Foreign Affairs Resources from the U.S. Government 

See also Guide to Treaties and Guide to World News Connection and other Translation Services

State Department

World Factbook 
CIA overview of countries of the world.

NationMaster 
An extensive compilation of political, social, economic, environmental, etc. data on nations from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD. Can map and graphically compare data on countries as well as individual country profiles.

Foreign Relations of the United States -- S 1.1:
Selected volumes of FRUS have been digitized by the University of Wisconsin.
FRUS began in 1861 and consists of sensitive correspondence, other documents of the State Department, and other materials affecting the foreign relations of the U.S. Materials are not released for publication until 25 years after they were originally produced. Prior to 1861 similar materials were printed in the Annual Report of the Secretary of State which can be found in the Serial Set, and indexed in LexisNexis Congressional Historical Indexes. The State Department is beginning to digitize FRUS and put the texts online.

Department of State Bulletin -- S 1.3:
1939-1989
This monthly periodical reprinted speeches of U.S. official on important foreign policy matters. The speeches didn't have to be by State Department officials, but do always deal with foreign policy. Many of these speeches are also to be found in Current Policy (S 1.71/4:). this is a good place to see what U.S. policy towards a country or an event was.

Dispatch -- S 1.3/5:
1990-1999
Similar, but not as detailed, as Department of State Bulletin. "The United States Department of State Dispatch has provided key speeches and testimony by senior State Department officials as well as current U.S. treaty actions since 1990. However, since all speeches, briefings, and testimony from State Department officials and the current U.S. treaty actions are available on the web site at www.state.gov upon release, hard copy distribution of this publication will end with the December 1999 issue and Index. "

American State Papers - Z
3rd floor, New Stacks
LexisNexis/CIS microfiche collection
This is the earliest collection of Congressional and, especially, presidential materials. It is the precursor of the Serial Set and is indexed in LexisNexis Congressional Historical Indexes. The American State Papers are arranged in Series - Foreign Relations - v. 1-6
Indian Affairs - v.7-8
Finance - v.9-13
Commerce and Navigation - v.14-15
Military Affairs - v.16-22
Naval Affairs - v.23-26
Post Office - v.27
Public Lands - v.28-35
Claims - v.36
Miscellaneous - v.37-38
Eventually the entire American State Papers set will be available in full text in the LexisNexis Historical Full Text database (UVA only).

Serial Set
1818 - 1924 - Ivy Stacks & LexisNexis Microfiche
1924 - 1984 - 3rd floor, New Stacks -- Back Wall and East Side Wall
1970 - present -- Y 1.2/2: -- Law Library
1985 - present -- Y 1.2/2: -- New Stacks
American Memory Century of American Lawmaking -- selected volumes
LexisNexis Congressional full text -- NOT complete -- by 2006 all of the Serial Set should be available in full text here.
The Serial Set contains all Congressional reports and documents. During the 19th century it often contained departmental reports, reports on explorations, and much other materials. Indexed in LexisNexis Congressional Historical Indexes.