Country Information (Bidding Resources)

Please go to our U.S. Destinations section to research domestic assignments.

Government Resources
Post Reports 
NOTE: The State Department has removed post reports from the Internet, so this link accesses older versions available elsewhere. Updated post reports are available on the State Department intranet and can be e-mailed by choosing "view complete report," clicking the printer icon, and using the "File/Send Page by E-mail" option.
Post Classification and Payment Tables
Allowances and differentials by country
U.S. Missions Online
Internet links for U.S. embassies, consulates, and Virtual Presence Posts around the world
Family Member Employment Information
Family Liaison Office resources for job seekers, including an updated list of bilateral work agreements and de facto work arrangements
SNAP Job Search Assistance Tool
Employment opportunities in the U.S. and around the world, also provided by the Family Liaison Office
Office of Overseas Schools 
School Fact Sheets on schools supported by the U.S. Department of State. OTHER GOOD SCHOOLS are often available at post; check the post report (link above) or contact the Community Liaison Office Coordinator or Management Officer.
Inspector General Reports
Inspection reports summarizing the main tasks and challenges at post (not available for all countries)
Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets
Summaries of dangers, areas of instability, health concerns, crime, and unusual currency or entry requirements
Background Notes
Facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty
CIA World Factbook
Summaries of country information and rankings by various factors
Health Information for Foreign Countries
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel health information.
NOTE: For post medical handbooks and immunizations recommended for U.S. Government employees overseas, go to www.travax.com. Log-in and password information is available on the Office of Medical Services intranet site or from your post medical personnel or CLO Coordinator.
U.S. Commercial Service
International Listings
Library of Congress Country Studies
Description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of selected countries (published 1988-98)
United States Agency for International Development
A variety of resources
Overseas Security Advisory Council
Global security news and reports
Peace Corps   
Find out what it's like to be a Volunteer from the people who know best--the Volunteers themselves.

**See our listing of cultural resources in the "Success Overseas" section

Non-Government Resources
Real Post Reports
First person descriptions of overseas posts
CultureGrams (OBC Subscription: contact OBC for user name and password)
Cultural and other country information; also offers a special Kids Edition on 68 countries
Wikipedia
Online encyclopedia providing general, frequently updated country information and links
Lonely Planet Destinations
Country information
GlobalEDGE
country data resources from Michigan State University
BBC Country Profiles
Basic country information, plus audio/video clips and articles where available
http://www.citymayors.com
Extensive information about the world's cities
Trekearth or Flickr or Picasa
Online photo galleries
World66
Travel guide written by users
Expat-Blog or Glimpse Abroad
Blogs from around the world
LangMedia
Language and Cultural resources (including video and audio materials) for selected countries
Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) 
 Many useful articles about overseas life in general, plus the Livelines e-mail group offers 24/7 answers to questions about posts.

The above links are for informational purposes only and in no way constitute an endorsement, expressed or implied, by the Department of State. Links to websites outside the U.S. federal government or the use of trade, firm, or corporation names are for the convenience of the user and do not constitute an official endorsement or approval of any private sector website, product, service, or privacy policy.

The Overseas Briefing Center offers many more resources via the State Department intranet, including all of OBC's handouts, "Personal Post Insights" (first-person opinions on life at post), pet entry requirements by country, and "Post Info To Go," offering every electronic file OBC has received from posts. These materials may be requested via e-mail by U.S. Government employees and family members with overseas assignments if you (or a spouse or friend) cannot access our intranet site.

For those able to reach Arlington, Virginia, the OBC Information Center provides a comfortable location to explore the above resources. Additional materials include over 1200 post videos and DVDs, school yearbooks, and other print publications; supervised children are welcome.