International Business Information: How to Find it, How to Use It

Countries and Their Cultures

The Encyclopedia of the Peoples of the World

Encyclopedia of World Cultures

Europa World Year Book

Modern China: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism

People's of the World: Asians and Pacific Islanders: The Culture, Geographical Setting, and Historical Background of 41 Asian and Pacific Island Peoples /

The Statesman's Year-book

Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations

All the Worlds Maps http://www.embassyworld.com/maps/maps.html

Background Notes: United States Department of State

China Business Information Center http://www.export.gov/china/index.asp

***Country Study: China http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cntoc.html

Cultural Profiles Project http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/

ELDIS http://www.eldis.org/

Type in the search box Peoples Republic of China.

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America Useful Links http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/lj/t36322.htm

EXPORT.GOV http://www.export.gov/marketresearch.html#MarketResearch(Non-Agricultural)

Federation of International Trade Associations http://fita.org/countries/china.html

Includes general intformation, market access, economic indicators, market research, country risk, doing business, taxes, accounting, labor market, useful links, etc.

GlobalEDGE http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp

Great site.  Links to Country Commercial Guides.  Lots of information.  Free registration.

Global Gateway: World Cultures and Resources http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html

Librarian's Index to the Internet http://www.lii.org

Search for China by typing China or the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/china/index.html

Portals of the World http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

TradePort http://www.tradeport.org/countries/

TradePort is owned by the Bay Area Economic Forum and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and managed by the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA).

U.S.-China Trade: Eliminating Nonmarket Economy Methodology Would Lower Antidumping Duties for Some Chinese Companies http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06231.pdf

World Bank: Countries and Regions http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/0,,pagePK:180619~theSitePK:136917,00.html

World Fact Book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

World Newspapers http://www.world-newspapers.com/

Internet Public Library: Newspapers http://www.ipl.org/div/news/

OnlineNewspapers www.onlinenewspapers.com

Statistical Sites on the World Wide Web http://www.bls.gov/bls/other.htm

GlobalEdge Research: Statistical Data Sources http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/GR_StatisticalDataSources.asp

National Bureau of Statistics in China http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/index.htm

English site for the official statistics in China.

Statistical Abstract of the United States 125th. Edition, National Data Book, 2006 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html

Primary U.S. information, but some international.  Use the index first to find the subject area you are looking for.  The numbers in the index refer to CHART numbers NOT PAGE numbers.  When you have found the chart, look at the bottom of the chart.  That tells you where the information came from.  If the information is available on the internet, the url is given.  If there is no url try searching for the source on www.google.com  using quotations marks around the name.

World in Figures http://tilastokeskus.fi/tup/maanum/index_en.html

The World in Figures table package contains 28 Excel tables of country-specific structural data on all the countries of the world. The number of countries is 241 and themes 260. The data can be found easily by means of a separate index.

With the exception of the first geographical table and the table of major cities, the basic structure is the same in all tables. The countries are given in Finnish alphabetical order by row and the themes by column. The last rows of the table provide sum data on EU countries and the whole world.

The World in Figures table package tries in its part to meet the growing demand for international data from Statistics Finland. The table package serves at its fullest Finnish-speaking users. As the data are global, it can also be utilised internationally. With this in mind, all the themes and the names of the countries are also available in English in each table.  (HINT  China is Kiina in Finnish, the english names of countries are in the second column)

Stat-USA

Stat-USA is only available in the library

Human Development Report 2005: International Development at the Crossroads: Aid, Trade, and Security in an Unequal World

"This year's Human Development Report takes stock of human development, including progress towards the MDGs. Looking beyond statistics, it highlights the human costs of missed targets and broken promises. Extreme inequality between countries and within countries is identified as one of the main barriers to human development'and as a powerful brake on accelerated progress towards the MDGs." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports)

Human Development Report 2004 Cultural Liberty in Today's Diverse World

"Accommodating people’s growing demands for their inclusion in society, for respect of their ethnicity, religion, and language, takes more than democracy and equitable growth. Also needed are multicultural policies that recognize differences, champion diversity and promote cultural freedoms, so that all people can choose to speak their language, practice their religion, and participate in shaping their culture—so that all people can choose to be who they are." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/view_reports.cfm?type=1)

Human Development Report 2003: Millennium Development Goals: A Compact Among Nations to End Human Poverty

"Range of human development in the world is vast and uneven, with astounding progress in some areas amidst stagnation and dismal decline in others. Balance and stability in the world will require the commitment of all nations, rich and poor, and a global development compact to extend the wealth of possibilities to all people." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/view_reports.cfm?type=1)

Human Development Report 2002: Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World

"Politics matter for human development. Reducing poverty depends as much on whether poor people have political power as on their opportunities for economic progress. Democracy has proven to be the system of governance most capable of mediating and preventing conflict and of securing and sustaining well-being. By expanding people's choices about how and by whom they are governed, democracy brings principles of participation and accountability to the process of human development." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/view_reports.cfm?type=1)

Human Development Report 2001: Making New Technologies Work for Human Development

"Technology networks are transforming the traditional map of development, expanding people's horizons and creating the potential to realize in a decade progress that required generations in the past." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/view_reports.cfm?type=1)

Human Development Report 2000: Human Rights and Human Development

"Human rights and human development share a common vision and a common purpose—to secure, for every human being, freedom, well-being and dignity. Divided by the cold war, the rights agenda and development agenda followed parallel tracks. Now converging, their distinct strategies and traditions can bring new strength to the struggle for human freedom. Human Development Report 2000 looks at human rights as an intrinsic part of development—and at development as a means to realizing human rights. It shows how human rights bring principles of accountability and social justice to the process of human development." "Achieving rights for all people in all countries will require action and commitment from the major players in society. Tracing the struggle for human rights as common to all people, the Report concludes that the advances in the 21st century will be won by confronting entrenched economic and political interests." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2000/en/)

Human Development Report 1999: Globalization with a Human Face

"Global markets, global technology, global ideas and global solidarity can enrich the lives of people everywhere. The challenge is to ensure that the benefits are shared equitably and that this increasing interdependence works for people—not just for profits. This year’s Report argues that globalization is not new, but that the present era of globalization, driven by competitive global markets, is outpacing the governance of markets and the repercussions on people.Characterized by “shrinking space, shrinking time and disappearing borders”, globalization has swung open the door to opportunities. Breakthroughs in communications technologies and biotechnology, if directed for the needs of people, can bring advances for all of humankind. But markets can go too far and squeeze the non-market activities so vital for human development. Fiscal squeezes are constraining the provision of social services. A time squeeze is reducing the supply and quality of caring labour. And an incentive squeeze is harming the environment. Globalization is also increasing human insecurity as the spread of global crime, disease and financial volatility outpaces actions to tackle them." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1999/en/)

Human Development Report 1998: Consumption for Human Development

"The high levels of consumption and production in the world today, the power and potential of technology and information, present great opportunities. After a century of vast material expansion, will leaders and people have the vision to seek and achieve more equitable and more human advance in the 21st century?" (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1998/en/)

Human Development Reports 1997: Human Development to Eradicate Poverty

"Eradicating poverty everywhere is more than a moral imperative -it is a practical possibility. That is the most important message of the Human Development Report 1997. The world has the resources and the know-how to create a poverty-free world in less than a generation." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1998/en/)

Human Development Report 1996: Economic Growth and Human Development

"The Report argues that economic growth, if not properly managed, can be jobless, voiceless, ruthless, rootless and futureless, and thus detrimental to human development. The quality of growth is therefore as important as its quantity for poverty reduction, human development and sustainability." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/view_reports.cfm?type=1)

Human Development Report 1995: Gender and Human Development

"Human Development, If not engendered, is endangered. That is the simple but far- reaching message of Human Development Report 1995." "The Report analyses the progress made in reducing gender disparities in the past few decades, highlights the wide and persistent gap between women's expanding capabilities and limited opportunities, introduces two new measures for ranking countries on a global scale by their performance in gender equality, analyses the under- valuation and non-recognition of women's work and offers a five-point strategy for equalising gender opportunities in the decade ahead." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1995/en/)

Human Development Report 1994: New Dimensions on Human Security

"The Report introduces a new concept of human security, which equates security with people rather than territories, with development rather than arms. It examines both the national and the global concerns of human security." "The Report seeks to deal with these concerns through a new paradigm of sustainable human development, capturing the potential peace dividend, a new form of development co-operation and a restructured system of global institutions." "It proposes that the World Summit for Social Development approve a world social charter, endorse a sustainable human development paradigm, create a global human security fund by capturing the future peace dividend, approve a 20/20 compact for human priority concerns, recommend global taxes for resource mobilisation and establish an Economic Security Council." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1994/en/)

Human Development Report 1993: People's Participation

"The Report examines how and how much people participate in the events and processes that shape their lives." "It looks at three major means of peoples' participation: people-friendly markets, decentralised governance and community organisations, especially non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and suggests concrete policy measures to address the growing problems of jobless growth." "The Report concludes that five pillars of a people centered world order must be built: New concepts of human security, New strategies for sustainable human development, New partnerships between state and markets, New patterns of national and global governance and New forms of international cooperation." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1993/en/)

Human Development Report 1992: Global Dimensions on Human Development

"The richest 20% of the population now receives 150 times the income of the poorest 20%. The Report suggests a two-pronged strategy to get out of this dilemma. First, making massive investments in their people and strengthening national technological capacity can enable some developing countries to acquire a strong competitive edge in international markets (witness the East Asian industrialising tigers). Second there should be basic international reforms, including restructuring the Bretton Woods institutions, setting up setting up a Development Security council within the United Nations, and convening a World Summit on Social Development to consider a global compact for all nations and all people." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1992/en/)

Human Development Report 1991: Financing Human Development

"The lack of political commitment, not of financial resources, is often the real cause of human neglect. This is the main conclusion of Human Development Report 1991- the second in a series of annual reports on the subject. The Report points to an enormous potential for restructuring of both national budgets and international aid allocations in favour of human development. But the plea for greater allocative efficiency and more effective spending does not mean indifference to the need for economic growth, or for increased resource mobilisation. On the contrary. The Report's position is that a more efficient and effective public sector will help strengthen the private role in human development. And the best argument for additional resources is that the existing funds are well spent." (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1991/en/)

Human Development Report 1990: Concept and Measurement of Human Development

"The Report addresses, as its main issue , the question of how economic growth translates - or fails to translate - into human development. The focus is on people and on how development enlarges their choices." "The Report discusses the meaning and measurement of human development, proposing a new composite index. But its overall orientation is practical and pragmatic." "It summarises the record of human development over the past three decades, and it analyses the experience of 14 countries in managing economic growth in the interest of the broadest possible number of people." With this as its foundation, the Report then sets forth strategies for human development in the 1990s, emphasising the importance of restructuring budgetary expenditures, including military expenditures, and creating an international economic and financial environment conducive to human development. (from http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/1990/en/)

World Development Report 2005: A Better Investment Climate for Everyone

"A Better Investment Climate for Everyone, the World Bank’s annual World Development Report for 2005, was launched on September 28, 2004. The Report focuses on what governments can do to improve the investment climates of their societies to increase growth and reduce poverty." (from www.worldbank.org)

World Development Report 2004: Making Services Work For Poor People

"The World Development Report 2004 was launched in September 2003. The Report investigates how countries can accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by making services work for poor people." (from www.worldbank.org)

World Investment Report 2005 http://www.unctad.org/Templates/WebFlyer.asp?intItemID=3489&lang=1

World Investment Report 2005 (WIR05) presents the latest trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) and explores the internationalization of research and development by transnational corporations (TNCs) along with the development implications of this phenomenon.

Part One highlights recent global and regional trends in FDI and international production by TNCs. Global FDI flows resumed growth in 2004, but inflows continued to decline in developed countries. This Part documents the fact that developing regions are leading the recovery in FDI flows. It also documents different trends and patterns between developed and developing countries as regards the financing component of FDI (equity investment, reinvested earnings, intra-company loans) as well as the modes of investment (mergers and acquisitions, greenfield FDI).

Part Two assesses the implications of the recent surge in R&D internationalization by TNCs. R&D activities at growing levels of complexity are increasingly being established in selected developing countries. In contrast to past experience, this R&D often goes beyond local market adaptation and involves highly complex activities targeted on global markets. The Report discusses the driving forces behind this trend and considers how host as well as home countries are affected. Finally, the Report analyses the need for active government policies to enhance development benefits from TNCs´ internationalization of R&D. The Report underlines the importance of coherent policies in order to create an environment conducive to fruitful interaction between the R&D activities of TNCs and those of domestic firms and institutions. A final chapter outlines the role of international agreements in this area.

A substantial Statistical Annex is also included, with data on FDI flows and stock for more than 200 economies.