Countries of the world

General websites

There are a number of websites giving basic facts and more detailed information. Often you will find it presented in different formats, some of which will allow for comparisons.

Countries of the World - Infoplease

An online encyclopedia and homework site, this is a good starting point for all sorts of questions about countries. It has the advantage of setting out the information in a similar layout for each country and includes a list of dependencies (countries controlled by another country).

• You might like to start by looking at the Country Map Index.

• There are also some useful links to other information such as World Capitals and World religions.

• Or choose a country of interest eg Ethiopia.

• Look out for information on when the page was last updated.

Tips: Some websites have advertisements (or ads) which ask us to buy something or tell us to ‘click here’. It’s best to ignore these ads and focus on the information we’re looking for.

National Geographic

National Geographic is known worldwide for its illustrated magazine and the website has a good range of images and videos for many countries.

• Enter a country name in the search box eg Fiji.

• From the results you select the tab Photography from which you can choose links to view photos and pictures.

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade interacts with other governments on behalf of the New Zealand Government.

• Select the Countries & regions tab.

• You can select a region and then a country to find out about New Zealand's relationship with them and trade statistics.

Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

EPIC resources

EPIC is a collection of reliable resources covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

Britannica School Middle

This encyclopedia has entries for each country follow a standard format with headings for Geography, People, Culture, Economy and History; there is also a brief country profile giving a range of basic facts.

• Enter your country name in the search box eg South Korea.

• You can change the information to an easier or more advanced level by using the article reading level, found at the top of the article.

• Or from the homepage look for Compare Countries and Territories to compare statistics for two countries.

High School (Gale In Context)

This is another EPIC resource with lots of information about different countries.

• From the homepage select Geography.

• This will bring up all the topic pages about different countries and states in the United States.

• Choose a country eg Peru.

• You'll find some quick facts at the top of the page. Or look for the More about section for reference articles, videos ,news, images, and more.

• You can also search for a country name.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Books

Your school library and local public library will have a variety of almanacs and fact books. Here are some suggested titles for you to check:

• Big picture atlas by Emily Bone

• The World: fascinating facts published by Collins

• The world almanac and book of facts 2019 by Sarah Janssen

• Hey there, Earth dweller! : dive into this world we call Earth by Marc ter Horst.

Some publishers have also produced a series of children's books on different countries and you may like to ask about the availability of these. These usually follow a similar format and layout allowing for easy comparisons.

SCIS no: 1832659