Explore and compare the world's places and peoples
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About This Product
Comprehensive, authoritative, and easy to navigate, World Geography and Culture is an award-winning resource for the study of countries, cultures, and geography concepts.
Every country of the world is profiled in depth, with more than 40 entries and more than 100 statistical indicators covering all aspects of each nation’s geography, history, society, and culture. At-a-glance information, maps and flags, videos, images, audio recordings, gazetteer entries, biographies of famous people, a timeline, and current news supplement each country profile. Information for the U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and international territories is similarly detailed.
In addition to researching individual countries and states, a variety of tools are available for studying Earth and geographic regions, comparing countries and states, and researching terms and concepts:
Compare and rank countries and states by a variety of indicators.
Browse full-color regional and world maps on a variety of topics, including demographic, economic, education, energy, and politics.
Learn about key ideas important to the study of geography by exploring the Geography Concepts and Principles section.
Explore the Earth system through illustrations in the section Focus on the Earth.
Research landforms, water features, and administrative regions by browsing the Gazetteer.
Discover the top 10 biggest cities, largest deserts, highest mountains, and much more by viewing lists of geography extremes.
Look up a term in the extensive geography glossary.
Convert between the most common units of area, length, temperature, time, weight, energy, speed, or volume using the conversion calculator.
Extensive country entries: descriptions of more than 200 countries and territories, with information on geography, people and culture, weather and climate, history, government, and society; maps and flags; facts and figures; videos, images, and audio recordings; and news articles
U.S. state profiles: descriptions of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with political, outline, elevation, and locator maps; city and geographical features maps; flags; facts and figures; government information; biographies; timeline; videos and images
Original, easy-to-read maps: more than 1,600 political, elevation, and outline maps; regional geographic and thematic maps; city, state, and physical features maps; and more
Compare and rank tools: tools that compare and rank countries or U.S. states by a variety of criteria
Images, videos, and audio recordings: more than 8,000 images and illustrations offer a visual exploration of the world’s cultures, more than 2,800 video clips from 180 full-length videos provide introductions to the study of human and physical geography, and more than 200 audio recordings of national anthems bring another dimension to users’ research on nations around the world
News articles by country, updated regularly
Authoritative source list: expertly researched and written content from a wealth of print titles.
Gazetteer
Geography concepts and principles
Maps, flags, and illustrations
Videos, images, and audio recordings
Geography glossary
Conversion calculators
“Did You Mean…?” search feature
Persistent record links
Dynamic citations in MLA and Chicago formats.
Encyclopedia of the World’s Nations and Cultures, 4 volumes
Encyclopedia of World Geography, 3 volumes
Encyclopedia of World Constitutions, 3 volumes
World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties, 4 volumes
Encyclopedia of the United States Congress
Encyclopedia of American Religion and Politics
Encyclopedia of Women and American Politics
Encyclopedia of World History
Helicon Encyclopedia of World History
Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of African History and Culture, 5 volumes
Encyclopedia of Historic Places, 3 volumes
Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations, 3 volumes
American Biographies: American Political Leaders
Biographical Dictionary of Modern World Leaders, 2 volumes
Encyclopedia of World Scientists
Encyclopedia of World Writers
African-American Political Leaders
Each Country Profile Includes the Following Content:
Full Articles
GEOGRAPHY
Geographical Features
Environment
Flora and Fauna
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Ethnic Composition
Languages
Religions
Folklore and Mythology
Entertainment and Recreation
Etiquette
Family Life
Personal Appearance
Sports
Culture and Lifestyle
Cuisine
Holidays and Celebrations
Rites of Passage
Famous People
Weather and Climate
HISTORY
History Overview
Timeline
GOVERNMENT
Government Overview
Constitution
Local Government
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Political Parties
Citizenship
Election Process
Other Political Forces
National Prospects
SOCIETY
Defense
Economy
Foreign Policy
Human Rights
Education
Media
Living Conditions
Health
Status of Women
Work
Science and Technology
Gazetteer Entries
Landforms
Physical and Administrative Regions
Populated Places
Public Works or Landmarks
Water Features
Maps and Flags
Political Map
Elevation Map
Outline Map
Locator Map
Land Use & Agriculture Map
Major City Map
Color Flag
Outline Flag
Videos and Images
Video Gallery
Image Gallery
Statistics
GEOGRAPHY
Location
Geographic Coordinates
Area
Area Comparison
Land Boundaries
Coastline
Maritime Claims
Terrain
Elevation Extremes
Natural Resources
Land Use
Irrigated Land
Natural Hazards
GOVERNMENT
Country Name
Dependency Status
Government Type
Capital
Administrative Divisions
Dependent Areas
Independence
Constitution
Suffrage
Political Parties and Leaders
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders
International Organization Participation
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.
Diplomatic Representation from the U.S.
ECONOMY
GDP (PPP)
GDP (Real Growth Rate)
GDP (per Capita)
Population Below Poverty Level (%)
Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share (%)
Distribution of Family Income (Gini Index)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices – %)
Labor Force
Labor Force (by Occupation)
Unemployment Rate (%)
Budget
Industries
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)
Electricity (Production – kWh)
Electricity (Consumption – kWh)
Electricity (Exports – kWh)
Oil (Production – bbl/day)
Oil (Consumption – bbl/day)
Oil (Exports – bbl/day)
Oil (Imports – bbl/day)
Oil (Proved Reserves – bbl)
Natural Gas (Production – cu m)
Natural Gas (Consumption – cu m)
Natural Gas (Imports – cu m)
Natural Gas (Proved Reserves – cu m)
Agriculture (Products)
Exports (Commodities)
Exports (Partners)
Imports
Imports (Commodities)
Imports (Partners)
Debt (External)
Economic Aid (Donor)
Currency (Code)
Exchange Rates
Fiscal Year
PEOPLE
Population
Age Structure
Median Age (Years)
Birth Rate (Births/1,000 Population)
Death Rate (Deaths/1,000 Population)
Net Migration Rate (Migrants/1,000 Population)
Sex Ratio (Males/Females)
Infant Mortality Rate (Deaths/1,000 Live Births)
Life Expectancy at Birth (Years)
Total Fertility Rate (Children Born/Woman)
HIV/AIDS (Adult Prevalence Rate – %)
HIV/AIDS (People Living with HIV/AIDS)
HIV/AIDS (Deaths)
Nationality
Religions
Literacy
Languages
Ethnic Groups
MILITARY
Military Branches
Military Service Age and Obligation
Manpower Fit for Military Service
Manpower Reaching Military Service Age Annually
Military Expenditures (Percent of GDP)
COMMUNICATIONS
Telephones (Main Lines in Use)
Telephones (Mobile Cellular)
Telephone System
Television Broadcast Stations
Radio Broadcast Stations
Internet Country Code
Internet Hosts
Internet Users
Each State Profile Includes the Following Content:
Full Articles
At-A-Glance Overview
History
Timeline
Government
Economy
Education
People & Culture
Famous People Biographies
Weather & Climate
Points of Interest
Geography
State Capital
Governor
Senators
Gazetteer Entries
Landforms
Physical and Administrative Regions
Populated Places
Public Works or Landmarks
Water Features
Maps, Flags, and Symbols
Major Cities Map
Counties Map
Outline Map
Locator Map
Elevation Map
Color Flag
Outline Flag
State Seal (black and White)
State Seal (color)
State Bird (color)
State Flower (color)
State Tree (color)
Videos and Images
Videos
Geographic Points of Interest (Photographs)
Landmarks (Photographs)
Statistics
GEOGRAPHY
Total Area
Land Area
Water Area
Highest Elevation
Lowest Elevation
Major Rivers
Major Lakes
Length of Tidal Shoreline
Rural Land Use—in thousands of acres
Native American Land
CRIME
Violent Crimes Reported per 100,000 Population
Property Crimes Reported per 100,000 Population
Rate of Identity Theft per 100,000 Population
Federal/State Prisoners
Prisoner Executions
ECONOMY
Unemployment Rate
Major Agricultural Products
Natural and Mineral Resources
Major Industries
Number of Farms
Farm Acreage in Millions
Acreage per Farm
EDUCATION
Number of Degree Granting Institutions
Total College Enrollment
Population 25 and over High School Graduate or Higher
Public Elementary and Secondary Schools Teachers
Average Salary of Public Elementary and Secondary School Teachers
Average Spending per Student
Education Expenditures—rank among states
POPULATION
Resident Population
Resident Population Percent Change
Population Density—per square mile
Resident Population by Race or Latino/Hispanic Origin
Urban Population
Rural Population
Population 18 and under
Population 65 and over
Population 25 and over with Bachelor’s Degree or More
Percentage of Persons below Poverty Level
Per Capita Money Income in past 12 months
Marriage Rate—per 1,000 people
Divorce Rate—per 1,000 people
Number of Births
Birth Rate—per 1,000 people
Infant Mortality Rate—per 1,000 live births
Doctors per 100,000 Resident Population
TRANSPORTATION
Number of Registered Motor Vehicles
Total Highway Mileage
Rank Total Traffic Fatalities
The award-winning database World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh statistics, content, and more. Some of the latest updates include: Updates to entries for countries including Somalia, Zambia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, and Liberia on the subjects of geography, people and cu…read more →
More than 200 audio recordings of national anthems have just been added to World Geography and Culture, bringing a new dimension to users’ geography, history, and culture research on nations around the world. Users can find the new recordings via Search under the “Images and Videos” tab, by se…read more →
The award-winning database World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh statistics and other content. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries for countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Jordan, Belize, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Canada, an…read more →
The award-winning database World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh data and statistics. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries for countries including Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Botswana, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya,…read more →
The award-winning resource World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh data and statistics. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries for countries including Bolivia, Guatemala, Uruguay, Thailand, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka on the subjects of geography,…read more →
The award-winning resource World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh data and statistics. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries and statistical data for countries including Brazil, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Germany, Honduras, India, Mali, Ma…read more →
The award-winning resource World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh data and statistics. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries and statistical data for countries including Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Dominica, Egypt, Iraq, and Israe…read more →
The award-winning resource World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh data and statistics. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries and statistical data for countries including Japan, Peru, Costa Rica, Greece, the Philippines, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Ecua…read more →
The award-winning resource World Geography and Culture is continuously updated with fresh data and statistics. Some of the latest updates and features include: Updates to entries and statistical data for countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Italy, Jamaica, M…read more →
World Geography and Culture is continuously updated and enhanced, increasing the educational value of this award-winning resource. Here is a recap of some of the content updates made so far this year. Recent Updates and Additions: Country entries: Fully revised and updated 500 entries for 12 countri…read more →
“For general country research,…World Geography and Culture Online is an excellent source.”
Choice
“…user-friendly…highly recommended…”
Booklist, starred review
“…[a] rich resource…suitable for an academic level audience, but can be used by others requiring this type of information…unique…a wonderful resource that would benefit any academic university. It is easy to use and well worth the price…highly recommend[ed]…”
Reference Reviews
“…both novice and expert researchers will be able to make good use of the tools it provides…will be enormously helpful to students seeking topics for research…A well-conceived and well-designed geographical reference, World Geography and Culture Online is strongly recommended…”