Country Studies

Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations presents easy-to-understand information on countries and dependencies from around the world.

Updating the 1996 edition in light of many new developments (e.g., the failed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2000, September 11th, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan), this new edition presents some 3,000 entries covering topics in fields such as politics, history, economics, religion, sociol

This substantial expansion and reworking of the classic Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara (1997) covers the entire continent, from the Europe-facing shores of the Mediterranean to the commercial bustle of Cape Town. The set addresses the entire history of African cultures from the pharaohs and the ancient civilizations of the south through the colonial era to the emergence of 53 independent countries, some of them, like Nigeria, newly emergent in world commerce and others deep in conflict (Sudan, Liberia, Congo). The NEA treats todays African peoples not as the obscure other of a Dark Continent| but as actors on a world stage where issues of global development, the AIDS crisis, and international terrorism play out across a map of indigenous cultures functioning beneath an imperfect European overlay of |national states.| Articles in anthropology, geography, history, and cultural studies by an international team of more than 600 distinguished Africanists (including over 150 from Africa and the African Diaspora) present Africa - as seen by Africans themselves. Features hundreds of photographs, including five color inserts, plus maps, thematic outline, chronology, and appendix of ethnic and identity groups.

An in-depth, historical encyclopedia of Southeast Asia, with coverage from prehistoric times to the end of the 20th century for each country in the region. Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, From Angkor Wat to East Timor is the premier and authoritative reference work covering the history of the region, which consists of Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor. Organized in a user-friendly, A-Z format, with entries ranging from brief descriptions to expansive essays, this comprehensive, pioneering three-volume work covers archaeology and prehistory, politics and culture, socioeconomics, ethno-history, language, institutions and organizations, wars and conflicts, personalities, geography, religions and folklore, and environment. A list of the book's 130 contributors reads like a "who's who" of renowned Southeast Asianists, including Barbara Watson Andaya, David Chandler, John Gullick, V. T. King, Milton Osborne, Anthony Reid, Nicholas Tarling, Robert H. Taylor, Anthony Milner, Wang Gungwu, and many others. Writing for a nonspecialist audience, their work presents impeccable scholarship and incisive analysis in a style that is both informative and captivating. Over 800 A-Z entries covering a wide range of diverse historical topics from the Bataan Death March to the Ramayana Contributions from an international panel of over 130 scholars Illustrations, maps, and photographs that are informative, critical, and up to date A chronology, bibliography, and index complete the coverage

A comprehensive and revealing compilation of essays analyzing the varied dimensions of national identities and nationalisms across world regions and through time. The pervasiveness of nationalism, its many manifestations over the centuries, and the widely scattered way it has been studied make it a particularly difficult subject to approach and explore. ABC-CLIO offers the finest comprehensive reference available on an essential topic in modern world history. Across four volumes, Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview covers all aspects of nationalism, in all parts of the world, from the time of the French Revolution to the present day. Nations and Nationalism helps students, researchers, and other interested readers explore national identities and nationalistic movements in historical context. Organized chronologically, its four volumes combine thematic essays on different characteristics of nationalism with case studies of key historical developments involving specific nations at specific times. The encyclopedia focuses on Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, with featured coverage of nationalist cultural creations, including literature, music, symbols, and mythologies. Over 150 contributors--distinguished international scholars from a wide range of disciplines Over 100 country essays covering all major world regions from the origins of modern nationalism in the 18th century to the present Over 40 thematic essays that frame the country studies with discussions of different contexts and central issues in the development of nations and nationalism Hundreds of photographs and illustrations portraying important persons, monuments, places and artifacts Over 60 historical and modern maps to help orient the reader A general index offering access to the entries by different topics, places, and persons