Background Notes are factual publications that contain information on all the countries of the world with which the United States has relations. They include facts on the country's land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and its relations with other countries and the United States. The Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State web site you are now using.