Why is so much of the information contained in the online Country Studies outdated?
The online Country Studies are electronic versions of hardcover books published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress between 1988 and 1998 as part of the Department of the Army’s Country Studies/Area Handbook Series. The series is not a current events database. Rather, it offers background analysis on a country’s history, geography, society, economy, political system, foreign policy, and national security. The original expectation was that new editions would be completed every 5-10 years to replace older studies. However, given limited funding, that goal could not be realized. Although at present the online Country Studies remain a static reproduction in electronic format of published books, we believe that they continue to offer valuable historical information and perspective on the world of today.
