Encyclopedias and other reference works are great sources for learning more about the historical and cultural context in which languages exist. Scholarly books, journal articles and magazines may also offer some context for key endangered languages. Search the library for books and articles, or select a specific database below.
Find historical information and more from over 600 encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and quotations books, as well as images, audio files and videos. TIP: Search for language name, ethnic group, or country name, as well as historical events or individuals. Use the filters to narrow your results by Subject and Length.
Find country reports and country outlooks from countries around the world. Explore "spoken languages by country", "the most spoken languages of the world", and more. Access data from over 18,000 sources including a few reports from Ethnologue.com.
Public websites can be an excellent source of country information. In addition to the links below, look for information from government websites, interest groups, tourism agencies, and more. Keep in mind, credibility varies. See Evaluating Websites for tips.
Provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.