《世界大事年鉴》（THE ANNUAL REGISTER: World Events）历史悠久，自1758年创刊以来，至今已出版了247卷。自本年度起由美国剑桥信息集团（CSA: Cambridge Information Group, USA）出版，而在此前则由英国Keesing's Worldwide出版。

　 作为不可多得的历史学与图书馆参考资料，《世界大事年鉴》通过便捷、易于获取的方式，向读者展示了过去一年里世界范围内每一国家或地区所发生的主要事件与趋势，涉及经济、社会、科学与文化等方面。本书由相关领域的专家通过独到的手法撰写而成，是一部简明而又具有洞察力的指南，为理解过去一年中所发生的事件提供及时的帮助。

　 著名的历史学家Philip M.H. Bell为最新出版的《2005世界大事年鉴》撰写了生动的概述。80位以上来自历史、新闻等领域的院士与作家，融汇他们的专业知识，令其中的文字清新而透彻。

　 "这一出版物的力度"，《美国参考书年评》（American Reference Books Annual Review）评论道，"其中文章所提供的对事件的分析、解释、概述……并不仅仅是简单地对本年度的主要事件进行总结。"

　 通过深入的研究而撰写的本书内容，远远超出那些似过往云烟的每日事件。它提供了大量的数据，更为广阔的内容以及宏观发展趋势等，满足了新闻工作者、商业人士、历史学家与其他研究者的需要。它的写作风格始终新颖而透彻，远远胜过其他大多数参考书。

《2005世界大事年鉴》（总第247卷）涵盖以下了内容：

· 209个国家――超过了联合国成员国的数量。它提供了每一个国家或每一组国家的"快速参考数据"，随后的国家特别章节中还描述了政治、社会、军事与经济等事件。

· 主要趋势――科学（信息技术，环境科学，系统科学、医学与行业研究），国际经济，法律（国际、欧盟、英国、美国），宗教、艺术与体育等。

· 52个国际组织――并提供亚洲－太平洋、阿拉伯与非洲的政府间组织的扩展章节。

对《世界大事年鉴》的部分评论如下：

"有用而简明：自1758年开始出版，这一资源用时间证明了它的有用性，最新的版本沿续了它的杰出传统。"――《美国参考书年评2004》

"这里有在其他地方不能立即找到的东西，像国际文件的全文一样……任何自1758年起每年出版的资源一定有它的独道之处……《世界大事年鉴》也不例外。" 《美国参考书年评2001》

"源于英国……这是它的优势……一个好的关于国家或地区的信息资源在媒体中通常是不能覆盖的……详细而透彻。"――《美国参考书年评1999》

在《ALA参考书指南第10版》（ALA Guide to Reference Books, 10th Ed.）与《高校图书馆图书第3版》（Books for College Libraries, 3rd. Ed.）中被引用。

《世界大事年鉴》顾问委员会：

　 主席：James Bishop，Times of London前国外新闻编辑；主编：D.S. Lewis，博士；副主编：Wendy Slater，博士；由六家学术团体提名的成员：Philip M.H. Bell（皇家历史学会），Michael Kaiser（皇家国际事务研究院），Alastair Niven（英国委员会），Richard O'Brien（皇家经济学会），Neil Weir（皇家医学会），Lorelly Wilson（英国科学进步协会）。

《2005世界大事年鉴》（总第247卷）订购信息：

　 书名：THE ANNUAL REGISTER, V.247: World Events, 2006 Edition（2005年度内容）。出版社：CSA: Cambridge Information Group, USA。书号：ISBN: 1-60030-069-3。页数：650页，布面硬皮精装彩色护封，包括彩色照片，同时包括地图、表格与多种索引等。定价：242.50美元（含9.50美元美国境内段邮费，每册图书独立包装）。接受长期订单，并可订购10年的回溯年鉴，价格与本年度年鉴相同。

《2005世界大事年鉴》（总第247卷）中对主要事件的最新观点：

· Approval of Iraqi constitution
· Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
· Peace agreements in Sudan and Cote d'lvoire
· Corruption scandal in Brazil
· Deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations
· Launch of ICC investigation into war crèmes in Darfur
· Death of Pope John Paul II
· Legislative elections in Iraq and Afghanistan
· Massive earthquake in Kashmir
· Rejection of EU constitution in French and Dutch referendums
· Overthrow of President in Kyrgyzstan
· Bloodless coup in Mauritius
· Election of Africa's first female President in Liberia
· Devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina
· First contested presidential elections in Egypt
· Massacre in Uzbekistan
· Re-election of Labour government in UK
· Election of first female Chancellor in Germany
· Spread of avian influenza
· Suicide bombings in London
· Race riots in Sydney
· Conservative election victory in Poland
· Suicide bombings in Jordan
· Start of EU accession negotiations with Turkey
· UN enquiry into assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon
· Inner City riots in France
· Agreement over contentious EU budget
· Conclusion of UN "oil for food" programme enquiry
· Withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon

《2005世界大事年鉴》（总第247卷）内容亮点：

· OVERVIEWS OF THE YEAR
Philip M.H. Bell, Senior Research Fellow, University of Liverpool

· WERSTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE
United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg, Nordic Countries (Denmark - Iceland - Norway - Sweden - Finland), Austria, Switzerland, European Mini-States, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey.

· CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Poland, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, Russia, Western CIS (Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova), Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan).

· AMERICAS AND THE CARIBBEAN
United States of America
Canada
Mexico, Central America (Guatemala - El Salvador - Honduras - Nicaragua - Costa Rica - Panama), Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti, Windward and Leeward Island, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, Guyana, Belize and Suriname, UK Overseas Territories, Netherland Antilles and Aruba, US Dependencies
South America: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay - Uruguay - Chile - Peru - Bolivia - Ecuador - Colombia - Venezuela.

· MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Arab, states of the Gulf, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara.

· EQUATORIAL AFRICA
Horn of Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana - Sierra Leone - The Gambia - Liberia, West African Francophone States, Guinea - Bissau - Cape Verde - Sao Tome and Principe

· CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana - Lesotho - Namibia - Swaziland, South Africa.

· SOUTH ASIA AND INDIAN OCEAN
Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asian states (Kazakhstan - Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan - Tajikistan), India - Pakistan - Bangladesh - Sri Lanka - Nepal - Bhutan - Indian Ocean States (Seychelles - Mauritius - Comoros - Madagascar - Maldives)

· AUSTRALASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Pacific Island States

· INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
United Nations
Defense Organizations, Economic Organizations, The Commonwealth, La Francophonie and CPLP, Non-Aligned Movement and Developing Countries, Organization of the Islamic Conference.

European Union
The Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Other European Organizations, Arab Organizations, African Organizations and Conferences, Asia-Pacific Organizations, American and Caribbean Organizations.

· THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY

· THE SCIENCE
Scientific, Medical and Industrial Research, Information Technology, Environmental science

· THE LAW
International Law, European Union Law, Law in the United Kingdom, Law in the USA

· RELIGION

· THE ARTS
Opera, Music, Ballet & Dance, Theatre, Cinema, Television & Radio, Visual Arts, Architecture, Literature

· SPORT

· DOCUMENTS AND REFERENCES
Statistical material at the start of each article; Full-texts or excerpts from: Recommendations of the International Climate change Taskforce; conclusions of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Darfur; Conclusions of the UN Investigation Commission on Hariri assassination; Conclusions of the Inquiry Committee into UN oil-for-food programme; Draft Constitution for Iraq (extracts); UK Labour Government; US Republican Administration; International Comparisons; Population, GDP and growth

· MAPS AND TABLES
Iraq: governorates and ethnic divisions; Sudan: North, South and Darfur; Asian tsunami of December 2004: extent and death toll; United Nations Peacekeeping Missions; United Nations Political and Peace-building Missions.