Uncle Sam's Reference Shelf

The crown jewel of United States statistical information re: pretty much everything is the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Published by the Census Bureau, the 2004-2005 edition is now available online. This JUICY publication provides statistical tables and charts covering various aspects of social, political, and economic life. Emphasis is on the United States, but some tables cover comparative international statistics. Information is gathered from all agencies of the federal government and from private, commercial, and professional sources. This is a great read, for substantive information and trivia alike. The Publication dates back to 1878. For historical coverage, choose "selected earlier editions" from the link above.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat