Book Description
CountryWatch.com's Country Reviews are concise, up-to-date sources for socio-cultural, political, economic, enterprise and environmental information on the 191 nations defined by the U.S. State Department as Independent States of the World. In addition, data on Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau are included in the Country Review for China. Each Country Review begins with an overview which provides key demographic and geographic information as well as full color regional and country maps by Magellan Geographix. Government and political information is provided in a format which enables the reader to get an overview of the historical and socio-cultural conditions, the organization of the various branches of the government, a brief summary of current political conditions, and a list of current leaders, including a biography of the head of government/state. Economic information, compiled and condensed from a large number of reliable sources, is presented in the Country Reviews in statistical tables on macroeconomic trends and key economic sectors. The economic data is organized in an easy-to-understand format. Foreign investment conditions are also covered along with a capsule description of stock market trends, for those countries where major stock markets exist, and a listing of key enterprises. Also included is a summary of current environmental issues, natural hazards, international environmental agreements, and for most countries, a table with time trends in greenhouse gas emissions.

From the Publisher
Comprehensive Global Information by CountryWatch.com For all of our Country Reviews, we at CountryWatch.com use the most current and dependable sources available, so that we can be satisfied that we are presenting a contemporaneous and accurate perspective on a given country. In this regard, our format uses the latest available annual economic data. As exemplified by our economic overviews, the sources used, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports, are published on annual basis, but as with all such reported macroeconomic activity, published figures and statistics generally trail behind a year. Moreover, this reflux of one-year is commonly characteristic of most reliable and legitimate published sources, and it is especially attributable to statistical data. Any other such information, such as the national flag, was current at the time of publication. In the publishing enterprise, information is in a state of constant flux and change. Consequently, we deal with the typical delayed "write-to print" time frame that all reputable publications encounter, and that are simply reflective of the publication process. Recognizing this reality, CountryWatch.com publishes all 191 Country Reviews twice annually, and so the material can be regularly updated. In addition, CountryWatch.com also has a trademarked, news service called the Country Wire which is available to all customers who purchase our Country Reviews. The CountryWire is an online, country-by-country news service that updates news daily for each country using top international news agencies including US and World News: United Press International Business in Asia: Asia Pulse, Daily News: Pan-African News Agency, Internet News Service: Xinhua (New China) News Agency, CANA News Bulletin: Caribbean News Agency, Interfax-American Daily Financial Report: Interfax-America, and World News Connection: National Technical Information Service. In this way, not only are hundreds of stories accessible for each country, thus providing daily current information to supplement the Country Reviews, but the wealth of international news agencies we use translates into truly global coverage for each country. Accordingly we at CountryWatch.com are confident that our combined products make us a unique, effective and accurate provider of global information, on a country-by-country basis, for all 191 countries in the world, recognized by the United States Department of State. N. Denise Youngblood Managing Director of Content Development - Dyoungblood@countrywatch.com