Major Research Tools

Europa World

Data, Full-Text

Up-to-date profiles of countries of the world. Includes political histories, economic statistics, and directory-style information on politics, media, and business. A "comparative statistics" section can be used to generate tables of comparative data on countries in formats suitable for exporting into Excel or SPSS.


Maps Research Tools

Gateway

Skillman Library's list of select, online resources related to maps and cartography.


World Databank

Data
Coverage: 1960-present

Country-level, time series data from the World Bank. Topics covered include demographics, the economy, the environment, health, and education. Data may be saved as Excel or ASCII files.


World Factbook

Full-Text

Data on the geography, demography, government, economics, etc. for every country in the world. From the CIA.


Other Suggested Research Tools

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Data

"Presents in maps and text complete data about the creation and all subsequent changes (dated to the day) in the size, shape, and location of every county in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia." Available as interactive maps and shapefiles that can be downloaded for use with GIS software.


Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America

Data

Create and save maps illustrating over 60 socioeconomic indicators on people, jobs, agriculture and other county data. Sources include the American Community Survey, economic reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the latest Census of Agriculture. You may also download your data into a spreadsheet for use in Excel or other statistical software.


Food Environment Atlas

Data

Create and save maps illustrating 168 indicators on the food environment covering food choices, health and well-being, and community characteristics in U.S. states or counties. Indicators include store/restaurant proximity, food prices, and food and nutrition assistance programs. Data is drawn from numerous sources including the Decennial Census, County Business Patterns, and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.


freedomhouse.org: Freedom in the World

Data, Full-Text

Full text of annual reports (2002 to present) detailing political and civil rights in countries and territories of the world. Includes "ratings of freedom" for each country from 1973 to present. Also includes reports and rankings on freedom of the press in various countries.


Library of Congress Country Studies

Full-Text

Lengthy reports on the history, society, and culture of individual countries (Additional volumes in this series are available in Skillman's print collection). Prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress.


National Geographic Virtual Archive

Full-Text
Coverage: 1888-2015

Full text, full page archive of National Geographic from the first issue through 2015. Pages have been digitized in color, including advertisements, and has features to browse search by image or browse by issue.


Visual Collections: Cartography

Visual Resource

Collections of historical maps, including collections covering North and South America, Africa, and Japan.