Finding Country Information

For anyone considering starting up a business in a foreign country, it is imperative to conduct advance research in order to learn about the country: its culture, its economic system, its business practices and regulations, etc.

Many UMUC Library databases contain country reports that provide an overview for various countries. These databases include:

Print books in catalogUSMAI and online books in e-book collections such as eBook Collection (on EBSCOhost) contain country information as well.

A variety of country information is also available on the free Web.

Scroll down the page or use the links provided above to learn how to find country information in these different types of resources.

Finding Country Information in Databases

ABI/Inform Complete

To find country information in ABI/Inform Complete, click on the Browse tab in the top left-hand corner of your screen:

Then scroll down the page to see links to available types of country reports:

Business Source Complete

Follow the directions shown in the screen shot below to find country reports in Business Source Complete:

EIU ViewsWire

Clicking on the EIU ViewsWire link from the library's database list will take you to the main page for all EIU online resources. Follow the directions shown in the screen shot below to access EIU ViewsWire, where you can access country reports:

After clicking on the ViewsWire or Covers 201 countries link, you will be taken to EIU ViewsWire. The screen shot below shows how to find country reports in this database:

LexisNexis Academic

In LexisNexis Academic, scroll down to the Research Countries section of the page and use the drop-down menus to select a country and information source:

Mergent Online

Follow the directions shown in the screen shot below to find country reports in Mergent Online:

Political Handbook of the World

Click on the Countries / Governments A to Z link in the database to see a list of countries for which country profiles are available and then click on the country's name to access the profile:

Additional information in these and other databases

You may be able to find additional country information in the databases listed above and in other UMUC library databases (Academic Search Complete, Dissertations & Theses, etc.) by conducting a keyword search for a country's name, along with a keyword search for an aspect of the country that you're interested in studying (e.g., japan AND "business etiquette").

Finding Country Information in Print Books

• Doing business globally
• the Doing business in [country name] series
• Doing business internationally: The guide to cross-cultural success
• Doing business internationally: The resource for business and social etiquette
• Global business etiquette: A guide to international communication and customs
• Kiss, bow, or shake hands: The bestselling guide to doing business in more than 60 countries

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Finding Country Information in Online Books

• Breaking through culture shock: What you need to succeed in international business
• Bridging the culture gap: A practical guide to international business communication
• Countries and their cultures

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Finding Country Information on the Free Web

• Business Planet
  This site from the World Bank Group provides information on the ease of doing business in 183 world economies.

• Census Bureau International Data Base
  This site from the U.S. Census Bureau provides "tabular data for countries and regions as well as demographic indicators, population pyramids and source information."

• CIA World Factbook
  This site from the Central Intelligence Agency provides "information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities."

• Deloitte Tax Guides
  Consulting firm Deloitte's site provides access to International Tax and Business Guides, which are intended to "help potential investors understand the investment climate, operating conditions, and tax system of most major trading jurisdictions."

• Department of State Background Notes
  This frequently updated site, maintained by the U.S. Department of State, provides "facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty."

• Doing Business
  This site, maintained by The World Bank Group, provides information about "business regulations and their enforcement across 181 economies and selected cities at the subnational and regional level." To use the site, select a country from the select an economy menu in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

• Euromonitor Country Factfiles
  This site, maintained by independent, privately owned Euromonitor International, provides demographic and economic indicators, lifestyle indicators, market size information, and other information compiled from various government and statistical agencies and other sources.

• International Monetary Fund
  The IMF Web site provides access to reports and data related to countries' finances. See especially the Country Info and/or the Data and Statistics tabs.

• Library of Congress Portals to the World
  This Library of Congress site "contains selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world." (Note: The site was taken down on September 16, 2010 "in order to perform a comprehensive review of its content." It is unclear if or when the site will be restored.)

• TradeStats Express
  This site, presented by the Office of Trade and Industry Information, Manufacturing and Services, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, presents state and national quarterly and annual trade data from the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau.

• UNdata
  This site, created by the United Nations Statistics Division, provides access to "official statistics produced by countries and compiled by United Nations data system, as well as estimates and projections."

• U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library
  This site, offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides access to country commercial guides and to market research reports. Some reports are only accessible after users have created an account at Export.gov.

• World Bank Data Catalog
  This site provides access to databases, tables, and reports containing World Bank data. Search results can be exported in different formats.