Information for individual countries is contained in thirteen separate volumes, each devoted to one country or a group of countries. The Combined Volume integrates the information from each of the thirteen into a single volume. In the volumes that contain information for more than one country, the countries are presented alphabetically according to the English spelling of the country name. Within each country's presentation, the front portion lists alphabetically all the known languages of that country along with relevant information about each language. Following the language information is a bibliographic listing of publications that relate to the languages of that country.
Vernacular publications are books written specifically for mother-tongue speakers.
Technical publications are written to describe the richness and uniqueness of individual languages and cultures. The language information and the publications represent many years of difficult study and research. We are especially indebted to the indigenous peoples of the Americas who have made the study and research possible, and whose languages and cultures contribute an enriching legacy to the western hemisphere. All the source information for Living Languages of the Americas is in English. Time and resources precluded its translation into other languages.