National Archives store materials relating to the history of a nation, usually operated by the government of that nation. This is the first ever comprehensive source of information about national archives around the world covers the national archives of all 195 countries recognized by the United Nations (the 193 member states and the 2 that non-member observer states: The Holy See and the State of Palestine) as well as Taiwan (Republic of China). Of the 196 countries, 54 are in Africa, 49 in Asia, 44 in Europe, 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 14 in Oceania, and 2 in Northern America. All countries maintain a repository for government and historical records; whether all allow public access will be determined through research for this work. The National Archives of all 196 countries will be included in this work (see Appendix A). Each entry contains: general information about the archive and when it is open to researchers (if applicable), historical information about the institution and how it developed, information about the archives today (its mission, functions, organization, services, and a description of its physical and digital infrastructures), and a current focus section spotlighting one part of the collection’s holdings.

Encompassing more than one thousand primary sources and documents, a history of the United States presents an array of articles, speeches, letters, and court cases, ranging from the Declaration of Independence to the Starr Report.

This pamphlet highlights the archival holdings and research support services available at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. The Records in these two buildings reflect our mission to ensure, for the citizen and the public servant, for the President and the Congress and the Courts, continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government.--From intro.