handbook

Fast Facts:
Almanacs/Factbooks/Statistical Reports
& Related Reference Tools
An Acquisition Resource

Compiled by:
Gary Price, MLIS
gprice@gwu.edu
George Washington University
Washington DC and Ashburn VA

Welcome. We hope you find this compilation useful in your web-based research. By NO stretch of the imagination is this resource intended to be a comprehensive tool but rather a guide to find "fast facts" like those you find in an almanac or statistical abstract.

In some cases more current data may be available elsewhere "on or via" the web. However, this compilation of resources can often assist in helping you access them. While some of the "annual" or "state of..." reports are lengthy, they often contain a chapter or section of useful overview material and statistics.

We have also included links to several excellent comprehensive resources at the bottom of the page that may be of value.

Make sure to use the Edit/Find menu or "Control F" to FIND keywords on this page.

Finally, this compilation can also serve as an acquistion guide to resources. New material is added several times a week. SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!

New to the Compilation

New
Freedom of Religion or Belief--Country Reports
Make sure to look at the many additional resources available via this Oslo Coalition site.
National Geographic Society Fact Guide
"...online briefing book on classic National Geographic topics."
Notable Presidential Pardons
Additional Presidential Pardon Resources
UNESCO - Facts and Figures 2000
New Online - Statistical Abstract of the United States (2000 ed.)
Just Made Available - International Energy Annual (1999 ed.)
Comprehensive list of Dot-Com Layoffs and Shutdowns (WSJ)
Addtional Layoff Database (The Industry Standard)
Related Databases
The Ex Exec Tracker (Internet Companies)
Flop Tracker (Internet Companies)
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Fact Sheets
Soft Drink Companies and Their Brands (NSDA)
Food Retailing and Supermarket Industry Key Facts (FMI)
Uncle Sam - Who's Who in the Federal (U.S.) Government
Today in Chase's (Events & Birthdays)
National Center for Health Statistics Fast Stats
(Canada) Natural Resources Fact Sheet
New

Very Fast Facts

U.S. Census Factfinder
(Resident Population and Apportionment Counts)
(Canada) Economy at a Glance ||| Economic Indicators
(EU) Key Indicators
(UK) Latest Economic Indicators ||| Recent Develpoments
U.S. Economic Statistics Briefing Room ||| U.S. Economy at a Glance
U.S. Social Statistics Briefing Room

Subject Guide

Agriculture
Alberta
Antarctica
Africa
Area Studies (Global)
Arkansas
Australia
Automotive
Aviation
Banking
Baseball
Belgium
Biology
British Columbia
Broadcasting
Business
CIA
California
Canada
Caribbean
Censorship
Chicago
Children
China
Colorado
Computers
Copyright
Consumer
Criminal Justice
DC Metro Area
Disaster Relief
Delaware
Defense
Development
Drugs
Earthquakes
Economic/Market Development
Economics
Education
Elections
Energy

Environment
European Union
FBI
FCC
Families
Financial Services
Forestry
General Accounting Office
Geology
Germany
HHS (Health/Human)
Hawaii
Health
Healthcare/Medicare
Holidays
Hong Kong
Humanitarian Relief
Human Rights
IMF
Idaho
Illinois
Immigration
Import /Export
Info Tech
Insurance
Intellectual Freedom
Int. Monetary Fund
International Trade
Investing
Iowa
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Juvenile Justice
Kansas
Labor/Employment
Labor Market
Latin America

Legal / Courts
Librarianship
Literacy
Literature
Louisiana
Marketing
Maryland
Mapping
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
NATO
National Endowment...Arts
National Parks
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
Newspapers
New York
Nonprofit / Foundations
North Carolina
North Dakota
Norway
OSCE
Ontario
Oregon
Patents/Trademarks
Pensions
Pennsylvania
Politics
Plastics
Quebec
Radio
Recalls
Reference
Refugees
Rhode Island

Safety
Saskatchewan
Singapore
Science
Securities
Small Business
Social Security Admin.
South Carolina
Space
Sports
Stock Markets
Saudi Arabia
Switzerland
Tax
Telecommunication
Television
Tennessee
Terrorism
Texas
Transportation
Travel/Tourism
UNESCO
UNICEF
United Kingdom
United States
U.S. Congress
U.S. Geo Survey
U.S. Postal Service
U.S. State and Local
Venture Capital
U.S. Vet. Admin.
Veterinary Medicine
Virgin Islands
Washington
Washington D.C.
Weather
Wisconsin
World Population
Wyoming
Zoology / Wildlife

Additional HELPFUL RESOURCES

Agriculture
(Canada) Agriculture in Canada Fact Sheets
||| Canada Ag. Industry Profiles
Agriculture Factbook (USDA)
2000 ||| 1999 ||| 1998 ||| 1997 ||| 1996
Florida Agricultural Factbook-1999
State Fact Sheets (USDA)

Antarctica
Basic Antarctica Statistics (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research)

Africa
Africa Factbook (U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Alberta
About Alberta

Area/Country Codes
Canadian Area Code Map
International City and Country Codes (AT&T)
U.S. Area Codes (NANPA)
U.S. Area Code Map (.pdf) ||| Area Code Map (online)

Area Studies (Global)
CIA World Factbook 2000 ||| Bartleby Ed. of Factbook 2000
UN Global Trends Report

Background Notes (U.S. Dept. of State)
Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments (CIA)
Country Profiles (Australian Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Country Profiles (World Bank)
Country Studies/Area Handbooks (LC)
Global Urban Indicators Database (UN)
Independent States in the World (US DOS)
International Research Institute Factbook
"Researchers interested in international projects will find the Iris Factbook to be a valuable source of basic International data. Check
here for basic information on socioeconomics and commercial activity in the Iris countries."
Parline (Basic Info on Government Bodies Worldwide (IPU)
Social Indicators (UN)
World International Land Boundaries (International Boudary Research Unit)

Arkansas
All About Arkansas

A Brief History of Arkansas
ARkan-SAW or Ar-KANSAS?
Arkansas Resources
Facts About Arkansas
Notable Arkansans

Australia
About Australia
Australia in Brief
Australia Now (Bureau of Statistics)

Automotive
(Japan) Auto Industry Data (JAMA)
National Auto Dealers Association Databook

Avalanche
see also Additional Avalanche Facts
Avalanche Myths
US & World Avalanche Stats (CAIC) ||| Additional Stats (1999)

Aviation
see also Transportation
Airline Handbook (Air Transport Association, U.S.)
Airline Statistics (Air Transport Association, U.S.)
||| (Regional Airline Statistics)
FAA Administrator's Fact Book |||Aviation Safety Statistical Handbook (FAA)
Business Aviation Factbook (NBAA)
Current Market Outlook, Commercial Airplanes - 2000 (Boeing)
General Aviation Statistical Databook
Global Market Forecast (Airbus)
Reference Guide (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association)
World Air Cargo Forecast (Boeing)

Awards
see list of Award Winner Databases (via direct search)

Baseball
Historical Player Statistics (Back to 1871)
Major League Baseball Official Rules
Baseball Abbreviations
Baseball Award Listings

Hall of Fame Facts
||| Additional Hall of Fame Facts
Member Bios
Member Lists
More Facts

More Historical Baseball Facts

Belgium
All About Belgium
Belgium in Figures

Biology
Fact Sheets (USGS)
Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources (USGS)

British Columbia
B.C. Facts
B.C. Media Guide

Broadcasting
About CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting)
||| Public Broadcasting Directory
(Japan) NHK Data

BACK TO THE TOP

Business
Doing Business Around the World

CIA
Factbook on Intelligence

California
California Air Quality and Emissions Almanac
Directory of California Local Area Wages
Labor Market County Snapshots
Location Handbook
Occupational Outlook Reports (California)
Statistical Abstract

Canada
Additional Canadian Material Can Be Accessed Under Many Headings
see also Statistics Canada
About Canada
Auditor General Reports
Canada at A Glance (Statistics Canada)
Canada in the 20th Century (Key Dates)
Canadian Encyclopedia Online
Facts on Canada
Geographical Facts
Historical Statistics of Canada
National Atlas of Canada
National Holidays
Statistical Profile of Canadian Communities

Chicago
Fact Book #1
||| Chicago Facts, Mayors, etc.

Children
see also UNICEF
see also Health
America's Children 2000
Children’s Environmental Health Yearbook (EPA)
State of the World's Children 2001 ||| 00 ||| 99 ||| 98 ||| 97 ||| 96

China
About China, China Briefing (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Colorado
Colorado By the Numbers (Stat Abstract)
Data Book (Office of Economic Development)
Economic and Demographic Information System

Computers / Information Technology
Computer Almanac: Numbers About Computers
Computer Industry Almanac (Limited Free Content)
Software Piracy Report (SIIA)

Consumer
see also Automotive Safety
(Canada) Consumer Information
Consumers Action Handbook (FCIC)
Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Consumer Products Safety Commission Annual Report
Federal Trade Commission Fact Sheets (150 Topics)

Criminal Justice
see addtional Criminial Justice Reports
(Australia) Crime - Facts And Figures: 1999 | 1998
(U.K.) International Comparisons of Criminal Justice Stats
(U.K.) Information on the Criminal Justice System
(U.K.) Prison Statistics England and Wales 1999
(World) World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems
(World) World Prison Population List ||| 1999
Quick Facts, Bureau of Prisons
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics (USSC) ||| 98 ||| 97 ||| 96
Uniform Crime Reports (FBI)

BACK TO THE TOP

DC Metro Area (Washington DC)
Area City and County Facts
Business Community Profile
Fairfax County, About ||| Fairfax County Business Fact Sheets
Greater Washington Regional Report 2000
Information Technology Almanac 2000
Washington DC Zoning Maps

Disaster Relief / Humanitarian Relief
see also Refugees
FEMA Fact Sheets
International Red Cross Operations by Country
International Services Fact Sheets (Red Cross)
Public Assistance Handbook (FEMA)
U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Fact Sheets (USAID)
World Food Programme Country Programmes ||| WFP Yellow Pages

Delaware
Statistical Databook

Defense
Annual Defense Report
Dept. of Defense Almanac
How To Get It: A Guide To Defense-Related Information Sources
Military District Washington: Fact Sheets
Military Statistics, DIOR Catalog (Directorate for Information Operations and Reports)
Air Force - Fact Sheets ||| Air Forces of the Americas Almanac
Air Force Technolgy Transfer Handbook ||| World War II Statistical Digest
||| Aerial Victory Credits
Army - Fact Sheets ||| Soldiers Almanac 2000 ||| 1999 ||| 1998
Army Historic Atlas ||| Army Procurement Factbook ||| Army Weapon Systems Factbook
Coast Guard ||| International Training Handbook ||| Vessel and Aircraft Data Sheets
||| Firsts, Lasts, and Record Setting Achievements ||| Historical Chronology ||| History Fact Sheets
Marines - Fact Sheets ||| Aircraft, Vehicles and Equipment Fact Files ||| Marine History Facts
Navy - Fact Files ||| Almanac of Seapower 2000 ||| 1999
||| U.S. Naval History Fact Sheets ||| Navy Wars and Conflicts Fact Sheets

Denmark
Statistical Yearbook

Development
(Asia) Key Indicators of Developing Asian and Pacific Countries (Asian Development Bank)
World Development Indicators (abridged)
World Development Reports

Drugs
CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) Handbook (FDA)
Orange Book - Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (FDA)
additional drug approval data
(Canada) Drug Product Database
RxList

Earthquakes
FEMA Fact Sheet
Largest Earthquakes in the U.S.

Earthquake Search
From the National Earthquake Information Center.
Access earthquake information from throughout history.
(Canada) National Earthquake Database

Earthquake Glossary (USGS)
Earthquake FAQ (USGS)

Additional USGS Quake Resources
National Earthquake Information Center

Economic / Market Development
see also Individual Countries, Cities & States
(Canada) Country Profiles (Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade)
*Material from Standard & Poor's DRI
(Canada) Market Reports (DFAIT)
(Canada) Market Reports (EDC)
(Latin America) Latin America Economic Assesment Reports
U.S. Country Commercial Guides (1996-2001)|||Guides in HTML Format