Currently the main print reference work for Africa is Africa South of the Sahara, an annual compendium that includes short histories of each country, along with basic economic and political data, lists of key government figures, names and addresses of important newspapers and organizations. The volumes also contain information on international organizations and treaties that govern relations between African states. Similar information can be found in the Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, also in the reference section. Now out of date, but useful for constructing timelines for events in years past, is Africa Contemporary Record. ACR provides information on political and economic changes by country, for each year, as well as essays on general trends.
Current Events Unfolding events in Africa are hard to follow in American newspapers.
FBIS collects reports of political events, human rights issues, public health problems and programs, structural adjustment lending, etc. FBIS is now on line, under the name World Connection Service, making access to daily reports easier. The Financial Times of London contains more Africa coverage than most newspapers, although it privileges market reports and economic issues. The business school library receives copies and has an index to back issues. There are several news weeklies that carry current news stories, some of them on the soft or gossipy side.