Collection) continues Exporters' Encyclopaedia World Marketing Guide. Material is arranged geographically. For more than 180 countries there is a profile followed by marketing data; information on communications, transportation, business travel, key contacts; and a summary of trade regulations and documentation requirements. Each edition also includes brief sections on U.S. ports, U.S. foreign trade zones, World Trade Center Association members, U.S. government agencies providing assistance to exporters, foreign trade organizations, foreign communications, and on general export and shipping information and practice. The Exporters' Encyclopedia also provides tips on foreign business travel, business etiquette climate and holiday.

Export Navigator ( http://www.exportnavigator.com/index.html ), provided by Export Enterprises (export/import information services in Europe and North America), checks websites that provide international market reports on the Internet. The site claims 10.000 free market reports are available via this search engine, with no "noise" (i.e., documents that mention your keywords but won't link to good information).

Global Resources Directory ( http://globaltower.com/ ) lists countries of the world, providing nation specific links which include online business sources, travel guides, governments, historical and cultural information, news, weather services, maps, financial resources and local search engines.

Globalization: Encyclopedia of Trade, Labor and Politics (HF1359.G5854 2006 v.1-2 in the Reference Collection) is a comprehensive reference work on post World War II globalization issues - economic, international business, political, legal, and environmental. Part One deals with trade and investment issues, Part Two discusses major business and economic sectors, Part Three looks at international blocs and organizations, and Part Four covers a wide range of issues not discussed in other sections of the book.

Governments on the WWW is a comprehensive database of governmental institutions on the World Wide Web: parliaments, ministries, offices, law courts, embassies, city councils, public broadcasting corporations, central banks, multi-governmental institutions etc., as well as political parties. Site contains more than 17000 entries from more than 220 countries and territories. Site has been online since June 1995, but has not been updated since June 2002. ( http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/world.html )

Guide to the World's Major Emerging Economies: Country analysis and forecast reports (Business Monitor International, HC59.7.B667 2000, two volumes, in the Reference Collection) discusses the emerging economies of Asia and Eastern Europe in volume one and Latin America and the Middle East/Africa in volume two. Selected countries from each world region are analyzed in terms of politics, economics and key economic sectors, business environment and capital markets.

Hoover's Handbook of World Business is shelved at HG4009.H66 2006 in the Reference Collection.

International Financial Statistics (International Monetary Fund) is a monthly publication shelved in the bound periodicals section 1977 through the present (1980 incomplete). The data is cumulated by the International Financial Statistics Yearbook (HG61 .I57 in the Reference Collection). A standard source for statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance, the yearbook contains basic financial and economic statistics and IMF accounts data for 161 member countries, with aggregates by world region and economic grouping. Data includes GDP, exchange rates, and interest rates. Countries whose data are included in world/all countries' totals are arrayed into two main groups, industrial countries and developing countries, further subdivided into area. Data for subgroups, oil exporting countries and non-oil developing countries are shown as memoranda. Date ranges covered in tables are usually 1966 forward. Monetary values in world tables are presented in SDRs or US dollars; in country tables in SDRs, US dollars or national currencies.

International Trade Statistics Yearbook (Statistical Office, Department of International and Social Affairs, United Nations - 1978-2004 located in the Reference Collection at HF91 .U473). See United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division web site for current online updates. As of 2004 volume I, Trade by Country, provide historical information on the external trade performance of individual countries in terms of current values. Information showing important commodities traded by an individual country (latest 4 years) and the country's trade with its major trading partners and regions (latest 5 years) are also shown. Summary tables for each country show imports by broad economic categories, exports by industrial origin and the percentage share of the country's trading partners and regions in relation to its total trade. This volume contains data for 182 countries or reporting customs areas. Volume II, Trade by Commodity, includes selected commodity tables showing total world trade of those commodities analyzed by regions and countries, as well as various specialized tables.

International Trade Administration ( http://trade.gov/index.asp ) TradeStats Express ( http://tse.export.gov/ ) displays the latest annual U.S. merchandise trade statistics at national and state levels in maps, graphs, and tables; as exports, imports, and trade balances; tailored to year and dollar ranges and display preferences. TradeStats Express is divided into two main sections: National Trade Data and State Export Data.

The National Trade Data are available as full year totals for 1989 through 2007 and Year-To-Current-Quarter for 2007 and 2008. Data are available for individual countries, trade/economic groups, or geographic regions. You can tabulate these statistics using any of three product classification systems: HS (at two- and four-digit levels), NAICS (up to the four-digit level), or SITC (up to the three-digit level). You can choose to display the data for exports, imports, or balance of trade. The National Trade Data will show: global patterns of U.S. merchandise trade or product profiles of U.S. merchandise trade with a selected market.

The State Export Data are available as full year totals for 1999 through 2007 and Year-To-Current-Quarter for 2007and 2008. Data are available for individual states or U.S. regions. You can tabulate these statistics using any of the NAICS classification systems (up to the three-digit level). State Export Data will show: global patterns of a state's exports, state-by-state exports to a selected market; or a state’s
export product profile to a selected market.

LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations: International (HG4057.A217 2005 v.7-8 in the Reference Collection) includes a company name index which points to a brief company description including a parent company or subsidiary companies.

MSU-CIBER Michigan State University Center for International Business Education and Research (http://ciber.bus.msu.edu) , a unit of The Eli Broad College of Business and The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, has been designated as a national resource center in international business education by the U.S. Department of Education. MSU-CIBER draws on the international expertise and resources of Michigan State University to enhance management education and research and to assist businesses as they address the challenge of competing in the global marketplace. Under the guidance of its Business Advisory Council, MSU-CIBER designs and implements activities for local, regional, and national impact. See especially the Global Edge page and related resources.

Nations of the World: A political, economic and business handbook (HC10 N36 2007/2008 in the Reference Collection) is in its seventh edition. The book is arranged alphabetically by country. Each country profile includes an overview, map, key facts, key economic indicators and a political/economic risk assessment. There is a "business directory" at the end of each profile which includes Internet and email addresses when available.

Nations Online Project.( http://www.nationsonline.org/ ) is a portal of gateways to the countries, cultures and nations in the world, a reference directory and a destination guide. You will find Country Profiles for almost every country, with information on Geography, Government, Maps, Population, Languages, the Capital City, Major cities, Ethnic groups, Religion, Literacy rate, Economy, History and even the Local Time. Get current news from international newspapers, as well as local information from rural towns abroad.

Official Government Web Pages (http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/official.htm ), authored by Richard Kimber, Keele University, UK.

Official Websites of National Governments, Northwestern University Library. (http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/resource/internat/foreign.html)

OECD Online (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development web site). The OECD is comprised of 29 countries that produce about 2/3 of the world's goods and services. There are links to statistics related to OECD countries (http://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html )

Political Resources on the Net (http://www.politicalresources.net/) lists political sites available on the Internet sorted by country, with links to Parties, Organizations, Governments, Media and more from all around the world.

Project Visa (http://projectvisa.com/) aims to share visa and travel information for all people from all countries. All the work put into this site is on a volunteer basis, the money made from advertising goes toward paying for hosting and software. The site evolved from EmbassyWeb which purported to have a searchable database with over 50,000 addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of diplomatic posts worldwide.

STAT-USA (http://www.stat-usa.gov) is a subscription web-site provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, STAT-USA brings together a wide range of government statistical sources at one location. See GLOBUS for international trade and country information.

Statistical Yearbook or Annuaire statistique is published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, Statistical Division (shelved at HA12.5 .U63 in the Reference Collection for 1948, 1971-78, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1987-2001, 2002-2004, 2005-2006). Updates for this source are online to a limited degree at the United Nations web site. The Yearbook is a bilingual (English, French) collection of vital internationally comparable data focused on socio-economic developments at the world, regional and national levels. The Yearbook provides data on the world economy, its structure, major trends and current performance, as well as on issues such as population and social statistics, economic activity and international economic relations.

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division (http://www.un.org/Depts/unsd) has much current, free statistical information related to international social and economic issues. The Statistics Division provides a wide range of statistical outputs and services for producers and users of statistics worldwide. By increasing the global availability and use of official statistics, this work facilitates national and international policy formulation, implementation and monitoring. The Division produces printed publications of statistics and statistical methods in the fields of international merchandise trade, national accounts, demography and population, social indicators, gender, industry, energy, environment, human settlements and disability. The Division also produces general statistics compendiums including the Statistical Yearbook and World Statistics Pocketbook. Many of the Division's databases in these fields are also available as electronic publications and data files sales list in the form of CD-ROM, diskette and magnetic tape and on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

United States State Department Background Notes (http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/index.html) provide information on geographic entities and international organizations and are updated periodically. Background Notes for some countries are currently unavailable. To automatically receive via email all newly released Background Notes, subscribe to the Department of State Background Notes LISTSERV(R). The State Department homepage and sitemap may include many other areas relevant to international business research.

Vital Signs: The trends that are shaping our future (HC10.V53 2007/2008 in the Reference Collection) is a publication of the Worldwatch Institute that highlights and discusses social, economic, environmental, technological and political issues that are having world-wide impact. The library holds these annual issues: 2002-2007/2008.

World Development Indicators (HC59.15.W656 2008) is an annual report from the World Bank that includes more than 800 indicators for 152 economies around the world. The report provides definitions, sources, and other information about the data which is organized into six thematic areas: world view, people, environment, economy, states and markets, and global links. The World Bank has many free reports and documents online under the publications link on their home page (www.worldbank.org). There is also an extensive archives related to world economic development extending back to 1946 most of which is freely available.

World Development Report: A Better Investment Climate for Everyone (HC59.7.W659 2005 in the Reference Collection) is the latest in an annual series of themed reports by the World Bank. This report draws on survey information from firms to explore the relationship between private investments, economic development, and poverty. This report attempts to address the issue of how countries can improve their investment climate and enhance economic development through private investment.

World Economic Outlook (HC10.W7979 2000-2008) contains the analysis and projections developed through the International Monetary Fund's surveillance of economic developments and policies of member countries, as well as developments in international financial markets. Each volume selects a few crucial world economic issues to highlight - housing and the business cycle for 2008. Smith Library holds these reports back to 2000.

World Economic Situation and Prospects (HC59.15.W67 2001-2008 in the Reference Collection) is an annual report by several United Nations commissions which provides an overview of recent global economic performance and short-term prospects for the world economy. The report is designed to be a reference for key global economic policy and development issues that are before various United Nations entities in the year the report is written.

World Economic and Social Survey: Overcoming Economic Insecurity (HC59.A169 1973-2008 in the Reference Collection) is an annual United Nations publication which examines recent developments in and prospects for the world economy and addresses their implications for the developing countries in the struggle against poverty. The report includes sections on world economy, international trade, international finance, and an overview of regional economies, as well as supporting statistical tables and figures.

World Industry and Market Outlook (HC10.W69 2008 in the Reference Collection) divides world industry into NAICS categories and provides tables that estimate the number of establishments, level of employment, total sales and local sales in twenty five nations. Methodology and definitions of categories are provided at the end of the volume.

World Population / 2nd Edition by Geoffrey Gilbert (HB871.G47 2005 in the Reference Collection) is a discussion of trends and issues. The book includes a bibliography of data sources and organizations which collect data on this topic.

World Resources 2005: The Wealth of the Poor: Managing Ecosystems to Fight Poverty (HC10.W827 2005 in the Reference Collection) focuses on the importance of good environmental governance. The report explores how citizens, government managers, and business owners can foster better environmental decisions -- decisions that meet the needs of ecosystems, people and economies with equity and balance. These annual reports are held from 1987.

World Resources 2005 also includes national statistics on current environmental, social, and economic trends in more than 150 countries. The report departs from previous editions by making the full World Resources database freely accessible and searchable on-line in the companion website, EarthTrends (http://earthtrends.wri.org/). The EarthTrends site also provides data tables, country profiles, maps, and feature stories about current conditions. The World Resources series is produced through a collaboration of the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank, and the World Resources Institute. The library has back to 1986 in print. The most current World Resources reports and a variety of other wide-ranging reports on world economy and environment can be found under the publications link on the World Resources Institute homepage (www.wri.org).

World Trade Almanac 1996-1997, title no longer in print (HF1371.W67 1996-1997 in the Reference Collection), gives summary information on the economy, foreign trade, marketing, business culture, legal, money and travel issues for 100 countries.

World Trade Centers Association (http://world.wtca.org/portal/site/wtcaonline) was established in 1970 to facilitate international trade by bringing those together exporters, importers and service providers. The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a not-for-profit, non-political association that fosters the WTC concept and develops inter-WTC cooperative programs. WTCA membership includes more than 300 WTCs in about 100 countries. Over 500,000 companies are affiliated with WTCA members worldwide.

Yahoo Directory of Government Websites (http://dir.yahoo.com/Government/Countries/)

Yearbook of Labour Statistics (HD4826.I63 2007 in the Reference Collection) is published by International Labour Office/Geneva. The latest available data from 190 countries and organized according to International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC), International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISOC), International Standard Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE) and the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). The volume includes 31 tables in nine chapters covering economically active population, employment, unemployment, hours of work, wages, labour cost, consumer prices, occupational injuries, strikes and lockouts.