Country facts
Where can I find facts about the different countries in the world?
(Years 5-8)
Image: Flag Panorama at the UN-NY Office by Giorgi Abdaladze, Official Photographer of the Administration of the President of Georgia on Wikimedia Commons.
Entry last updated: 26/09/23
Introduction
There are many countries in the world and each country is unique with its own flag, national anthem, language, culture, climate, government and currency. Countries are defined by natural or manmade borders, so some like Bhutan are landlocked, and some like Aotearoa New Zealand are surrounded by the sea. Use this entry to explore information on countries around the globe.
General Websites
Here are some reliable websites that have facts, articles, photos and videos on different countries.
Britannica School is part of EPIC, a collection of databases put together for schools in Aotearoa. This online version of Encyclopaedia Britannica covers history, geography, social sciences, science, technology, and art.
Begin by selecting Middle.
Enter the name of a country into the search bar.
This will take you to a page where you can select articles, images and videos.
You can also adjust the reading level, save, print or share articles.
You can also look down the page for Compare Countries.
You can choose 2 countries to compare quick facts about them.
Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. You can leave out small words like ‘the’ and ‘of’ and just choose the main ones, eg Samoa. We can always change our keywords or add more if we need to.
This database from EPIC will lead you to information on animals, art, music, geography, health, science, sports and more.
Go to Geography, then select Countries and Territories.
Look down the page to find a country, for example Japan.
This page has quick facts, news articles, biographies and pictures of Japan.
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 between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
This page is from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) a popular international news channel. Although the information has not been updated, the links still work and will guide you to the history, politics, and economic background of different countries.
Go to any one of the continents Africa, America, Asia-Pasific, Europe, Middle East or South Asia.
Then use the drop-down menus to select a country like Sri Lanka or France.
The country profile includes a map, facts, photos and a timeline of historical events.
Tips: Some websites have .au, .nz, .uk or other codes in their url. This can tell you which country this website comes from eg .au is from Australia or .nz is from New Zealand. You can check the ‘About Us’ link on the website for more information.
Fact Monster is an online encyclopedia and homework site. It has lots of basic facts and is a good starting point for all sorts of questions.
Go to the tab called World, then select Countries.
Search for countries alphabetically.
Select the country you want to find out about, like Angola.
This will take you to a page where there is a map, a flag and lots of facts about the country.
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.
This website from the US government has lots of facts and data about each country. This includes political and physical maps and flags of the world.
Use the tab Countries to find an alphabetical list of countries around the world.
For example, go to C then select Canada.
Go down the page to look at photos, a map, and other information on the people, government, economy and more of the country.
Tips: A website’s address (URL) can give you a hint about how reliable it is. Look for addresses in the results that include .gov or .edu in the URL. These are quality sites from overseas government or educational organisations.
This world travel guide has been put together by a teacher and a team of young people. You will find interesting facts on a range of countries, including maps, important places, landmarks and travel tips.
Select a country from the Countries menu on the left of the page, like Australia.
There are lots of photos on each page and interesting facts about places in the country.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.
Books
Many books have been published about different countries. Here are a few you can look out for. Remember that you can limit your search by just looking for one country or area.
National Geographic Student World Atlas by National Geographic Society (U.S.).
Children's Picture Atlas by Julia Adams.
The Travel Book: a journey through every country in the World by Malcolm Croft and Maggie Li.
What You Need to Know Now: the world in facts, stats and graphics by Joe Fullman.
Countries of the world by Andrea Mills.
SCIS no: 5468567
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