'The fact that so much information can be crammed into one volume is a testament to the care and research involved.' - The Diplomat 'The most comprehensive guide to world political and economic affairs' - Robert Thomson, Publisher, Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal 'the most convenient and reliable starting point for information on International affairs. Its coverage is unparalleled for a one-volume resource, and it has never let me down' - George J. Mitchell, American special envoy to the Middle East 'A miracle of compression: the key facts about the entire world crisply collated in [its] tightly edited pages. It is an essential desktop guide for anyone who needs to think, write or talk about the nature and future of our unimaginably odd and constantly surprising planet' - Godfrey Smith, The Sunday Times 'All you need to know about the population of various states and countries, officials, exports, constitutions, governments, diplomatic representatives, religion, finance and basic histories' - The New York Times 'full of invaluable material about every country in the world. For someone like me who spends much of my time travelling, it is an invaluable treasure trove. I would warmly recommend it to other readers' - The Right Honourable Christopher F. Patten, CH, Chancellor of Oxford University 'should be in every office which is concerned with world trade and, indeed, in every school which produces the future traders. It is an essential tool of all global thinking' - Geographical Magazine Bestselling Reference title - 'Originally designed for statesmen but now used by anyone needing information on the politics, cultures, and economies of the world, this yearbook is one of the longest-running annual publications in history' - library Journal 'The information this book contains renders it indispensible' - The New York Times, 1874 'Although the World Almanac and CIA World Factbook serve as excellent sources for country information, this remains the preeminent and most comprehensive ready-reference source for current material about countries worldwide. Highly recommended.-Donald Altschiller, Boston Univ. Lib.