Research Guides: Modern Languages: Spanish, French and Italian Resources: Spanish-Speaking Countries

About This Guide

This guide will help you locate resources related to Spanish-speaking countries.

Countries and Their Cultures by Melvin Ember (Editor); Carol R. Ember (Editor)
Call Number: REF GN307 .C68 2001
ISBN: 0028649508
Publication Date: 2001-05-23
This four-volume encyclopedia, located in the Jennings Library reference collection, provides 10-20 page summaries on the geography, history, demography, languages, food, economy, etiquette, politics, family, religion, and arts and humanities of approximately 200 countries.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life by Timothy L. Gall (Editor)
Call Number: REF GN333 .W67 1998
ISBN: 0787605522
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
The Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life covers cultural groups in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America by Judy Galens (Editor); Robyn V. Young (Editor)
ISBN: 0810391635
Publication Date: 1995-09-01

Check out these recommended websites to get started:

EUROPA - Member countries of the European Union
This page on the official website of the European Union (EU) lists key facts about all the member countries of the EU and provides links for additional information about each country.
Library of Congress - Country Profiles
The Country Profiles series, published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, provides brief summaries of the history, geography, society, economy, government and politics of several countries throughout the world.

World Factbook This link opens in a new window
Information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities published by the CIA.

U.S. Department of State - Country Fact Sheets
The U.S. Department of State website provides fact sheets for each country in the world, as well as country-specific travel information and links to other valuable resources.

World Geography and Culture This link opens in a new window
Study all aspects of a country, with facts at a glance and in-depth coverage through country entries, maps, flags, images, statistics, news articles, a gazetteer, and more.

Check out these tips when deciding to use an online source. Always be skeptical.

Authority: Who is responsible for creating the web page? Is there a publisher or sponsor of the web page? Can you find information about the author and publisher?
Audience: Who is this web site created for? Is the content geared towards an age group or population group?
Accuracy: How does the information compare to other sources?
Content: What is the content of the web site: images, articles, a blog? The type of domain (.edu, .gov, .org) may provide some clues about the information. Can you detect a bias? Are there cited references?
Currency: How recent is the web site? Is there information on when it was last updated?