Electronic Sources on European Countries
So, you're doing research on a European country. You are probably
aware of many of the print materials available in the library to help
you--books, magazines, encyclopedias. But did you know you can also find a huge
number of sources on the Internet?
The key is knowing where to look. You can't always trust the
information you find on the Internet. This web page is called a
Pathfinder, because it helps you find your way to the best materials
available on your subject.
Each section below provides links to valuable Online sources on
European countries. Click on the links (in blue words) to explore the
different sites.
Government fact files
One of the best sources of information about countries is
provided by national governments. These sites are particularly good for
statistics and detailed facts.
- CIA World Factbook
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Did you know that America's super-secret spy organization is one of the greatest
fact-gathering groups in the world? In the Factbook you can find tons of
statistics and background information about almost every country on earth.
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U.S. State Dept. Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
- The State Department is the part of our government that works with other countries. On this site they give
information about European countries. Click on the country of your choice,
and then select "Background Notes" for facts and historical
details.
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European Countries site from European Union
- The European Union is an organization of many European Governments. This
site provides information about individual countries, and has links to
individual government web sites.
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Library sites
Librarians are great at gathering information. But they're
even better at knowing other places to look! On these sites you can find
some information, as well as links to sites all over the Internet.
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Library of Congress International Portals
- The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States. At
this site, their experts have gathered their
favorite links and sites for each country. Click on your country
and follow subject links for history, art, and more.
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- Library of Congress Country Studies: Europe
- The Library of Congress has also put together very detailed information about many European countries
at this site. The focus is on historical information, economy, government, and population
facts.
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- Multnomah County Library Homework
Help
- The librarians in Portland, Oregon want to help you with your homework!
This amazing site provides links to resources for
31 different European countries.
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Electronic Databases
Electronic databases contain articles that have been published
in magazines, newspapers, and books. They can be a bit harder to search
than other Web sources, but they usually have much better information.
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INSPIRE Kids
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This site from the Indiana State Library is free to Indiana residents. Hints:
- Instead of using "search by topic," just type in your country name and click
"go."
- Try clicking on "Encyclopedia" at the top of the page to search the the Funk & Wagnalls
New World Encyclopedia. It's a very detailed resource!
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Grolier Lands and Peoples
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This is the online version of a set that you might have seen in your school library.
To use it, you'll need to have a Monroe County Public Library card.
- Enter your card number to log in, and then click on the Lands and Peoples
box on the left-hand side of the page.
- "Culture Cross" lets you compare details for two different countries.
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- Information Please online almanac
- Another online version of a book you might have seen in the library.
For this one, click on the country of your choice for an overview of history, government,
and vital statistics.
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Travel and Tourism Sites
Travel sites tend to give fewer facts and statistics, and more
photos and descriptions. Check these sources for an idea of what it's like
to go to a particular country.
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Virtourist.com Europe site
- "Virtual Tours" means it's almost like being there. This site offers tours of European cities and cultural sites,
with photos and descriptions of famous places.
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Virtual Tourist Europe site
- Another virtual tour site. This one has tons of photos and commentary by
travellers. It can be hard to search, but has information even on small
towns.
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National Geographic places: Europe
- Click on a country for an overview and links to maps, photos,
and other content from National Geographic.
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- Geographia.com Europe page
- Click on the name of a country at the left to go to the national tourism page.
Be warned, though: for some of these you'll need to look for a link to an
English version.
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Folklore and the Arts
A big part of getting to know a country or a region is learning
about the culture. These sites have information on stories, games, music
and art from countries across Europe.
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EuroTales
- These traditional tales from European countries were written and
illustrated by students from across Europe. Each story
appears with an English translation.
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Google Directory--European Folk Tales
- This page from Google Directory provides links to sites for folk tales.
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Children's Folklore
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This site collects games, rhymes, and other children's customs from 108
schools in 61 countries. Check to see how they play hopscotch in your chosen country!
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- Art Museums
in Europe
- This page from ArtCyclopedia.com provides links to art museums all over
Europe. Once you get to a museum Web site, you might need to look for an
English-language button.
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National Geographic World Music: Europe
- Read a brief introduction to music in the country of your choice, and listen
to Online music samples.
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360 Degree Panoramas
A panorama is a super-wide picture of a scene. These sites
feature 360-degree panoramas, which means you can move the photo to show you the
entire area as if you were standing there.
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Destination 360 Europe page
- This site has more limited collection, but its offerings
are high quality. Includes 360-degree panoramas of
many famous places.
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Arounder magazine
- This online magazine features panoramic views of cities,
mostly in Europe. This features particularly
interesting images.
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Panoramas.dk Worldwide Virtual Reality directory
- This site provides links to virtual reality panoramas
found on the web. It's organized by country. Some of the
links are to non-English sites, but the 360-degree photos are
still worth viewing.
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Geography Games
Feel like testing your knowledge of European geography?
There are many educational games available Online that challenge your skills
with a map.
- European Geography games from Sheppard Software
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From beginner to advanced, this site has games about countries, regions, rivers
and more.
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- European Geography trivia games from TriviaPlaza.com
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Do you like trivia? This site has quizzes on cities, flags, and the shapes of countries.
Finish the quiz and get a grade!
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GeoSense.net Geography Quiz game
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Can you guess where each city is on the map? Sign in or just visit, and try clicking the Europe
map. For an extra challenge, play against another visitor over the Internet!
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Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
- This classic computer game is now available as a download from Broderbund.
Hunt for Carmen following clues through 60 countries. Includes photos and music
from around the world. Also available in a CD-ROM format.
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And don't forget . . .
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Google.com
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Don't be afraid to do a Google search! The important thing is to target
your search carefully. Add another word to your country name: not just Poland, but Poland culture.
Here are some searches that will work for most countries:
- [Your country name] folklore
- [Your country name] cuisine
- [Your country name] arts
- [Your country name] culture
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Ideas for Using These Sources
The links provided above can lead you to a wealth of great
materials on European countries. But you might be wondering, "what should I do
with this information? Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking
about ways to have fun learning about Europe..
- Make your own web page
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Web pages aren't as hard to make as you might think! Use a simple web
editor like Nvu (available for free
here) to make a page that links to your favorite pictures and resources for a
particular country of your choice.
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- Make a board game
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Try designing a board game about a European country. Use the information you
find in these sources as part of the game play, and print out or copy images to
decorate the game board.
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- Tell a story
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Pick a folk story from a European country, and tell it in class. Practice
telling the story beforehand, and use props or illustrations if you want to.
You can introduce the story by telling a little bit about the country it comes
from.
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- Make some tables or charts
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Many of the sources above use lots of numbers and statistics, which can be hard
to read. Try making them easier to grasp by creating tables or charts for
the facts and figures. You can draw the charts by hand, or use a computer
to make one. Try using the Government's
KidsZone Create a Graph
web site!
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- Make a travel brochure
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Can you convince people to visit the country you are studying? Use the
facts and images from these sources to create a travel brochure. You can
make the brochure by hand, or try it on the computer using your own program or a
Web site like
MyBrochureMaker.com.
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Page created by Paul Rodes,
University Elementary School, February 2007.
Clipart from
Clipartheaven.com.
