MEP - Country Overviews & Data - GEG 102: World Geography - LibGuides at Gustavus Adolphus College

About this Guide

This guide includes sources and activities for your Migration Experience Project background research. The sources that will be most useful for students will vary depending on the background of the migrants they interview. This guide is a starting point for research--don't hesitate to ask a librarian for further assistance!

"Globe" by Rob Bertholf, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Ask Us!

Research Help:

Visit the Reference Desk (main floor) (M-Th 10:30-4:30; F 10:30-2:30)
Chat with a librarian (M-Th 10:30-4:30; F 10:30-2:30)
E-mail: folke@gustavus.edu (please include your name and the best way to contact you)
Consultation request form: schedule an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with a librarian

Country Overviews, Statistics, Trends, and Reports Related to Immigration

CIAO (International affairs)
Contains full text documents on international politics and related fields. Includes content from government research organizations, independent think tanks, university analysis centers, and scholarly journals. Also includes country surveys with political data, economic data, and maps from The Economist Intelligence Unit.

European Country of Origin Information Network
A good source for information specific to country conditions in the homelands of refugees and asylum seekers.
Migration Data Portal (IOM, International Organization for Migration)
Migration Policy Institute - Migration Data Hub
Minnesota State Demographic Center. Data by Topic.
Pew Research Center. Facts on U.S. Immigrants.
U.S. Census Bureau. Data.census.gov (U.S. Census Bureau)
U.S. Census Bureau. Foreign Born Population
U.S. Census Bureau. Migration/Geographic Mobility
U.S. CIA World Factbook
Provides an overview of the "history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities."
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Immigration Data & Statistics
U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
A good source for information on country conditions in the homelands of refugees and asylum seekers. Note: You can sort the U.S. Dept. of State Reports, by year if for example you know the migrant's particular timeline or needs context from a certain time period.
United Nations. UN Data
United Nations. UNHCR (Refugee Agency). Global Trends Report.
International Organization for Migration
IOM is an inter-governmental organization in the field of migration. It works with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. It provides migration data and information on migration trends.

Resources for International Students

International Gustie Guide
These resources, prepared by the Center for International & Intercultural Education, includes information for international students on cultural transition, academics, student life, and U.S. immigration agencies and documentation.
Institute of International Education
International Student Visas. US Dept. of Homeland Security
Study in the States. US Dept. of Homeland Security.

BBC Country Timelines & Profiles

BBC Country Timelines & Profiles
A good source for background research and overviews of countries.

Note: If you don't have luck with the link above, you can also search Google for "BBC timeline [country name]" to find the timeline for a given country

Two examples related to Nigeria:

Nigeria Country Profile
Nigeria Timeline

Britannica Online

Britannica Online Academic Edition
Search the content of encyclopedias, a dictionary and thesaurus, a multimedia database with images, videos, and sound files, the Web's Best Sites, selected magazines and journals, country statistics from World Data Analyst, notable quotations, and Gateway to the Classics (a collection of works of Western history, literature, philosophy, and science). Access is provided by eLibraryMN (ELM).

CIA World Factbook

U.S. CIA World Factbook
Provides an overview of the "history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities."

GEG 102: World Geography: MEP - Country Overviews & Data