CIA World Factbook
The CIA World Factbook is one of the more popular sources of information on countries available on the Internet. It is certainly one of the more comprehensive sources in terms of the number of countries covered and each country web page provides general information on the country's history, economy and culture, etc.
TradePort country facts
This site provides a short list of country facts and statistics, including holidays and other peripheral information. The site is maintained by provided by California's Trade Port.
World Flags country snapshot
This site is about country flags, but it also provides a very convenient "snapshot" of the country's vital information! It is worth a look if you want a very quick view of the core facts about the country.
InfoPlease country almanac
This site provides one of the better country factsheets. Also worth a visit if you just want to get to grips with the basics
