[fajg]

High-tech city population database. Gives official (census and estimate) population figures for thousands of cities, agglomerations, provinces and states around the world (although large parts of Africa and Central en Southeast Asia are not yet covered). Apart form listings (alphabetical and by size), there are interactive Java-based maps showing popluation sizes on mouseover action. Maps also pop up when clicking on the number of a city in the lists. There is a special listing of cities with over 1 million population (also avaibale for downloading in Excel format). There is explanation available on how to use some of the more advanced map operations. By Thomas Brinkhoff. 20000215

A series of full text reference books on nearly all major Asian, Latin-American, African and Eastern European countries, fully searchbale and browsable, by the Library of Congress, USA, 19990324

World map, descriptions and links to further information for some 50 dams proposed or under construction and, interestingly, some dam removal proposals. By the (US) Environmental Defense NGO. 20000228

Directory of all kinds of organisations engaged in freight transport, including carriers, port authorities, railroad companies, airports and trucking companies by Donald G. Littlefield, available in many languages, 19990211

Satellite maps showing the geographical and environmental development of 29 places on earth, including articles with general and image-specific information, questions, technical image information, links and reference for further reading; maps typically focus on agriculturem, cities, deserts, disasters, forests, geology and weater. By the United States Geological Survey, 19990614

Over 12,000 mass disasters from 1900 to present. The database is set up in order to aid professionals working in disaster relief and disaster preparedness programmes. It holds information on three types of disaster: natural, technological and conflicts. There are standard and enhanced versions. Enhanced versions have been checked and harmonised, but become available some monts after the publication of standard series. Databases are available in zipped Excel or text files. New provisional files become available immediately at the end of each quarter. Variables are location, LAT-LON, day, time, type, subtype, homeless, killed, affected, disaster scale value, damage (cost) and source. For the first three months of 2000 the database includes 94 natural disasters and 65 technological disasters (mainly transport and industrial accidents). Most of the data are also directly on the website, with options to list top ten disaster by type and country. Searching for disasters will become possible in the near future. Additional information is available: world maps of natural disaster distribution, a bibliographic databse (planned), a disaster glossary and links. EM-DAT offers a service to be prompted on new database information. By the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Louvain, Belgium and the Office of U.S. Foreign Distaster Assistence (OFDA). 20000403

Country by country descriptions of the state of human rights. Available in HTML, PDF, RTF, and RFT zipped. 20001218

Very extensive coverage of links to government (legistlative, executive, judicative) presence on the web. With over 13,000 links to heads of state, parliaments, law courts, ministries, regional local government, foreign representations (embassies, consulates) and political parties. Also includes links to additional country information from other reference services. By country and by type of institution. 19991125

IMF country reports give up-to-date information on the economic and financial situation in almost all countries of the world. Select "Staff Country Reports" under series and type the name of the country in the subject field. The full reports are available in PDF-format from 1997 (nr 101) onwards; these files can be very large and may take many minutes to download, 19990702

Free searchable and configurable  database of the world's 1000 largest publicly held manufacturing companies based on revenue, 19990702

The US based World Resource Institute has published this 1997 report on it website. It assesses the state of the world's frontier forest (defined as forests that are on the whole relatively undisturbed and big enough to maintain all of their biodiversity, including viable populations of the wide-ranging species associated with each forest type). The website holds all the data (by world region and country on frontier forest left, percentage threatened etc.). The are also well layed-out maps and comprehensive forest links for all regions and countries. Includes technical notes and links to forest news (maintained up to 1998). There is also a low quality scan of the report available from the WRI bookshop (click on 'read it'). 20000307

Interactive mapping of satellite images of nighttime lights, creating clear images of the urbanisation pattern and large industrial concentrations, fires etc. Based on the data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). By the National Geophysical Data Center, USA, 19990907

Gateway to official or 'near official' municipal sites in Australia (26), Canada (300+), Germany (29), France (18), Japan (15), Netherlands (67), New Zealand (12), United Kingdom (90) and the United States (thousand of cities, hundreds of counties). By Tamie and Kevin Hyde. 19991102

ReliefWeb is a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "The purpose of this effort is to strengthen the response capacity of the humanitarian relief community through the timely dissemination of reliable information on prevention, preparedness and disaster response", provides information on natural as well as man-made disasters; under the caption 'complex emergencies' one can find information on countries with ongoing humanitarian stress (e.g. Balkans, Liberia, North Korea, Sierra Leone, Sudan), 19990301

Joint World Bank / Commonwealth 2000 report on small states (defined as having a less than 1.5 million population). Focus is on the economy. Three out of four of these states are island states. Some are very wealth (Brunei), some very poor (Guinea-Bissau). Many rely heavily on aid, foreign trade, and foreign investment. Full-text of the report available in PDF. 20000407

News and background servie of Stratfor intellegence company. This is an internet-only service with up to date information (news and seperate background/commentary information) in four regional 'intelligence centers covering the world and in a number of changing 'hotspots' covering top international geopolitical news items. Has handy country profiles with news archive (and partly with CIA World Factbook Content) and links to maps. Unfoortunately most of the contetn is no longer free of charge. Also publishes free E-mail newsletter Global Intelligence Update (GIU). Political bias right of centre. 20001218

Country information regarding sustanaible development. This is a United National database containing the country reports submitted to the 1998 international UN sustainable development conference. Holds detailed informatioon on treaties signed, guidelines implemented and policy initiatives. 20000303

Free aerial and satellite photographs. Base material by the USGS and Russian Spin-2 images by Sovinformsputnik. Dates vary from 1990-1999 (?). Coverage is strong for USA and some parts of Western and Northern Europe, but apart from these there is almost no coverage yet. Information cannot be copied for free. There are handy links to brief Encarta Encyclopaedia articles relevant to the area selected. 19991101

World Bank resource providing information of over 100 developing nations where the world bank is active. There are 'snapshots of development' and basic data for each country, 19990824

Summaries (HTML) and full text (in PDF) of this december 1999 World Bank report on the near future of the world economy, with special focus on developing countries. Chapters on financial crisis, Asian restrcuturing and commodity prices. 20000114

Map access to webcams worldwide with an outside view. Hundreds of locations with thousands of live webcams. With some static galleries of webcam shots and special listings of cams at airports, railway stations, volcanoes etc. By 'Mark', Australia. 20001023

Basic information and links for all countries of the world. Includes links to basic maps, weather info, time and currency, news media, business and government links, toruism and culture. In some cases Worldskip only provides country based access to resources also available at the websites of the producers of the information (Britannica, BBC, CIA), but there are also many direct links to local information. Navigation is clear and efficient. 20000229

General directory of Arab country websites, by subject and by country, 19990526

Encyclopedia of the Middle East and North Africa with entries on countries, cities, organisations, statesmen etc. By the CiAS, a "registered Norwegian non-profit company that is run by Tore Kjeilen", 19981116

Human Rights Watch report signalling groth in internet usage in the Middle East and North Africa, despite numerous institutional barriers; includes country profiles and recommendations, 19990715

Tours based French research institute on urban development in the Arab world. Research and workshop information and lists of publications (city monograps and working papers). 20000124

Gateway to "Middle Eastern Studies" links, by the University of Texas, Austin, 19990406

Large site on all kinds of international ocean issues for policy makers, scientists and students alike. Some areas of the site await development, such as the image library.Basic input is maily by the Head Department of Navigation and Oceanography (HDNO) and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). By the UN. 20020607

African Development Reports in full text, available for 1997, 1998, 1999 and summary of 2001 (in PDF). 20020405.

Table of Contents (TOC) search service for over 70 African journals on agriculture, health, technology and development. Tables of contents are searchable using one unified search form. In English en and French. With a delivery service for articles found (not free). By International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), Oxford, UK. 20020405

Internationally oriented site on African water issues, covering water resources, distribution, supply, policy, water law, water markets, sanitation, international cooperation etc. Provides official documents, special features (e.g. Nile Basin), a photo gallery, book reviews  and many links. By Len Abrams, a private engineering consultant from South Africa, 19990824

self description: "SAFARI 2000 is an international regional science initiative that has been developed for Southern Africa. It explores, studies and addresses linkages between land-atmosphere processes and the relationship of biogenic, pyrogenic or anthropogenic emissions and the consequences of their deposition to the functioning of the biogeophysical and biogeochemical systems of southern Africa. This initiative is being built around a number of on-going, already funded activities by NASA, the international community and African nations in the southern African region. A major field intensive took place in August /September 2000 in Southern Africa, and this web site is presently dedicated to providing information for this time period. Data from previous and future intensives will be made available here as it becomes available.". 20010202

Gateway to "African Studies", by region, topic and organization, 19990406

General Comoros site with own content on the geography, climate, population etc. of the three islands of the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoro Islands (Ngazidja, Mwali, and Nzwani) of the island of Mayotte, still adminstered by France. With maps and photographs, an extensivce (100+) bibliography and additional links. By Martin Ottenheimer or Harriet Ottenheimer of Kent State Univeristy, USA. 20000629

General social, economic and political information on the country in an extensive case study, ews and weather links and information on internet development in the country; the Lusophone Africa pages also contain picture archives, 19990625

International cooperative body of ten Nile Basin countries. The site holds general Nile information (maps, photographs) an action plan, press releases etc. The NBI prepares for a more permanent legal framework. 20000629

Tecconile is the "Technical Co-operation for the Promotion of the Development and Environmental Protection of the Nile Basin", initiated by the ministers of the Nile basin countries responsible for water issues. Although TECCONILE has been superseded by the Nile Basin Initiative, the site stills holds valuable information. The site features the "Water resources atlas of the river Nile basic", unfortunately in one large (2.7 MB) PDF-file and with non-functioning map links. Expectedly, there are also reports of the annual conferences and an action plan. Finally there is information on INBA, an international association of Nile experts. 20000629

self description: "The Land and Agriculture Policy Centre is a section 21, not-for-profit company which contributes to sustainable rural development by providing innovative participatory policy analysis and research in the areas of land, agriculture, rural development, and natural resource management in the interests of the rural poor."

Publications, links and research projects on South African rural and agricultural policy issues. 20000406

Provides a quaterly newsletter, information on alternative development and a broad range of South and Southern Africa links, 19990311

Gereral and practical information on South Africa's National Parks, links to webcams stationed in the parks and news on park policy and problems. 20000406

Academic directory of for African countries south of the Sahara, strong on news, current developments, economics and politics, by Karen Fung of Stanford University and the Africa Studies Association, USA, 19990625

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000515 on the origins and current state of conflict in Sudan. With guests from Amnesty International and the US Committee for Refugees. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000711

Environmentally focussed Aamzonia site. The site holds information on the working group and it's activities but also sections that are of interest for a larger public. There is a news service, a country-by-country listing of issues and special sections on forests, rivers, biodiversity, land issues, infrastructure, mining, Amazon peoples and international institutions. By the European Working Group on Amazonia (EWGA). 20000508

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) is a large-scale international interdisciplinary experiment in the northern boreal forests of Canada. Its goal is to improve our understanding of the boreal forests -- how they interact with the atmosphere, how much CO2 they can store, and how climate change will affect them. hosted by NASA, 19990517

Organisation that manages remotely sensed images of Canada, part of Natural Resources Canada of the Canadian Government. Includes remtoe sensing tutorials and an inage tour of Canada from space. Also access to data catalogue. 19991118

Canada's Digital Collections showcases over 400 websites on Canada's history, geography, science, technology and culture. With thousand of new and old photographs. Material from, a.o. National Library, the National Archives and the Museum of Civilization. 20020530

Site at the Natural Rsources Canada server hosting sites on geographical subjects made by Canadian schools, focussing on their own environment. Also includes link to related information of national organisations (such as Statistcis Canada). 19991118

Extensive but basic listing of websites related to the geography and history of Canada. Arranged by Dewey decimal classification. By the National Library of Canada. 20000327

General geography site with lesson plans, bimonthly themes with annotated links, often to Canada. Aimed at geography teachers. 20020530

A combination of a classic bibliography and web-gateway for general and cultural studies of Canada. By by John D. Blackwell, Reference Department, Brandeis University Libraries, & Laurie C.C. Stanley-Blackwell, Department of History, St. Francis Xavier University, 19990910

Government service acting as intermediary between supply and demand for Canadian geospatial data and services. 20000103

Geoscience photo-collection, featuring historic photos of the geology, mineral resources and early exploration of Canada from the Geological Survey of Canada's collection held in the Earth Sciences Information Centre, Ottawa. There are some 2,000 images. Topics include founders of Canadian geology, fossils, landscape features, geoscientists at work, human geography ('links to the past') and arctic exploration. Some pictures date back to the 1880's. All images are thumbnailed for easy browsing. By the Geological Survey of Canada. 20000616

Organisation aiming to "develop the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI), that will coordinate and make Canada’s geospatial data bases accessible on the Internet" and to foster coopreation among bodies collecting and disseminating this type of information. 19991118.

Government service distributing free files with geospatial data. 20000103

Official homepage of the government of the new Nunavut province of Canada, installed April 1, 1999. This area in the northeast of Canada is over 2 million sqaure kilometers with a mere 26,000 inhabitants, 19990906

Canadian Museum of Civilization based site on the early explorations of Martin Frobisher, who tried to find the Northwest Passage, but instead found Baffin Island and Inuit peoples. The site not only tells the story of exploration, but goes into the confrontation of cultures as well. By Robert McGhee. The site is lavishly illustrated with maps, drawings and (recent) photograps. 20000127

Map of Inuit peoples, settlement history and languages. The site also boosts some tasteful image galleries of Nunavut landscpaes and Inuit life. By Jimmy MacDonald. 20010420

Political history of Canada's borders 1700-present. Includes timeline and corresponding maps. By the Canadian Geographic magazine. 20020530

Apart from maps this site offers

from the self description: "The Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC) was established under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and is responsible for land use planning and various aspects of environmental reporting and management in the new Territory. NPC's main function is to develop land use plans, policies and objectives that guide resource use and development throughout Nunavut, with an emphasis on protecting and promoting the existing and future well-being of the residents and communities of the Nunavut Settlement Area."

The site has extensive information on the 6 Nunavut planning regions, including full text land use planning documents. 20010420

From the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Ocean this resource focusses on the seas, oceans surrounding Canada. It has comprehensive links to research institutes and information on coastal management and marine conservation. Unfortunately some parts of the site are not being updated. 20020530

Information gateway to documents and websites useful for determining the identity of Canada. Includes some full text quotes, poems etc. Apart from the usual general country info, the site has links to information on the national stereotypes. And on top of this it has a very handy page of geo-relevant sites. 20001201

General Canadian permafrost site at the Geological Survey of Canada website. Permaforst is a layer of soil that is frozen the year round. There are pages on permafrost monitoring, the relation to cloimatic change, slope stability, interaction with pipelines and more. The site is very instructive and has nice pictures and graphs. 20010420

Links to resources on Canadian geography. Aimed at teachers, pupils and general public. Links to maps, weather, statistics, the Arctic, Nunavut, the environment etc. By M.D. Bennett at the Teaching & Learning About Canada Website. 20000327

General Costa Rican web directory. 19991210

Exploration of the Ecuadorian Amazon through games and questions. Focus on ecotourism. Includes research report on which the site is based. By David Schaller, Department of Geography, University of Minnesota, USA. 19991112

Charles Darwin Foundation website on the Galápagos islands natural history. Focus is on plant and animal life, but the site also has information on volcanism and a general news section. 20010123

Well-illustrated geological background to the Galápagos archipelago. With a nice virtual tour and clickable map. There are informative history and climate pages. A bibliography and a further links page round up the site. By W.M. White of the Department of Geological Sciences at Cornell University, USA. 20010123

Greenland homepage, by the Greenland province government, partly Kalaallisut, partly Danish, partly in English, 19990323

The Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) is the Government Agency responsible for the management, conservation and protection of the natural resources of Jamaica. It is UN recognised. The website details research and policy initiatives in coastal and mirine conservation, parks and watershed maagement, a.o.. 20000124.

This Santiago, Chile, based organisation of the UN promotes development through economic research and information. Many (sometimes Spanish-only) full text reports and news articles, statistics and a searchabel library. 20000114

Gateway to "Latin American Studies" links, arranged by country and topic, provided by University of Texas, Austin, 19990406

Over 800 (eventually over 1400) virtual 360 degree panoramas of the western part of North America, form Alaska to southern Baja California. Panoramas can be rotated by mouse action. The pictures are catagorised geographically as well as by subject and come with very brief information on the location. Unfortunately they lack indication of directrion. Subjects are landforms, natural history, archeology, botany and settlements, a.o.. There is also a detailed description of how to make this kind of panoramas yourself. By Don Bain. 20000222

Official website of Panama Canal Commission with news stories, information on economic and environmental programmes and transport figures. The Canal is officially Panamese territory from Janaury 1, 2000. 19991214

Simple animation showing a trip through the canal in a diagram and with accompanying photographs. By Ared Networks. 19991214

Exercise with data on the 1996 cholera outbreak in Peru. These pages hold information on medical geogrphy in general and on the incidence of cholera in Peru. With maps and data. Part of the Geographers' Carft site at the Unviersity of Colorado, Boulder. 20000710

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000315 on politics and economy of Peru. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000710

General information on geography and history of the regions and cities of Peru. Texts are basic but informative and provide more than merely touristic information. Really outstanding photography. By Mónica Vela Valdizan & Govert-Jan Mennen of the Netherlands. 19991111

Internet discussion aroud the report Coastal Future 2025. Visitors are invited to add their comments to the vision laid before. Al kinds of coastal aspects are covered: heritage, population, recreation, hazards, environment, resources and many more. By ten national (US) organisations, the "National Dialogue Partners", 19990916

Biannual survey (sample of 55,000 homes) on housing, with data on types of dwellings, characteristics of the owners and occupants, housing and neigbourhood quality and vacancy and recent moves (the same dwellings are visited each time). By the US census bureau. 20001204

Gateway to a some 70 high-quality collections of thousands of texts, photographs, musical fragments, maps etc covering the US past. A collection finder helps in searching or browsing for the collections of your choice. Most of the collections are politico-historical or cultural-historical, but there are some notable geo-relevant collections. Among these are collections with historical maps, panoramic photographs and environmental photograps. There are some powerful search functions that even allow for searches for items across all collections. By the Library of Congress. 20001010

Comprehensive and easy to use overview of presidential election results since 1789 with figures and maps of results by state and even within states by county. Possibility to compare maps through history in one view. By David Leip. 20001218

1986 Guidebook for a fieldtrip of the geology, water resources, and natural history of the Balcones Escarpment, South-Central Texas. Includes some 20 short articles on many hydrological en geographical aspects of this area. Edited by Patrick L. Abbott and C.M. Woodruff, Jr of Texas University, 19990902

Best places allows for easy popular comparison of large numbers of mainly use cities. It provides ratings of the quality of cities as "places to live, work, play or retire". You can compare any two of 1000 cities on 30 characteristics (climate, crime, tax, health, education etc.). You can also get detailed climate statistics for 320 U.S and over 1700 non-US cities. Finally it let's you compare crime rates in any two of 2500 US cities, 19990928

Compiled by the Pacific Institute, USA, this keyword-searchbale bibliography indexes some 750 titles related to climate chnage impact on US water resources, 19990819

Searchable database of ten of thousands of high quality b/w photographs, drawing and text surveys of historic buildings and engineering structures in the US. Currently some 17% van HAER photographs are available online and the collection is still being added to. Part of the larger American Memory Project. 20010119

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000626 on the supposedly declining importance of cities. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000711

Three basic texts and illustrations on (i) the City Beatiful movement, (ii) the resulting Washington 1901 Plan and (iii) the Movements successes and failures. With bibliography, by Julie Rose of American Studies, University of Virginia, 1996, 19991012

Full text of the US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change report, the most important government document on the topic. 20001215

Basic information on the Colorado River and the ecology and hydrology of its delta. Detailed information is in the full text of the Environmental Defense Fund's publication: 'A Delta Once More: Restoring Riparian and Wetland Habitat in the Colorado River Delta' (in PDF), by the Environmental Defense Fund, USA 19991014

Project to encourage teachers and students to make descriptions and maps of (US) American communities. These will be posted on a central website managed by ESRI, the GIS producer, 19990923

Organization of professionals advocating "restructuring of public policy and development practices to support the restoration of existing urban centers and towns within coherent metropolitan regions". Works with taskforces (on best practices, environemnt, inner city and others), organises annual conference, awards and competitions.  19991025

Geographical backgrounds, explanations and resources of the US Census. This page presents tools for mapping census data, factfinding services, boundary files for downloading, metropolitan area defintions etc. By the US Census Bureau. 20000313

Report on ecological successes of dam removal in US rivers. Title: "Restoring Rivers through Selective Removal of Dams that Don't Make Sense". With 25 case studies. By the American Rivers organisation in collaboration with Trout Unlimited and Friends of the Earth. In full text (HTML and PDF). 19991220

Full text of a 2000 report analysing the transport cost effects of urban sprawl for US American cities. By the Surface Transportation Policy Project/Center for Neighborhood Technology. 20010126

Listing of over 150 waterfalls in the eastern United States. Holds brief descriptions nad name. size and waterlevel details. Useful voor the those interested in visiting the sites. The site also bootsts a waterfall classification and extensive visiting tips. 20010126

Thousand of economic time series data for the US from the Federal Reserve, the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics etc. Access to deatiled regional tables (e.g. buidling permits or emploment data by state or city and per month). Also some series for Canada and Japan. Downlaods in Excel format. 19991108

self description: "The Federal Geographic Data Committee coordinates the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI encompasses policies, standards, and procedures for organizations to cooperatively produce and share geographic data. The 17 federal agencies that make up the FGDC are developing the NSDI in cooperation with organizations from state, local and tribal governments, the academic community, and the private sector". 20000623

Listing of pages at university institutes describing geology field camps in the US, by Elizabeth Wallace of Syracuse University Library, 19990324

Prehistory, history and geography of this area, "running in a wide swath along the Atlantic Coast from Savannah to Cape Canaveral and inland towards Tallahassee". Main elements are description and illustrations of remains of ancient times, coastal defense fortifications, plantation culture, winter resorts. Includes maps and further links. By the National Park Service. 19991209

Electronic version of the printed work. With six informative chapters: introduction, natural processes, human activities, environmental concerns, joint management and the future. Some of the more detailed graphics may be hard to read on-line. By the government of Canada and United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1995. 20000515

Large general and professional site on the Great Lakes. There are general introductory pages and five more in depth sections on the environment, economy, education, maps and GIS and tourism. With many links to external reports, documents and research projects. Access to and description of relevant datasets regarding land use, hydrology and ecology. Most content is external. By the Great Lakes Commission, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, in cooperation with many US and Canadian federal and state government institutions. 20000515

Urban history site containing fully searchable historic documents (currently over 60 titles, including those by famous planners such as Olmsted) and maps and finding aids for archives. It is a joint project of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. The collection is still growing. There is also a description of the process of scanning documents and techniques of building the site. 19991028

self description: "An information source for housing and community development researchers and policymakers. HUD USER is the primary source for Federal Government reports and information on housing policy and programs, building technology, economic development, urban planning, and other housing-related topics."

Essential information service by the research bureau (PD&R) of the US department of housing and urban development (HUD). It has hundreds of online publications on  (US) community development, design, economic development, homeownership, homelessness, urban affairs, urban planning and others. Information on newsletters and journals, available datasets, access to a searchable bibliographic database of 8,000 titles. 20000530

Urban history of Washington D.C. by way of the story of the development of the mall, the planned central axis of the city. Includes many historic maps, drawing and photograps. By Mary Halnon, Virginia University, 19991012

Vast site on the Missouri river, which has an enourmous catchment area in the Great Plains and Midwest of the US at large. The site, hosted and co-produced by the USGS holds information for the scientist and for the lay-person. Detailed maps and hydrological and environmental information for subsections (watersheds) of the river are available. The site is also a clearinghouse of Missouri related information (sites, events, maps, aerial photographs) on other servers. Scientific information related to environmental assessment, ecology, effects of flooding. With bibliography, 19991028

US Department of transport site with annual transportation statistics report from 1998 onwards. Includes trips, mileages as well as energy and environmental data for all transport modes. Figures available in separate PDF, HTML and EXCEL files or in one big file. 20010112

Report on diverging economic fortunes of US communities, stressing the probblems of some major central city areas, by the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), released April 1999, available in HTML and PDF formats, 19990607

Easy and handy database of basic facts for US states and counties and MSA's (Metropolitan Statistical Areas). Data available include real estate figures, earnings, employment breakdown by industry, home sales, house permits, labor force, population, income growth, unemployment and housing vacancy rates. Navigation and selection process are clear and simple. By the federal deposit insurance corporation (FDIC). 20001117

Report on strategies for urban economic development in the US. By The US dep. for Housing and Urban Development. The authors of the 125 page report analyse the policies in ten middle-sized US cities. 20010122.

Easy and handy database of basic facts for US states and counties. By the US Census Bureau. The are pages for all states, which in turn provide access to county selection maps. State figures are given together with US total and state totals accompany requested county data. 20000929.

Annual report on the state of cities and suburbs by the department of Housing and Urban Development, downloadable in PDF format, 19990615

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000531 on planning and suburban sprawl in the US. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000710

Well designed and compact site featuring the combination two USGS maps: the geological map (colors) and the topographic map (elevation in 3D). A Quicktime animation shows how the two merge. The combined result is very informative of the geologic genesis of the lower 48 US states. The maps come with a short description of 48 features (Grand Canyon, Cetral Valley, Yellowstone, etc., some with additional sattellite images), and an interactive legend annex geological time scale. Sections of the scale are clickable and lead to maps indicating the presence of that rock form that specific era or period. A section showing the borders of physiographic regions of the US rounds up te site. By the US Geological Survey. 20000714

This is a multidisciplinary encyclopedia of Texas history, geography, and culture. It comprises more than 23,000 articles on people, places and events; searchable as well as browsable; a joint project of The General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association, 19990302

Large collection of free geographic data layers for all US counties, tailored for educational use. You can select these US Census Bureau data by state, county and subject (street networks, rivers, shopping centres, airports etc.) and use them in the GIS software pacakges ArcView and ArcVoyager. By ESRI, 19991008

Online USGS topographical maps for all of the USA, in 1;25,000, 1:50,000 and 1:100,000. Search on toponyms and LAT-LON. Results are zoomable. By Maps a la Carte. 20000303

Departmental site with large datasets on housing and cities in the US available for downloading, also contains various policy document and E-mail based newsletter service, 19990105

This US Census population division site provides figures for large US cities, 1790-present with ten-year intervals. 20000207

News and background of the results of a USA Today index of urban sprawl in America. 271 metro areas were indexed on the basis over current population density and change in density. The combination delivers the urban sprawl index. The site has the complete listing of metro areas and their data. By USA Today, 20010223

Report of the US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department, released October 1999 on the shortage of affordable rented housing, 19991008

Information on Australian Antarctic research projects, expeditions. With maps ('Antactic Atlas') and photographs. By the Australian Antarctic Division. 20001219

Contains information on the environment, history and politics of the arctic areas, non-academic, 19990223

This Smithsonian Institution site focusses on cultural, historical and natural aspects of (mainly) the North American arctic region. The site is lavishly illustrated and incorporates some multimedia elements, 19991011

Gateway to arctic data and organisations, a photograph gallery and links to topical information. Aimed at the general public, with some specific scientific information. By the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 20000929

Clear description of some key Antarctic issues (ozone, effects of rising sea levels on ice sheet a.o.), presentation of research programmes, current highlights, a geographical and geopolitivcal description of the continent and an overivew of the survey's resources, all in a very clear lay out and consistent navigation.With links to the Antarctic Digital database of geographical map files. 20000615

Natural, environmental, comercial, political and legal aspects of the Northern Sea Route, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific, are the subject of this cooperative research programme, 20001010

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000630 on recreation versus conservation in US national parks. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000711

Research institute with some bias towards the Norwegian arctic (Jan Mayen, Spitsbergen). The site is concerned with arctic issues worldwide, hoewever. With links to full texts of Antarctic treaty and related documents. Research programmes include amrice ecology, polar climate, ecotoxicology, and Kara Sea studies a.o.. 20000425

Oldest and one of the largest research centres covering the Arctic and Antcartic Regions, provides access to library catalog with over 30,000 polar records, a picture library, overview of research projects, resources for schools and links to numerous other polar research centres, part of the University of Cambridge, UK, 19990323

Translation of a 1996 Russian research report on seismic activity in the arctic by G.P. Avetisov. Made available by the World Data Center for Marine Geology and Geophysics, Boulder, CO, USA. 19991112

A regional, electronic, hydrographic data network for Arctic Region researchers, 19990907

Contains the 'Antarctic Treaty' with all information on research projects by US Antarctic stations, 19990105

Independant gateway to studies of politics and history of Afghanistan, by students and scholars from Sweden, Canada and the US. With outlines of Afghna history, current affairs, biographies, maps, information on women's rights, book reviews etc., 19990830

General Asia gateway with news, annotated links, calendar of events, lists of experts, country profiles with basic statistics etc, 19990902

Datasheet by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), 19990816

Details of policies and actions to integrate Asia's railway connections via the Northern and the Southern Corridor. With details of container demonstrations runs and map with missing links. By the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). 20020613

Very extensive gateway to"Asian Studies" links, includes collections of websites on Asian subregions. By a team of editors, 19990406

General Azerbaijan subject guide with references to maps, cities and regions, geography, population, economy and society. 20000404

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000503 on the ongoing border conflict between Armenia and Azerbaidjan. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000711

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000421 on oil and international affairs in the Caspian sea area. With guests from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Petroleum Finance Company and Human Rights Watch. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000710

State of the art evalution tool for the question whether China can feed itself in 2048. The author's own conclusion is positive.
self desription: "This is a decision-support application for planners and policymakers. It should help in the evaluation of options for dealing with China's (future) food problems. The core of this application is an integrated analysis of China's food prospects that takes into account biophysical, climatic, hydrological, demographic, social, economic, and political dimensions
In addition, a broad range of related data sets were selected, have been converted into tables, maps, satellite images, and charts, and are here merged into an interactive hypertext document. (....) All analyses and data resources are connected via a web of hundreds of links, so that the user can "jump" from one argument to related arguments, tables, charts, maps, or Web sites on the Internet."
This professional site includes a summary, FAQ, bibliography, web links etc.. By Heilig, G.K., IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria, 19990910

Gateway to geographically and historically referenced datasets, mainly available through Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and maintained by the Joint Committee on Chinese Studies (JCCS), USA. Comprises maps, regional and national socio-economic statistics, 19990902

Information on transformation of Chinese geographical names to a new transcription system (Pinyin conversion). With lists of names of cities, provincies and regions etc. and links to relevant organisations. By the University of Illinois, 19990507

Article on the internet development in China and on internet resources in and on China, by Bick-har Yeung of the Melbourne University Library, Australia, 19990827

Searchable (still rather short) list of graduate students of Tibet, international and multidisciplinary. Entries provide contact details, research insterests and publications, 19991015

Newslettter on environmental and technological issues in China, by the US Embassy in Beijing. 20001117

Discussion list focussing on urban and regional developments in China, with subscription information; there is also a webpage available at the Mailbase server , 19990709

Subject guide to resources related to East Asia. Part of the much larger Asian Studies WWW-Virtual Library. Maintained by John Goulde at Sweet Briar College, VA, USA. 19991119

Directory of websites related to East Timor, formerly TimorNet, by the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Daily news, general history, an introductory course for students and a listing of external websites. 19991102

Gateway to news and reference information on eight countries of the Persian Gulf region--Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, by School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University in New York City, USA, 19990920

Basic gazetteer of over 5000 localities, including LAT and LON, and covering East Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and parts of India, by The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, 19990716

Website supporting grassroots protest against dam building and forced migration of thousands in villages which will be submerged by the river Narmada. With daily press releases, recently on people refusing to leave the area of the Sarovar dam and their arrest, 19990923

Campaign protesting against the dams on the river Narmada (e.g. the Sarovar dam) by this international organisation protecting river environments and striving for decommissioning of dam building projects. With map of the area, 19990923

Information on three newly proposed states, nrs. 26-28, which will be cut off from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. These stories by by the one of the major national news magazines, India Today, have maps, profiles and backgrounds. 20001218

Site of the dam developers with information on the construction and offical information on rehabilitation of displaced population and environmental measures, 19990923

Site by Ed Colijn, Netherlands on nature conservation i n Indonesia, mainly focussing on wildlife and ecology. Also contains extensive collection of pictures of the Borneo forest fires, 19990511

Large general web-directory for all things Iranian (and Persian), by a London Based IT consultancy, 19990720

Multifacetted site, rich in content, presenting various topics related to central Japan. It is structured around the old Nakasendo highway connecting Edo (Tokyo) with Kyoto. The highway flourished in the Edo Period (1600-1887) and passed through 69 postal towns. You can navigate by topic (as diverse as climate and geography, post-towns, castle towns, early history, rivers and waters, agriculture, the military, rural problems, architecture, tourism, etc.) or geographically by vitually travelling along the old route (in some 60 stretches). The site is rich in multimedia, but large files (many over 2000K) may take a while to download. 20000208

from the introduction: "This project, by Dr. R.T.A. Irving of Kwansei Gakuin University in Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and Dr. Thomas A. Stanley, Department of History, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, began as a multimedia CD-ROM project. It has been transferred from that media to the World Wide Web in stages and will ultimately be expanded beyond the CD-ROM presentation, especially in terms of photographs. The project contains some 225 articles of various, usually substantial, lengths (some 130,000 words in total), nearly 200 glossay items (or definitions) and over 300 photographs, maps and illustrations. More photographs will be added at a later time. This website also includes animations and conversations between members of a fictional party who "travelled" the

Nakasendo highway. Their conversations introduce clusters of topics which are then expanded on through the main articles which are in turn interactively linked to the glossary items and pictoral material."

Information on history and rehabilitation (environmental, health, economic) of this former Sovjet nuclear test site. Site by Government of Kazakhstan with support from the United Nations and UNDP. Unfortunately index frame may be unreadable. 19991108

Articles, working papers and full text books on the economic situation in the Koreas. Some full text books are only available in a special kind of preview PDF format which is not printable and which expires after two days. The better part of the publications are by Marcus Noland. Institute of International economics, Washington DC, USA. 20001215

Gateway to everything Korean: news, specialists, discussion lists, organisations, calls for papers, statistics etc, by Frank Hoffmann, Harvard University, USA, 19990927

Extensive listing of press coverage of North Korean issues. Subjects covered are international relations, business, food security and human rights. By Tim Beal, Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand

Articles, working papers and full text books on the economic situation in the Koreas. Some full text books are only available in a special kind of preview PDF format which is not printable and which expires after two days. The better part of the publications are by Marcus Noland. Institute of International economics, Washington DC, USA. 20001215

Directory of webinformation on a broad range of subjects for North Korea, by the Council on East Asian Libraries, 19990625

mailing list on developments in this Central-Asian borderland valley. To subscribe send E-mail to listproc@solar.rtd.utk.edu, without subject and without signature, with in the body of the message the line (without the quotes and with your names) "subscribe Ferghana-Valley firstname lastname", 19990319

Official government information  site of the Kyrgyz Republic, 19990831

Modest site focussing mainly on the Israeli-Palestinian water conflict, with some minor excursions to Southern Africa. The site contains links, commentary and news clippings form various publications. Infrequent updates. By Stefan Deconinck, Centre for Third World Studies, University of Ghent, Belgium. 20000414

Link to a Real Audio file with a 'Public Interest' radio interview broadcast 20000324 on military rule, human rights and the economy of Myanmar. By WAMU, the American University Radio in the Washington DC area. 20000710

from the press release: "Scientists supported by the National Geographic and Boston’s Museum of Science were able to operate Global Positioning System satellite equipment on the very top of Mount Everest last May and have determined the precise height of the world’s tallest mountain: about seven feet higher than the current official elevation." 19991115

self description: "NepalNet is an electronic network involving over thirty organizations -- ranging from governmental, non-governmental, and academic to research institutions in Nepal. NepalNet is a collaborative activity between these agencies, focused on sharing information on a website about socioeconomic development in Nepal."

Nepalnet provides information on participating development and environmental organiosations active in Nepal, basic country information, a photo gallery and events listing. The bulk of the content however consists of information on nine 'Key Development Sectors'. Here you find a fine selection of numerous articles from newspapers and chapters of reports and books. Content is provided by the 30 or so organisations participating in NepalNet and by individual jounalists and scientists. 20000724

US-based association. Publishers of the Himalayan Research Bulletin. Site offers electronic essays on culture, history, religion and access to maps, research institutes and book reviews, 19990701

General webdirectory for Nepal by Joachim Baaden, connected to Mainz University, Germany, 19990719

German research and information centre on the gulf state of Oman. Under resources|other projects there is the Oman Internet Project, providing access to pages on several Omani subjects, such as geology, archaeology and natural history. There are also links to websites on specific Omani regions and Zanzibar, which has been under Omani influence, 19990819

General directory of websites in Palestine territories. Maintained at Birzeit University. 19991123

self description: "a non-governmental, regional research institute established by Palestinian scholars, intellectuals and decision-makers to promote regional cooperation in an environment of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East region. It is an independent institution in its policies, programs and funding."

Overview of research and publications, mainly on regional politics and planning. 19991123

UCTAD report (1998) on the Palestinian economy going into resources, sectoral structure and prospects for economic cooperation with Israel and Arab States. 112 pp. Unfortunately figures used were are 3-4 years old on publication. 20000218

Articles and background documentation on this large southern Philippine island. The Moro Islamic Libreation Front (MILF) strives for independence from the Phlipipines for part of the island (the current autonomous region of muslim Mindanao). There is struggle going on not only with central authorities but also between different factions and peoples on the island. The site offers articles on Mindanao geography and history, on peace agreements, the ongoing struggle, views form diffenrent perpectives and profiles of political leaders and groups. By Accord, an international review of peace initiatives. 20000509

Multi-facetted information on the country by the Saudi Ministry of Information, 19990525

Full, illustrated introduction to the geography of Singapore, 19990226

General geography pages for teachers and students in secondary level education. Provides some useful essays and links to geographical aspects of Singapore, 19990726

The Southeast Asian Serials Database provides access to information on Southeast Asia through the indexing of some 100 academic and current affairs journals published in a range of countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and The Netherlands. It is a joint project of the Library, Australian National University (ANU) with the Library, The Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology (KITLV), Netherlands, 19990604

General government information page on Taiwan, 19990824

General subject guide for Tajikstan, provided by the Soros organisation as part of their Central Eausian Project. 19991117

Albania (.al)
 

Albanews Mailing List

News list, archives available, subscribe by mail to listserver, with just "subscribe albanews firstname lastname" in body of message (without the quotes, with your names), 19990324

Albanian homepage

Information gateway to Albania and Albanians including maps, history, mailings lists and newsgroups and a virtual tour; private initiative, 19990324

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Albania

Austria (.at)

capital city: Vienna

largest cities: 1. Vienna / 2. Graz / 3. Linz / 4. Salzburg / 5.Innsbruck

federal government: Republic of Austria
government departments listing: The Federal Ministries

Association for the advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS)

Provides newsletter, directory of higher education institutes etc, 19990225

Baltic Sea Environment homepage

General information on the state of the environment in the Baltic area by biochemistry student Adnan Qadir, 19990219

Baltic Sea Region GIS, Maps and Statistical Database

This Baltic Sea Region GIS, map and statistical database is a result of the Baltic Drainage Basin Project (BDBP).
The BDBP was a multi-disciplinary research project under the EU 1991-1994 Environment Research Programme. This database was developed as joint effort between the Beijer Institute, Stockholm, Department of Systems Ecology, tockholm University and UNEP/GRID-Arendal, Norway. Contains geodata (IDRISI, ArcInfo and Mapninfo), statistical (land-use) data and documents, 19990503

Bulgarian Statistical data

Online statistical data handbook 1997 provided by Bulgaria Online, 19990219

Atlas of the Czech Republic

Full thematical atlas including over 70 maps on population, employment, agriculture and living standards, by Jaroslav Maryáš, based on official statistics, 19990219

Central and Eastern Europe Internet Resources

Large collection of weblinks by country. Hundreds of authoritative links per country on topics as divers as news, politics, defense, history, culture, geography etc. The listing is strong in links to official documents and institutions, but also holds specialised links to relevant journal articles. By the Slavic Research Center - Hokkaido University, Japan. 20000218

Newly Independent States (NIS) and the former Sovjet Union Internet Resources

Large collection of weblinks by country. Hundreds of authoritative links per country on topics as divers as news, politics, defense, history, culture, geography etc. The listing is strong in links to official documents and institutions, but also holds specialised links to relevant journal articles. By the Slavic Research Center - Hokkaido University, Japan. 20000218

WWW Virtual Library: Russian and East European Studies (REESweb)

Gateway to East European and former Soviet Union links, by the University of Pittsburgh, 19990406

Atlas of Mortality in Europe

Interactive atlas of causes of death in Europe for 1980 and 1990, by region. You may produce maps, compare maps in one screen and view basic information on the European regions. Perpared by the World Health Organisation, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Statistics Netherlands and the Dutch National Institute for Health and the Environment. 19991126

Rivernet

News and information on European rivers. By ERN (European Rivers Network), a non-profit NOGO with the aim to "unite associations and organisations working on rivers and to increase communication between these organisations in order to better preserve the natural rivers in Europe". With resource pages for individual rivers. 20000626

World Health Organization - Country Information

Information on the state of health in European countries form the World Health Organisation (WHO). Also available for download: Health For All Statistical Database (update twice every year). 20000710

EU Enlargement

Website of the EU commission on all aspects of enlargement. With the commision's opinion, criteria for accession, information on the pre-accession cooperation programme PHARE, an overview of negotiations during the past few years and access to  reports for each of the candidate countries. The reports describe to what extent countries meet the criteria, provide statistics and information on administrative capacities and human rights. 19991210

Eurobarometer (EB) [PDF]

The Eurobarometer surveys of European Union's Directorate General X are held semi-annually since the early 70s. Currently they are based on 15,000 interviews with European citizens aged >15. They have a standard questionnaire focussing on interest in politics, knowledge of the European Union and support for the EU and its policies. Availabe in full text from number 44 (1996), with all tables, and in all three official EU languanges. Apart from the standard barometer surveys there are the special series, availabe in full text from 1996 onwards with in-depth surveys of subject as diverse as the Euro, biotechnology, racism, information society, holidays, sex tourism, food safety, the environment etc.. Ideal for longitudinal and country by country analysis of European Union issues. 19991130

European Topic Centre on Land Cover

Land cover project including large clickable (and zoomable) map of Europe with detailed land cover information. Extensive information on methodology, objectives etc. available. By the Topic Centre (MDC, Kiruna, Sweden) of the European Environment Agency (EEA, Copenhagen), 19990507

European Spatial Development Pespective PDF

Final and full text version of the document setting out guidelines for spatial development in the EU, agreed Potsdam 1999. These are quite large PDF files, containing full colour maps etc. The report itself consists of analysis of spatial development in the EU area as well as some guidelines which form a cautious attempt at physical planning at a European scale. 20010220

Inforegio

Informs on EU regional support, with news, all official documents (e.g. the European Spatial Development Perspective in full text) and agenda. By EU DG XVI 20000328

Rural Europe

Multilingual site focusing on policy for the rural regions of the European Union, especially the so-called Leader initiative subsidising local action groups and partnerships in rural regions. You'll find a newsletter, links to official documents, a simple regional database and picture collection, and links to national and regional initiatves. The site is mamaged by AEIDL (European Association for Information on Local Development), which monitors rural developments for the European Union. 20000309

Sixth Periodic Report on the Social and Economic Situation and Development of Regions in the European  Union TOPSOURCE

Full text of the report on regional development of EU regions; this is the main document supporting European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) policy and contains a wealth of detailed regional statistical information for all EU contries and Central-a dn eastern European Countries wanting to join the EU. The text is available in word and PFD formats, and all graphs, maps and tables in PDF as well, 19990716

Finland (.fi)

Virtual Finland

Official Finland page by the Finnish department of foreign affairs, 19990525

VTT C&I

Finnish (commercial) research centre focussing on communities and infrastructure, 19990525

France (.fr)

Adminet France: towns, regions, departments

Part of international French directory with comprehensive listing French sites by town, city, region and department, 19990415

Geography of France

Geography pages, including atlas of France; official site of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 19990415

Geological Reserves of France

Information on the geological history, heritage, current research and preservation of 10 French regions designated as geological reserves, 19990716

Indexa

General French internet directory, 19990415

Institut d'Aménagement et d'Urbanisme de la Région d'Ile de France

News and publications on planning in Paris and the Ile de France Region, 19990323

Les Parcs Naturels Régionaux de France

Full guide to the 36 regional nature parks in France, 19990415

Ministère de l'amenagement du territoire et de l'environnement (Ministry for planning and the environment)
Nomade

General French internet directory, 19990716

Quid TOPSOURCE

Online version of the respectable world almanac from France. Apart from the general subjects, there is a wealth of geo-information relating to France (as well as to the rest of the world). There are maps for all the 'départements' (click the map to get more detail). Description of geographical features of France is quite detailed. The site holds a wealth of statistics and facts covering georelevant subjects: population, economy, transoport. The unique database of information at the commune level in France (there are 36,511 of them!) is worth mentioning as well. 20000606

Paris in 350,000 photographs

Paris yellow pages service offering map based access to 350,000 photographs of streets and shop and house fronts. The large number of photographs allows even for a virtual ride through Paris. The purpose is commercial: view shops and getting  information on the shops in the photograph. But it can be of use for viewing building styles and new developments as well. Update frequency for the photographs is not given. 19991105

Voilà

General French internet directory, 19990716

Germany (.de)
capital city: Berlin
largest cities: 1. Berlin / 2. Hamburg / 3. Munich / 4. Cologne / 5. Frankfurt
federal government page: Bundesregierung
governments departments listing: Minsterien
Greece (.gr)

Technically advanced but slow website of the Athens Metro, detailing the construction and operation of the newly (Janaury 27th) opened metro line in the Greek capital, built to relieve the traffic in the streets, which is supposedly one of the worst in Europe. 20000131

West Hungarian Research Institute (WHRI), Györ

Research institute focussing on the spatial aspects of innovations and the local and regional economic development and the policy implications of these studies, 19990525

Iceland (.is)
 

Government of Iceland

Government homepage, links to all Icelandic ministries, 19990323

GEO.Icelandic earth science resources

A general gateway to earth science resources on Iceland, 19990225

South Iceland Geography

General South Iceland geography information, with special attention for the volcanic islands of Surtsey and Heimaey, provided by cooperation of a.o. the South Iceland Regional Development Board, 19990225

Full text of the National Spatial Strategy of the Irish Republic, published 28 november 2002 by the Irish Minister for the Environment and Local Government. Dowloadable in one large or several smaller files. The document outlines the present and future spatial structure of Ireland, foreseeing especially high growth rates for the Dublin agglomeration and for Galway on the westcoast. 20021209

The ministry of the environment delivered this document in May 2000 to prepare for the final National Spatial Strategy Report envisaged for December 2001. It sets out the type of national planning aimed at, central concepts (sustainability, regional competitiveness, consistency with the European Spatial Development Perspective etc.). 20010220

Popin Latvia - Population Information Latvia

Gateway to population resources on Latvia, by Demography Centre of University of Latvia, with UNFPA support, 19990225

Lithuania (.lt)
 

Environment of Lithuania

A general gateway to sites concerning the Lithaunia environment, with links to full-text government reports. No author stated, 19990225

Official Web Page of the Republic of Moldova

General government information pages on Moldova, 19990826

CITY informatiecentrum Rotterdam

Information on new urban development in the Rotterdam town-centre, in Dutch, 19981030

Cijfers over wonen 2002 (Housing figures, in Dutch)

Statistical database on Dutch housing with information on population, housing stock, demand, supply, financing and housing developemnt programmes, 20030112

De Rijn op termijn (in Dutch)

Report by Delft Hydraulics on the future of safety, transportation and quality of living aspects in the Dutch river delta area, 1990225

Dutch High Speed Line project (HSL-Zuid)

The planned new high-speed rail link between Amsterdam and the Belgian border is part of the larger project Amsterdam-Paris. Construction works start in 1999. Information on the route, maps, financing, publications etc, by the Ministry of Transport, 19991027

Dutch High Speed Line project (HSL-Oost, in Dutch)

Government information on the proposed high speed rail link from Amsterdam to the German border via Utrecht. The line should give The Randstad a fast connection with Cologne and Frankfurt and the further destination in the German high speed rail system. The rolling stock is already operational but limited to 140km/h awaiting the construction or upgrading of tracks. The site boosts the full 'Trajectnota' (planning report) and brief infromation on the planning procedure. By the Ministry of Transport. 20010206

Geef mij de ruimte (in Dutch)

Campaign to engage the general public in the Netherlands in the physical and environmental planning discussion. With the online survey at this site the the Ministry of Housing, Physcial Planning and the Environment (VROM) wants to generate more input for the Fifth Report of Physical Planning currently in preparation. The survey explicitly addresses environmental and planning conflicts but has some major survey-technical flaws. 20000225

Geography of The Netherlands

Metasite on geography of the Netherlands. Simple but effective listing of sites on geographically relevant aspects of the Netherlands. Strong is waterrelated and land-use subjects and with some bias towards the south of the country (Noord-Brabant and Limburg provinces). Maintaned by Theo van de Mortel at Raayland College, Venray, Netherlands 20000323

Index (in Dutch)PDF

Magazine of the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics. Each issue has discussion of recent statistics on a specific of subject. By now, a wide range of subjects has been covered. Available in full text. 20010306

Interwad (some parts in Dutch)

Information on the large wetland area called Waddenzee (Dutch) in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. With many maps and news on planning, environmental issues and conflicting land use. 20000228

Nationaal verkeers- en vervoersplan NVVP (National Transport Plan), in Dutch with summaries in English and German

The leading central government document with proposals for new transport policy. 20001031

Overheid.nl

Official website of the Dutch governement, with links to national and regional government bodies and many full text official documents, including all those of the Parliament, 19990907

Perspectievennota Verkeer en Vervoer (1999)

Discussion document for transport planning issues by Transport Ministry, available full text in PDF format, 19990312

Rhine-Meuse Delta studies

Large scale research project into the palaeogeography of the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands. Based on 25 years of boring, the project has resulted in numerous publications. This site explains the why and how of the project and has all details on publications and participants, as well as some beautiful maps of the river channels, avulsions. holocene sediments etc. By the department of physical geography, Utrecht Univeristy, The Netherlands. 20010420

Ruimtelijk Planbureau (or in Dutch)

Government think-tank on urban and regional planning, a split off from the Planning ministry. Active from january 2002. 20040112

Startnota (or "Houtskoolschets") by planning ministry

Spatial planning document to start discussion over the 5th Report of Physical Planning, due 1999; full text in PDF-format available, 19990219

State of the Environment 1998 (Milieubalans 1998), by the RIVM

'State of the environment' of the Netherlands by the government funded research organisation RIVM, in Dutch, 19990219

Transparant Amsterdam

Presents an overview planning in the Amstardam region, also includes map with proposed developments, 19981030

Toekomstige Nederlandse Luchtvaart Infrastructuur (project TNLI) (in Dutch)

Government initiated project to enhance discussion on the future of aviation infrastructure (i.e. airports) in the Netlerlands. The project has been closed, but the site is still usefull, because it discloses many documents and consultants' research findings in full text, 19990914

Vijfde Nota Ruimtelijke Ordening (Fifth Report on Physical Planning) (in Dutch)

January 2001 release of the new main report on physical planning in the Netherlands. By the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment. Several PDF files, or one zipped file.20000112

VROM

Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment, in Dutch, 19981030

Zwolle Interactive Innnercity Planning initiative

Zwolle, a medium-sized town in the 'near east' of the Netherlands has called for plans to renew part of the city. Some 15 architects and planners have come up with solutions the motorway which cuts through the town centre. This site gives all the information, a virtual tour, the philosophy behind the initiative, votes on the different designs and links to the proposals that have been brought forward. 20000131

NIBR (Norwegian Institute for urban and regional research)

Oslo based public research institute, with a special branch for research on the remote North of Norway, 19990922

ODIN (Official documentation and information from Norway)

Official govenment information pages on Norway. Provides access to government departments and information for visitors and business, 19990922

Access to aerial photographs of Lisbon an Oporto and landsat images for the whole of Portugal. By the Centro Nacional de Informação Geográfica (CNIG) 20000229

Cultural conservation and environment in Western Siberia

Extensive description of a research and action project in Western Siberia focussing on the Khanty people and their threatened environment, by Dr. Wiget of new Mexico State University, 19981019

Wetlands (Ramsar sites)

At the State Institute of for Applied Ecology site there is an ongoing project to disseminte information on Ramsar sites (wetlands of international importance) in Russia. Currently there is information, including maps, for five areas: Volga delta (Astrakhan Region); Kama-Bakaldino mires (Nizhni Novgorod Region); Svir Delta (Leningrad Region); Southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea (Leningrad Region); Kurgalsky Peninsula (Leningrad Region). 20000411

Romania - Encyclopedic Survey

General information on Romania, contains large geography section, including simple maps of all counties and many towns, by the Research Institute for Informatics, 19990323

The Romania Pages links page

General and geographical links relating to Romania by Jeroen Van Marle, a dutch Romania specialist, 19990820

Urban Planning Institute (UI)

Government research institute for urban planning and regional development in Slovenia. 19991129

Geological Bibliography of the Iberian Pensinsula

Modest bibliography (over 5700 records). It covers  Spain, Andorra, French Pyrenees, Balearic and Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, Portugal, Madeira and Azores Islands, Western Mediterranean, Bay of Biscay and Iberian Atlantic coast. Includes several descriptors, by the library of the Institute of Earth Sciences "Jaume Almera" (CSIC) at Barcelona, Spain, 19990715

Abisko Scientific Research Station

Research centre on the cold northern area of Swedish Lapland in Kiruna, part of the Swedish Academy of Sciences, 19990323

Guide to the earth sciences in Switzerland. With institutions, universities, geoengineering companies etc. Only indirectly access to information on Switzerland itself. 20000303

Chronology of British Hydrological Events (CBHE)

Database containing information on floods, droughts and other hydrological events in Britain up to 1929, by the University of Dundee, 19990726

Gazetteer for Scotland

Place information for Scotland. This project hold informations on towns and villages, natural features, hostoric and touristic sites as well as family names and famous people. It holds texts as wells as photograps and other multimedia. It is developed jointly by the Department of Geography at the University of Edinburgh (Bruce Gittings) and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (David Munro). Currently it claimes 50% coverage. To get an idea of what is available and what is not use the search by region facility, this produces a full list of toponymes and names. Entries are substantially longer than those in worldwide gazetteers. 19991104

London Topographical Society

Society for the advancement of the study of London history, growth and topography. Publishes books, annotated maps and newsletter, 19990820

RUDI - Resource for Urban Design Information

Extensive listings of urban design organisations and companies, access to awards and bibliographies. Contains 'case studies' with photographs and links of specific cities and design schemes. Discussion list available. Mainly UK focuss, 19990720

Urban Task Force

The urban task force spearheads the UK urban policy as formulated by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Site contains extensive summary of 1999 report "Towards an urban renaissance", 19990720

Welcome to Scotland

A general guide to Scotland, providing news and information on geography, history, politics and culture of Scotland. A service of the Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh. 19991104

Protected Areas of the Balkans and Kosovo

This Wold Conservation Monitoring Centre page provides access to maps and further links on the environment and nature of Kosovo and the wider Western Balkans area, 19990625

Australia's nantional surveying organisation site with many maps (clickable and zoomable), geographical information, a gazetteer, and information on available data, aerial photographs and satellite images, 19990909

Excellent link page on Australian Geology. By the Mineral Service company on their GeologyOne website. 20001215

Mailing list of the Institute of Australian Geographers. To subscribe send E-mail to listproc@ssn.flinders.edu.au, without subject, without signature and in the body of the message just "SUBSCRIBE IAG-List your E-mail address" inserting your own E-mail address, 19990510

Aussie pictures galore at this site, which provides a central index to thousands of Australian photographs at websites of participating organisations. There are good metadata and search functions. Also inludes some 'picture trails' with selections made for you. Most pictures are of historical, cultural and wildlife interest, but geography may find numerous intersting photographs by doing a placename search. By the Australian National Library, Canberra. 20001215

Body coordinating the provision of spatial data, promting data infrastructure and standardisation, with a large and well strcutured list of links to Australian and New Zealand geo-information, 19990909

Comprehensive evaluation journal of websources on Pacific countries and issues.Modelled on the older Asian Studies WWW-monitor. By Matthew Ciolek, Australian national University. You have to subscribe to receive the information by email. 20030328

server adress: majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au

to subscribe send E-mail to above address with the folliwing text in the body of the message (without the quotes and inserting your own name):

"subscribe pacific-islands-L firstname lastname"

General, but not official, private page on Vanuatu by the Canadian Stan Combs. Apart from many links to other Vanuatu pages, it has articles on geography, local customs and language and some interviews with locals, 20030327