Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and General Histories
Encyclopedias and other reference works provide background information and overviews of topics. Typically they summarize what is known in the field and can be a good starting point for research. For information about specific countries also see the section below on Country Information.
"The most authoritative research and scholarly reference set on the African experience. Covers prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business, religion, ethnic groups, organizations and countries on both sides of the Atlantic."
This 4-vol. set covers covers the peoples, cultures, and complex history of the Africa regions south of the Sahara. The articles describe such topics as archaeology family and kinship; government; politics and law; and African arts; cultures; and languages.
Africa is a vast continent, home to many millions of people. Its history stretches back millennia and encompasses some of the most ancient civilizations in the world. Modern Africa boasts a rich cultural heritage, the legacy of many diverse influences from all around the world, reflecting the central role African plays in world history.
A comprehensive encyclopedia on African history with a broad cultural and geographic sweep. Covers African history from ancient times to the modern day. Spans the immense scope of African history, geography, art, cultures, peoples, personalities, and wildlife.
This reference work on African literature covers all the key historical and cultural issues in the field. Covers criticism and theory and African literature's development as a field of scholarship.
The Encyclopedia of African Nations and Civilizations covers the major historic civilizations and the fifty-two nations of Africa in an accessible A-to-Z format. Each nation's entry narrates the history of the region from the early development of its peoples to the present-day situation.
This handy resource is divided into four major sections: "Peoples of Africa," "Culture and History," "Nations," and "Biographies." "Peoples of Africa" covers more than 1000 peoples while describing 200 major ethnic groups such as the Hausa, Maasai, and Zulu in greater detail. The "Culture and History" section features the pictorial histories, ethnic distributions, and chronologies of North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. "Nations" covers countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe, which are described in terms of population, geography, economy, and recent historical events. More than 300 noted Africans from antiquity (Hannibal) to the present (Nelson Mandela) are included in the "Biographies" section.
"Working around circumstances reflecting the typical environmental hurdles, communication breakdowns, and sometimes difficult access experienced in remote areas, researcher and scientist Joseph Vogel has brought together, over a period of four years, a solid body of current learning on precolonial Africa. Organized in the form of essays 2 to 10 pages long, contributed by more than 80 experts from around the world, material is grouped into two major areas. The first sections contain background information covering environmental conditions, archaeological and anthropological research, and the development of technologies such as metalworking. The later sections describe how, over time, the diverse populations of this huge continent have developed and adapted to their surroundings and circumstances."
current political and economic risk analysis for countries worldwide
Country Reports on 106 countries. Gives political and economic risk analysis. Each Country Report focuses specifically on political and business information: finding developing markets, determining currency movements, preparing for capital investments, or making judgments about corporate security. Note: the tabs International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) and Political Risk Services (PRS) provide access to information regarding methodology, but do not provide access to the actual products. Access to the CountryData and the Political Risk Yearbook are available through the University Libraries A-Z list.
Short overviews of the government and politics of various countries. Prepared for U.S. Department of State personnel on diplomatic missions. Formerly called Background Notes,