For nearly one hundred and forty years, The Statesman's Yearbook has been relied upon to provide accurate and comprehensive information on the current political, economic and social status of every country in the world. The appointment of the new editor - only the seventh in the book's history - brought enhancements to the 1998-99 edition and these have been continued since then. The 2003 edition is fully updated and contains more information than ever before, including for the first time websites for national governments and international organizations. A foldout colour section provides a political world map and flags for the one hundred and ninety two countries of the world. In an endlessly changing world, the annual publication of The Statesman's Yearbook gives all the information you need in one easily digestible single volume. It will save hours of research and cross-referencing between different sources, and it is an essential annual purchase.

BARRY TURNER is the seventh editor in the 139-year history of The Statesman's Yearbook. He has a PhD in Political History and has been a full-time writer for 30 years. He has worked as a journalist and broadcaster in the field of politics, biography, travel and education, and is the author of over 20 books including the best-selling A Place in the Country, which became a television series, ...And the Policeman Smiled, the story of ten thousand refugee children who escaped to Britain just before the war, and (co-authored) When Daddy Came Home - How Family Life Changed Forever in 1945. He is a regular contributor to The Times as a book reviewer and serialiser, and is the editor of the annual Writer's Handbook.

Flags of the World/Map of the World (colour pullout section) Chronology of World Events from April 2001 to March 2002 Addenda All the World's a Village: The Challenge of Globalization by Barry Turner PART 1: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS PART 2: COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD A-Z, including the following sections: Key Historical Events Territory and Population Social Statistics Climate Constitution and Government Recent Elections Current Administration Defence International Relations Economy Energy and Natural Resources Environment Industry International Trade Communications Social Institutions Culture Diplomatic Representatives Further Reading Place and International Organizations Index