News archive
23 Nov 2009 --Final geopolitical ontology and new web services now available
The final version of the geopolitical ontology 1.0 has just been released at the geopolitical information page of the FAO Country Profiles. This new version includes additional data at country level, such as, currency names and codes, adjectives of nationality, the DBPedia/Wikipedia ID, and basic statistical data, such as land area, population or Gross domestic product (GDP).
The new geopolitical ontology web services retrieve specific data from the geopolitical ontology and return it in XML format. These new web services facilitate country-based information exchange, integration and re-use by information systems.
Check the web services page for a detailed description.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ webservices.asp?lang=en
10 Nov 2009 --Improved coverage of rural poverty and environmental issues through collaboration with IFAD and WRI
The FAO Country Profiles expands its coverage providing direct access to partner organizations country profiles in the areas of agriculture, natural resources and fight against hunger and rural poverty.
The Rural Poverty Country Profiles, produced by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), are now available in the General Information, Economic Situation and Food security and Safety sections of the FAO Country Profiles.
In addition, various thematic profiles produced by EarthTrends of the World Resources Institute (WRI) have been linked in relevant sections of the FAO country profiles. EarthTrends thematic profiles cover areas such as: Agriculture and Food, Biodiversity and Protected Areas, Climate and Atmosphere, Water Resources and Freshwater Ecosystems or Economics, Business, and the Environment.
6 Oct 2009 --Volunteer in the FAO Country Profiles team
Louis Ickx, from the École Supérieure d'Electronique de l'Ouest (Angers, France), spent six weeks at FAO during the summer. His background is in electronics and informatics. Volunteering for the FAO Country profiles team made him see how it can serve a humanitarian mandate.
A bit of a cosmopolitan traveller himself, Louis argues that his experience gave him a unique perspective. Watch the video (803 MB) and find out why!
8 Sep 2009 --Discover the data sources that make up the FAO Country Profiles site
The FAO Country Profiles site now includes an Inventory of data sources. This is a list of the most important sources of data that contribute to the profiles of countries.
Some data sources are generic such as the FAO Corporate Document Repository or the FAO Projects in a country. Other sources involve the country activities of entire FAO departments such as the Forestry Country Profiles, while others are more specific and deal with themes such as the Biotechnology Country Profiles or the Nutrition Country Profiles.
Go to the Inventory of data sources Web page to see the full list.
10 Aug 2009 --Learn about the updated geopolitical ontology and the new module maker service
A new version of the geopolitical ontology 0.9 (beta) and the module maker service have just been released.
The updated geopolitical ontology includes new information such as: Italian names for most of territories, 2009 LIFDC group members, the ISO2, ISO3, UN, UNDP, FAOSTAT, FAOTERM and GAUL codes for US Virgin Islands, the ISO2 code for Antarctica, and the GAUL and ISO3 code for Serbia and Montenegro.
The ontology also updates the following items: the new official name for the Plurinational State of Bolivia in all languages, Faroe Islands names in English and the ISO3 code for Tokelau.
The new module maker service has been developed to facilitate the re-use of the reference data in the ontology by third-parties. This service allows users to select portions of the ontology (for example, the FAO member countries only) and export the selected data in RDF, XML or CSV formats for download and re-use.
In parallel to the updates and new services, an article entitled “Integrating country-based heterogeneous data at the United Nations: FAO’s geopolitical ontology and services” was recently presented by FAO Country Profiles team members at the 2009 Semantic Technology Conference.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ geoinfo.asp?lang=en
15 Jun 2009 --Now online updated list of low income food-deficit countries
The low income food-deficit countries Web page has been recently updated.
The list of the LIFDCs stands at 77 countries, five less than those in the 2008 LIFDC list. These five are: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde and Tonga. All five graduated from the list having completed the "transitional phase", exceeding the World Bank income threshold for three consecutive years.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ lifdc.asp?lang=en
31 Mar 2009 --Fresh new look for the FAO Country Profiles
The FAO Country Profiles web site has recently unveiled its new look and feel following FAO's online corporate identity. Improved navigation as well as a new content are just some of the new features. To make it easier to bookmark and share information the AddThis button has been included at the bottom of each FAO country profile. The button also helps send content to social bookmarking services and social networks.
The FAO Country Profiles team looks forward to receiving your comments at fao-country-profiles@fao.org.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ default.asp?lang=en
20 Mar 2009 --New version of the geopolitical ontology is now available
A new version of the geopolitical ontology 0.8 (beta) has just been released. It includes updated group names: official, short, and names for lists; updated and extended list of predecessors: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, German Democratic Republic, Serbia and Montenegro, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, and their corresponding successors; and updated and corrected membership lists for northern and southern Africa.
In parallel, the FAO Country Profiles team has recently published an article on Wikipedia on ‘Geopolitical ontology’ that introduces the concept to the Wikipedia readers. It is available in English at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geopolitical_ontology and in Spanish at http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontolog%C3%ADa_Geopol%C3%ADtica.
Finally an article entitled “Integrating country-based heterogeneous data at the United Nations: FAO’s geopolitical ontology and services” was lately published on Semantic Universe (www.semanticuniverse.com), a portal that brings in semantic technology and its application to the public. This article provides an overview of geopolitical ontology to Semantic technology experts and other business sectors and explains how geopolitical ontology was applied to the FAO Country Profiles. The article is available at: http://www.semanticuniverse.com/articles-integrating-country-based-heterogeneous-data-united-nations-fao%E2%80%99s-geopolitical-ontology-and
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ geoinfo.asp
16 Dec 2008 --The FAO Country Profiles site now organises information according to FAO's new priority areas for action
The FAO Country Profiles site uses two ways to make information easily accessible to users. Firstly, FAO's information on its global activities in agriculture and development are grouped according to its areas of expertise: natural resources, economics, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and technical cooperation. These groups are based on the work of departments within FAO.
Secondly, information is arranged according to priority areas for action that FAO has identified. These priority areas correspond to FAO's strategic response to a fast-changing world where issues ranging from biotechnology to climate change and trade present new challenges and choices to governments and the public. They are:
- biodiversity
- biotechnology
- climate change
- emergency relief and development aid
- food security and safety
- trade and prices
- water resources and use
For an example, visit the India country profiles page, to see information organised by these new FAO priority areas: http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=IND&paia=4
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&iso3=IND&paia=4
21 Nov 2008 --News and events published by FAO partners embedded into the FAO Country Profiles
The FAO Country Profiles is now embedding news and events related to agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development published by FAO partners and registered in the innovative and fast-growing AgriFeeds service.
AgriFeeds is a service that allows users to search, filter and re-publish news and events from several RSS feeds. It is a one-stop shop on recent information related to agriculture (including fisheries, natural resources and related domains). The service has been developed by FAO in partnership with the Consultative Groups on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the Global Forum on Agriculture Research (GFAR), the Global Forest Information Service (GFIS) and the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD).
The FAO Country Profiles give access to these news and events coming from more than 50 information sources already registered in AgriFeeds.
To see an example of news and events coming from AgriFeeds: http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&ISO3=ITA
To learn more about AgriFeeds: http://www.agrifeeds.org
17 Nov 2008 --New charts on Fishery Production Statistics
To help its audiences learn more about the Fishery Production Statistics, a range of charts are now available on the FAO Country Profiles enabling users to visualize information by country related to the Global Production, Global Capture Production and Global Aquaculture Production.
Charts can be viewed once a country has been selected, by clicking on the FAO field of expertise ‘Fishery sector’.
For example see:
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&iso3=BRA&subj=6
24 Oct 2008 --A new way to manage and exchange geopolitical information: FAOs geopolitical ontology
FAO has recently launched a geopolitical ontology, providing a new mechanism to describe, manage and exchange geopolitical information. The major goals of the geopolitical ontology are to provide a master reference for the FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System (FCPMIS), and to offer users with the most validated and updated geopolitical information.
When working with geopolitical information, people want to find the most up-to-date information as quickly as possible. This is not an easy task and researchers end up spending a considerable amount of time searching through websites and documents to find the required information, and checking its validity and currency.. The new geopolitical ontology provides mechanisms to satisfy these needs.
An Ontology is a kind of dictionary that describes information in a certain domain written in a XML-based standard language understood by humans and computers. The geopolitical ontology describes information about countries, such as Afghanistan, groups like least developed countries, and relationships among countries and groups, such as has border with and is in group.
The current version of FAOs geopolitical ontology provides validated geopolitical information up to the current year. It provides names in FAO languages for all territories and groups as well as mappings among all available coding systems: ISO2, ISO3, AGROVOC, FAOSTAT, FAOTERM, GAUL, UN, and UNDP codes. In addition the ontology tracks historical changes from 1985 up until today; provides geolocations (geographical coordinates); implements relationships among countries and countries or countries and groups including has border with, is predecessor of, is successor of, is administered by, has member, and is in Group.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ geoinfo.asp?lang=en
11 Jul 2008 --FAO launches a project to upgrade its Country Profiles Mapping Information System
In May 2008, FAO approved a project that will provide an upgrade to the FAO Country Profiles Mapping Information System (FCPMIS) launched in 2002. The project aims to enhance users' access to country information on FAO's expertise and increase collaboration among FAO's technical divisions and decentralized offices as well as partners in other organizations.
FAO is involved in the development and dissemination of international standards and procedures for agricultural information management. The new version of the FCPMIS will play an important role in facilitating the adoption of international standards for country and regional data within the FAO and with its external partners to enable data sharing and aggregation.
This project is already underway and at its first stage will create the framework for identifying and fixing outdated or erroneous information in the FCPMIS, in addition, it will foster participation by encouraging the involvement of stakeholders and informing them of the project's workflow.
The planned end date of the project is December 2009. For more information please contact fao-country-profiles@fao.org
19 May 2006 --A link to FAO-GeoNetwork is now available on the country profiles site
Users can now access FAO-GeoNetwork on the FAO country profiles. FAO-GeoNetwork is a web based Geographic Data and Information Management System which enables easy access to local and distributed geospatial information catalogues and makes available data, graphics, documents (and any other content type) for immediate download. FAO-GeoNetwork holds approximately 5000 standardized metadata records for digital and paper maps, most of them at the global, continent and national level.
To view the link to FAO-GeoNetwork, select a country and click on "Sustainable Development" on the left side of the page.
21 Mar 2006 --Statistics on Food Security are now available on the FAO Country Profiles site
Users can now access food security statistics with data on, for example;
To view statistics on Food Security, choose a country and then select 'Economic situation' or 'Agriculture sector'.
21 Nov 2005 --Now online updated list of low income food-deficit countries
The low income food-deficit countries Web page has been recently updated.
The list stands at 82 countries. With respect to the 2004 LIFDC classification, Maldives and Samoa have been removed from the list, while no new countries have entered the list.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ lifdc.asp?lang=en
8 Jul 2005 --Country progress reports on achieving the World Food Summit and Millennium Development Goals now linked to country profiles
Documents from the FAO Statistics Division on 'Monitoring progress towards hunger reduction goals of the World Food Summit and the Millennium Declaration' that contain key figures on food supply and undernourishment by country are now linked to the country profiles Web site.
To view the links to the PDF documents, select a country and on the left side of the page click on 'Economic situation'. Or click on 'FAO's priority areas' and choose 'Food for the cities'.
3 May 2005 --FAO Regional Offices - Revamping of RAP Web site
The FAO Decentralized Offices Web page now links to the revamped and enriched Web site for the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) located in Bangkok, Thailand.
To view the Web site, click on the 'FAO Decentralized Offices' menu on the left side of the page and then on the 'Regional Offices' tag.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ physical_presence.asp?lang=en
25 Apr 2005 --Links to national soil degradation maps
Now linked on most FAO country profiles are National Soil Degradation Maps from the Land and Plant Nutrition Management Service.
To view the map, select a country and under FAO's fields of expertise click on 'Agriculture sector'. In the right hand column of the country profile click on 'Soil degradation map'.
2 Mar 2005 --Updated links to the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture
The FAO Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) has developed a suite of software tools called the “GIEWS Workstation”. GIEWS Workstation facilitates access and processing of food security-related information for monitoring food supply and demand in virtually all countries around the world.
The GIEWS Workstation software is a Geographic Information System (GIS) and Web based information system including tools to assist users in gathering food security related information at global, national and sub-national levels. The workstation gives support to GIEWS activities providing easy access to digital and spatially-related information such as real-time satellite images and baseline data (topography, hydrology, climate, etc.).
To view the link, select a country and click on 'Economic situation' on the left side of the page.
For example see: http://www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&iso3=THA&subj=3
25 Feb 2005 --A link to the 'International Portal on Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health' is now available on the country profiles site
The International Portal on Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health (IPFSAPH) provides access to standards, legislation, regulations, and other official materials related to sanitary and phytosanitary measures. The purpose of IPFSAPH is to ensure food safety, protect animal and plant health, and facilitate trade in food and agriculture.
The country view of IPFSAPH is best for researching the types of World Trade Organization cases/notifications in which that country has been involved, obtaining background material on relevant legislation, or finding contact details for the various official contact points.
To view the IPFSAPH profiles, select a country and under FAO's fields of expertise click on 'Agriculture sector'.
For example see: http://www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&iso3=ALB&subj=4
23 Nov 2004 --FAO Liaison Offices - New Web site for LONY and revamping of LOGE Web site
The FAO Decentralized Offices Web page now links to the new Web site for FAO's Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York (LONY) and the revamped and enriched Web site for the Liaison Office with the United Nations in Geneva (LOGE).
To view the Web sites, click on the 'FAO Decentralized Offices' menu on the left side of the page and then on the 'Liaison Offices' tag.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ physical_presence.asp?lang=en
16 Nov 2004 --Now online updated list of low income food-deficit countries
The low income food-deficit countries Web page has been recently updated.
The list now stands at 84 countries. With respect to the 2003 LIFDC classification, Cuba and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have been removed from the list and three new countries, namely Timor-Leste, Tonga and Zimbabwe have been added.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ lifdc.asp?lang=en
6 Apr 2004 --A link to the 'Developing Country Biotechnology Profiles' is now available on the country profiles site
'Developing Country Biotechnology profiles', a searchable database which aims to provide easy access to key, updated sources of information regarding biotechnology-related policies, regulations and activities of individual developing countries has been launched by FAO.
The database is a one-stop shop for key information that is currently scattered across a variety of Web sites and systems. Where available, information for each country focuses on the following 11 subjects: biotechnology research policy; research capacity (key institutions; summary of major research programmes); biotechnology regulatory framework (biosafety; food safety; patents; plant variety protection; plant genetic resources; animal genetic resources); biotechnology applications and publications and links.
To view the Biotechnology profiles, select a country and click on FAO's priority areas. Then choose Biotechnology.
For example see: http://www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&iso3=HND&paia=9
31 Mar 2004 --FAO country office Web sites and contact information
When a user selects a country such as Afghanistan from the drop-down menu on the homepage, a link to the FAO Country Representation Web site appears in the top right-hand corner of the page.
When the country Web site is not available as in the case of Cape Verde, contact information for the country Representative is listed instead, including the postal address and the email.
For example see: http://www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&ISO3=AFG and http://www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ index.asp?lang=en&ISO3=CPV
11 Mar 2004 --Flags for FAO's 187 Member Countries now online
A new Web page listing the flags of FAO's 187 member countries is now online in all five official languages of the Organization.
The flags are the official versions recognized by the United Nations system and are therefore a valuable reference tool for external audiences. Clicking on the country name takes the user to the relevant FAO country profile.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ flags.asp?lang=en
8 Mar 2004 --Revamping of FAO country profile interactive maps
FAO country profile interactive maps which allow audiences to learn more about the world's developing nations by helping them visualize themes related to environment, food production and population distribution, have been revamped.
The new visual identity promotes usability, reflects FAO's corporate image and places them in context by providing links to the FAO Country profiles homepage and FAO's web site. The wide selection of online maps and satellite images (more than 1600 in total) also provide a link to the relevant country profile.
For example see: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ Maps/ SOM/ 17/ rl/ index.html
19 Jan 2004 --New import-export commodity statistics grouped by country
Now linked to the Country Profiles site are new dynamic pages from the Statistics Division detailing national commodity import and export figures.
After selecting a country on the country profiles homepage drop down, click on the 'Economic Situation' menu on the left side of the page to view the top twenty commodities imported and exported by the country selected as well as total US$ value per year and US$ unit value per year.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ es/ ess/ toptrade/ trade.asp?lang=en
13 Oct 2003 --New Web page on low income food-deficit countries now online
A new Web page listing the world’s low-income food-deficit countries with links to the relevant country profile is now online.
The list of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs) was developed by FAO in the late 1970s to assist in analysing and discussing food security issues. LIFDCs are currently defined as nations with a per capita net income lower than that which the World Bank uses to determine eligibility for International Development Association (IDA) assistance, and with a negative trade balance in cereals averaged over the previous five years.
The page also provides relevant links to international organizations that produce their own groupings on countries with low-income economies, least-developed countries and landlocked developing countries.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ lifdc.asp?lang=en
19 Sep 2003 --Fresh new look for FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System Web site
The FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System has been relaunched with a fresh new look to capitalize on the site’s potential to deliver well-organized, country-specific information on agriculture and food security.
Improved navigation as well as a richer content including a wide range of interactive country maps are just some of the new features.
1 Aug 2003 --Interactive, dynamic maps enhance knowledge-sharing on Country Profiles site
To help its audiences learn more about the world's developing nations, a range of dynamic online maps and satellite images are now available on FAO's Country Profiles and Mapping Information System enabling users to visualize themes related to environment, food production and population distribution.
Maps can be viewed once a country has been selected, by clicking on a FAO field of expertise such as the 'Agriculture Sector'. Links will then appear for maps related to themes as diverse as land cover, temperature or agriculture production.
5 Jun 2003 --FAO field projects information now indexed by country and available to users
Internet users can now view the Organization's vast range of global field projects by country. By clicking on Technical Cooperation in the 'FAO's field of expertise' menu, users see a full list of ongoing field projects by subject, FAO department and budget listed according to the country they have selected.
The Technical Cooperation Department, which collates FAO's field project information has overall responsibility for the operational activities of the Organization, including policy assistance, investment support and the overall management of activities associated with the formulation and implementation of in-country, subregional and regional programmes and projects, including those in response to a natural or man-made disaster.
For example see: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=VNM&subj=7
9 Apr 2003 --New thematic maps give visual key to Persian Gulf
As world interest in the Persian Gulf intensifies, better knowledge and understanding of the region become increasingly important. Providing the most current information available can enrich debate and ensure that future decisions are well-informed.
To help its audiences learn more, a new range of dynamic online maps and satellite images is now available on FAO’s Country Profiles and Mapping Information System so that users can now visualize themes related to environment, food production and population distribution for each of the countries in the Gulf area.
Once a country has been selected, clicking on a FAO field of expertise such as the ‘Agriculture Sector’ allows the user to view a wide selection of maps related to that country. For example land cover and temperature in Iraq or precipitation in Kuwait.
The FAO Country Profiles System also lists related information such as web pages, press releases, documents and the most up-to-date statistics on countries in the greater Gulf area encompassing Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and several adjacent countries: Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar and Bahrain
FAO is actively involved in food security and anti-poverty projects throughout the Gulf area and has just launched a $86 million emergency appeal for Iraq.
28 Mar 2003 --New commodities production page links to Country Profiles System
A new web page showing global commodity production by country has been launched by the Statistics Division of FAO's Economic and Social Department with an additional link to the Country Profiles System if users wish to find out more about the country selected.
Visitors to the 'Major Food and Agricultural Commodities Producers' page can see the top-twenty producing countries for a specific commodity with production in metric tonnes and are also able to select a country and view the top twenty commodities which it produces.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ es/ ess/ top/ country.jsp
11 Dec 2002 --Country Profiles in Arabic and Chinese to capture greater global audience
The Country Profiles system is now online in all five official languages of the Organization in order to optimize access by FAO’s global Internet audiences.
Initially published in English, French and Spanish, the Arabic and Chinese versions are now live in accordance with FAO’s commitment to increase language coverage on all of its Internet sites.
30 Nov 2002 --New interactive maps open up Latin America, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa
New interactive maps covering the Latin America and Caribbean regions and Sub-Saharan Africa are now online. Farming systems, land cover, permanent crops and arable land and elevation are just some of the topic areas covered. User can click on areas of a country map and receive visual indicators of quantities and variations.
16 Oct 2002 --Support to World Food Day 2002 with new 'water' theme Country Profiles
The World Food Day theme, 'Water, Source of food security' was supported in 2002 by the launch of the Water and Food Security Country Profiles website which provides focalised information on the state of water resources and food security globally in a country by country format.
FAO and its partners in this project from the World Resources Institute, the Development gateway, International Water Management Institute, and the CGIAR aim to give users enriched results on the subject in order to enhance decision-making and promote advocacy in the sustainable use and conservation of water and in issues related to food security.
Available in five languages the website is also set to complement the UN’s 2003 International year of Freshwater.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ countryprofiles/ water/
5 Sep 2002 --First FAO Regional Office links to Country Profiles site
FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean has become the first decentralized office to link directly to the Country Profiles site. Users of the regional office’s website can click a link on one of its country pages - Argentina for example - and be taken to the parallel page on the Country Profiles system.
Web Page: http:// www.rlc.fao.org/ es/ paises/ argentina.htm
10 May 2002 --AQUASTAT partners with Country Profiles for enriched results
AQUASTAT, a system which indexes information on agricultural water management around the globe, will now appear in the pages of the Country Profiles system following an agreement with FAO’s Agriculture Department.
Users can find water resource statistics by country and view AQUASTAT Country Profiles with a special emphasis on developing countries and those in transition.
AQUASTAT Country Profiles describe the state of water resources and agricultural water use with special attention to the water resource, irrigation, and drainage sub-sectors.
Web Page: http:// www.fao.org/ ag/ AGL/ aglw/ aquastat/ countries/ index.stm
