Research Guides: Latin American Studies: Find Background Information

Introduction to Reference Books for Latin American Studies

The following is a selected list of reference works of interest to students researching Latin America. Any one of these titles would be a great place to begin your research!

The following e-books and databases are available full-text online:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Search across many different encyclopedias and reference books. Good introductory source for many Latin American topics.

Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America by Gale Editors (Editor)
Publication Date: 2014-04-11
This third edition of Gale Encyclopedia Of Multicultural America updates the essays in the second edition on specific minority and ethnic groups in the U.S., with an emphasis on culture (religions, holidays, customs, language) in addition to information on historical background and settlement patterns.

Country Backgrounds

Find demographic, statistical, and other background information for various countries in Latin America via the following online reference works and websites:

Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA)
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Spirit and Power: A 10-Country survey of Latin America (Penn State University Libraries). Free online.
CEPAL/ECLAC (United Nations)
CIA World Factbook
Country Social Statistics
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Temple University Libraries' research guide authored by librarian Rick Lezenby
Country Statistical Yearbooks
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A research guide that provides a single source for yearbooks published online (University of Wisconsin Libraries)
Country Studies / Area Handbook Series (Library of Congress)
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Covers Latin American countries from Belize to Venezuela, but not all countries are represented. More comprehensive than the World Factbook.
Demographic and Health Surveys
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Used to evaluate population, health, and nutrition programs. Focuses on women and children particularly, e.g. family planning, maternal and child care, child survival, HIV?AIDS/sexually transmitted infections (STIs), etc. Often includes summary statistics along with micro data.

Europa World This link opens in a new window Not just about European countries, Europa World is the online version of the Europa World Year Book, a well respected source of information on world-wide affairs. First published in 1926, the year book is renowned as one of the world's leading reference works, covering political and economic information in over 250 countries and territories, from Argentina to Venezuela.

Inter-American Development Bank
IPUMS International
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University of Minnesota Libraries have collected census data from around the world, including many Latin American countries. Free online, but register to download data. Provides micro-level rather than summary statistics, and requires access to SPSS or other statistics software.
Living Standards Measurement Surveys

OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
Note: As of 7/1/2024 OECD is a publicly-available resource.
OECD iLibrary (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) provides access to statistical data, books, journals and working papers on subjects such as: Agriculture and Food, Development, Education, Energy, Environment, Finance and Investment, Social Issues, Transport and more. The Statistics channel delivers access to the OECD's statistical databases allowing users real-time access to the latest data. (Updated daily)

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