ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 23, 2007 - ProQuest released the 2008 edition of CultureGrams®, the leading primary source reference for concise, reliable, and up-to-date cultural information on the countries of the world. This latest release includes reports for 202 countries, with complete coverage of all 192 United Nations member-states and enhanced Kids and World Editions.

"CultureGrams is one of our fastest growing products and this new 2008 edition is one of the largest upgrades ever," said Jim Ulsh, director of publishing for ProQuest.  "The increased emphasis on globalism and multiculturalism makes CultureGrams an indispensable and timely resource.  These substantial updates are part of our commitment to helping teachers and students gain an insiders perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people." 

Ten new country reports have been added to the Kids Edition. New Kids reports include Afghanistan, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Iraq, Mozambique, Panama, Poland, and Ukraine.  Available in August, CultureGrams World edition will have 15 new country reports, and new subject areas for each country (housing and life-cycle).  New print sets and individual 4-page country reports will also be added. 

CultureGrams has become a favorite among schools, businesses, military and government, and public libraries because of its insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people. Reports cover more than 200 countries, the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and Canadian provinces. Additional content includes images, maps, flags, bios, statistics, and a recipe collection that offers five authentic recipes for every country in the database.

Since its beginnings in 1974, CultureGrams has become one of the most trusted and widely used cultural reference products. CultureGrams strength is the coordination with native or long-term residents to provide a real-life view into each country. Writers are selected for their education, knowledge of a national language, experience with different regions and socioeconomic groups, recent residency in the country, and access to current information.

For more information about CultureGrams or any ProQuest product, visit online at www.il.proquest.com. 

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cig.com.