International Relations Resource Guide: U.S. Government Websites

Produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, each country entry provides demographic statistics, economic conditions, industry, government, trade, and transnational issues.

The CIA's online updated directory. Not all governments included are officially recognized by the U.S.

The Department of State sees its mission as one of advancing "U.S. objectives and interests in shaping a freer, more secure, and more prosperous world through its primary role in developing and implementing the President's foreign policy." This website has a great deal of information related to the United States' official views of, and relationships with, other nations. Note the section tabs for "Countries" and "Issues and the Press."

The Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets provide detailed information on political and economic relations between the U.S. and foreign nations. In addition, the sheets provide links to Department of State reports and publications on a wide range of topics and international issues.

Also referred to as Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), this is a collection of primary documents of American foreign policy, edited by the Historian's Office at DOS. This webpage provides free online documents from the administrations of 20th century presidents. Certain volumes are also available through online archives including the University of Wisconsin's FRUS Digital Archive.

"The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – the Human Rights Reports – cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. The U.S. Department of State submits reports on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974." Text of the Country Reports are available from 1999 through 2018.

The Electronic Research Collection (ERC) is a partnership between the United States Department of State and the Federal Depository Library at the Richard J. Daley Library, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). It is responsible for electronically archived information products produced by the State Department from 1990 to 1997. Links to print and audio texts.

"The Committee's goal is to provide access to electronic transcripts of hearings and markups as soon as possible." Covers 107th through 110th Congress. Transcripts are available in PDF and Webcast Video.

The U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) provides this webpage of links to presidential materials. Many items, like the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents are available through a free electronic archive, especially for Presidents Clinton and Bush. Includes searchable Executive Orders, Proclamations, memoranda, speeches, and more.

This site is a series of books online, prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program. Over 100 countries are profiled. Each book describes and analyzes the country's political, economic, social, and national security systems. Searchable across countries or within a combination of countries.

Provides country data, forecasts, and analysis of energy supplies and its effect on the respective economy and environment. Both EIA's current and non-current publications are available in full-text.

A source of demographic and socio-economic statistics for 227 countries and areas of the world. Major data includes population by age and sex, vital statistics, migration, ethnicity, religion, employment, and income. Data can be selectively displayed. To find data about another country FROM that country, use Statistical Agencies (International).