Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Asia and Oceania Volume 4

A companion to Worldmark Yearbook 2000, this tenth edition offers four volumes on the continents plus one on the United Nations and a new volume on world leaders. Each continent volume contains alphabetically arranged chaptersDranging from ten to 30 pagesDdescribing about 200 countries and dependencies. Each chapter contains a wide variety of information on 50 topics, including population, topography, history, government, media, and a bibliography. Especially noteworthy: some of these sections provide information not available in other geographical encyclopedias (e.g., judicial system, local government, and libraries and museums). Compiled mostly by academics, the succinctly written articles contain much current information, some of it dating from as recently as August 2000. The volume on leaders is especially useful, providing hard-to-find biographical information on lesser-known heads of state. These profiles, mostly written or updated in 2000, have been culled from a variety of print and web sources. The volume on the United Nations is a superb ready reference, describing the history and structure of U.N. agencies and including useful comparative statistical tables. A very minor quibble: the country volumes do not contain signed entries. Still, this set is an outstanding source providing reliable, comprehensive, and easily accessible information for frequently asked reference questions. The price may be steep for smaller libraries, but this is highly recommended for larger public and academic collections. The eleventh edition comprises six volumes which cover the United Nations and its related agencies (volume one), 193 countries throughout the world (volumes two through five), and world leaders (volume six). Volume one opens with a discussion of the history and making of the United Nations, followed by chapters on its purpose and structure, world developments under each of the UN's secretary- generals, the UN's efforts and achievements in areas such as international peace and security, and additional resources and references including lists of addresses and information about organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Volumes 2 through 5 contain detailed profiles arranged by continent then alphabetically by country. Each includes information about the history, population, ethnic groups, languages, and culture of each, with brief notes about topics ranging from transportation, government and technology to libraries and museums, media, and tourism. Finally, Volume 6 provides quite lengthy biographies of the leader of each country profiled in volumes two through five. Previous editions are cited in Books for College Libraries, 3d ed. and Guide to Reference Books. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR This resource, based on the acclaimed "Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, provides comprehensive biographical profiles of national leaders from around the world. Features 193 biographies that cover not only the events of each leader's life, but also explore the domestic and international policies instituted by their administration. Entries typically include a portrait of the leader and a map of the leader's country. The volume is organized alphabetically by country and includes an index of leader names Presents easy-to-understand information on 200 countries and dependencies from around the world. Entries discuss a variety of topics in detail, from banking and securities to climate, from government data to demographic statistics. Also includes biographical essays on national leaders. v. 1. United Nations v. 2. Africa v. 3. Americas v. 4. Asia & Oceania v. 5. Europe.