Current Editions - The Background Notes listed below are the most recently published versions.
Previous editions are available in our archive section.
Background Notes include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty. The Background Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus.
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Afghanistan (2011-11-28)
Albania (2011-08-30)
Algeria (2012-01-23)
Andorra (2011-09-12)
Angola (2011-10-13)
Antigua and Barbuda (2011-08-12)
Argentina (2011-07-22)
Armenia (2011-08-19)
Aruba (2010-05-11)
Australia (2012-01-25)
Austria (2011-12-09)
Azerbaijan (2011-06-17)
Bahamas, The (2012-01-25)
Bahrain (2012-01-13)
Bangladesh (2010-05-24)
Barbados (2011-11-02)
Belarus (2012-01-27)
Belgium (2011-11-18)
Belize (2011-11-30)
Benin (2011-11-10)
Bermuda (2011-12-09)
Bhutan (2010-02-02)
Bolivia (2011-08-01)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (2011-08-03)
Botswana (2011-11-17)
Brazil (2011-11-30)
Brunei (2011-10-28)
Bulgaria (2012-01-27)
Burkina Faso (2011-10-31)
Burma (2011-08-03)
Burundi (2011-12-01)
Cambodia (2011-08-10)
Cameroon (2012-01-01)
Canada (2011-12-22)
Cape Verde (2012-01-11)
Cayman Islands (2011-08-25)
Central African Republic (2012-01-06)
Chad (2012-01-06)
Chile (2011-12-16)
China (2011-09-06)
Colombia (2011-07-13)
Comoros (2012-01-19)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2011-09-30)
Congo, Republic of the (2012-01-03)
Costa Rica (2011-09-14)
Cote d'Ivoire (2011-10-27)
Croatia (2011-04-06)
Cuba (2011-11-07)
Curacao (2011-04-15)
Cyprus (2011-10-31)
Czech Republic (2011-08-19)
Denmark (2011-11-02)
Djibouti (2011-10-02)
Dominica (2011-08-12)
Dominican Republic (2011-08-10)
Ecuador (2011-06-08)
Egypt (2012-01-17)
El Salvador (2012-02-02)
Equatorial Guinea (2012-01-01)
Eritrea (2012-01-20)
Estonia (2011-06-21)
Ethiopia (2011-11-10)
Fiji (2011-07-08)
Finland (2011-06-22)
France (2011-05-27)
Gabon (2011-10-24)
Gambia, The (2011-11-15)
Georgia (2011-09-02)
Germany (2011-07-01)
Ghana (2011-12-21)
Greece (2011-12-09)
Grenada (2011-08-12)
Guatemala (2012-01-19)
Guinea (2011-11-04)
Guinea-Bissau (2012-01-20)
Guyana (2011-04-04)
Haiti (2011-10-19)
Holy See (2011-03-08)
Honduras (2011-09-12)
Hong Kong (2011-10-11)
Hungary (2012-01-30)
Iceland (2011-11-08)
India (2011-11-08)
Indonesia (2012-01-20)
Iran (2012-02-01)
Iraq (2011-05-02)
Ireland (2011-11-16)
Israel (2011-12-01)
Italy (2012-01-28)
Jamaica (2012-01-17)
Japan (2011-08-23)
Jordan (2011-12-30)
Kazakhstan (2009-04-20)
Kenya (2012-01-11)
Kiribati (2011-08-31)
Kosovo (2012-01-11)
Kuwait (2011-12-27)
Kyrgyzstan (2011-08-18)
Laos (2012-01-19)
Latvia (2011-11-18)
Lebanon (2011-12-01)
Lesotho (2011-09-01)
Liberia (2011-11-22)
Libya (2011-07-07)
Liechtenstein (2011-05-31)
Lithuania (2011-11-18)
Luxembourg (2011-09-08)
Macau (2011-10-11)
Macedonia (2011-11-09)
Madagascar (2012-01-19)
Malawi (2011-09-28)
Malaysia (2011-08-03)
Maldives (2011-04-07)
Mali (2012-01-03)
Malta (2011-08-24)
Marshall Islands (2011-08-19)
Mauritania (2011-09-01)
Mauritius (2012-01-19)
Mexico (2011-11-16)
Micronesia (2011-10-31)
Moldova (2011-07-01)
Monaco (2011-11-16)
Mongolia (2012-01-06)
Montenegro (2011-08-26)
Morocco (2011-04-20)
Mozambique (2011-11-04)
Namibia (2011-12-08)
Nauru (2011-08-31)
Nepal (2010-12-20)
Netherlands (2011-08-09)
New Zealand (2011-08-19)
Nicaragua (2011-08-01)
Niger (2011-10-31)
Nigeria (2011-10-20)
North Korea (2011-10-31)
Norway (2011-07-18)
Oman (2012-01-05)
Pakistan (2010-10-06)
Palau (2011-05-12)
Panama (2011-08-16)
Papua New Guinea (2011-08-10)
Paraguay (2011-07-06)
Peru (2012-01-03)
Philippines (2012-01-17)
Poland (2011-08-30)
Portugal (2012-01-04)
Qatar (2012-01-19)
Romania (2011-10-31)
Russia (2011-11-02)
Rwanda (2011-11-30)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (2011-08-12)
Saint Lucia (2011-12-16)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2011-08-12)
Samoa (2012-02-01)
San Marino (2011-06-13)
Sao Tome and Principe (2012-01-19)
Saudi Arabia (2011-12-30)
Senegal (2012-01-13)
Serbia (2011-10-31)
Seychelles (2012-01-20)
Sierra Leone (2012-01-12)
Singapore (2011-12-02)
Slovakia (2011-08-24)
Slovenia (2011-12-09)
Solomon Islands (2011-11-29)
Somalia (2012-01-20)
South Africa (2012-01-30)
South Korea (2011-07-07)
South Sudan (2011-12-22)
Spain (2012-01-05)
Sri Lanka (2011-04-06)
Sudan (2012-01-10)
Suriname (2011-06-13)
Swaziland (2011-11-16)
Sweden (2011-07-19)
Switzerland (2011-07-01)
Syria (2012-01-26)
Taiwan (2011-07-07)
Tajikistan (2012-01-24)
Tanzania (2011-12-16)
Thailand (2012-01-03)
Timor-Leste (2011-10-11)
Togo (2011-10-31)
Tonga (2011-10-31)
Trinidad and Tobago (2011-12-16)
Tunisia (2011-09-22)
Turkey (2011-12-09)
Turkmenistan (2012-01-23)
Tuvalu (2011-10-31)
Uganda (2011-10-21)
Ukraine (2012-01-04)
United Arab Emirates (2011-12-29)
United Kingdom (2011-07-19)
Uruguay (2011-06-23)
Uzbekistan (2011-06-20)
Vanuatu (2011-11-29)
Venezuela (2011-09-02)
Vietnam (2012-01-05)
Yemen (2012-01-18)
Zambia (2011-10-17)
Zimbabwe (2011-10-14)
