Genealogy and Family History Research Guide: Global Repositories

"...to provide for a National Archives and Records Service; the proper management and care of the records of governmental bodies; and the preservation and use of a national archival heritage; and to provide for matters connected therewith." Preamble to the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (No 43 of 1996 as amended).

The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) is known for being one of the world’s most beautiful and impressive museums devoted to Africa. Since its founding in 1898, its task has been to preserve and manage collections, carry out scientific research, and disseminate knowledge to a wide audience through its scientific, educational, and museological activities.

The main service of this directorate delivering services on archives which are collected and organized from different governmental offices, and the library delivering services in Ethiopian collections which are printed books and manuscripts. Under the directorate there are five service sections such as Archives section, Manuscript section, Ethiopian study section, Ethiopian language section and Microfilm library section.

The Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service was officially established by an act of parliament in 1965. It was placed under the office of the vice-president and the minister of Home affairs. In 1989, the National Documentation and Information Retrieval Service was created to cater for government Publications and other generally circulated documents. Between 1965 and 199 …, the department has been moved from one ministry to another. Currently, it is placed under the office of the Vice-president and Ministry of Home affairs, National Heritage and Sport.

Welcome to our website. National Archives of Japan, Incorporated Administrative Agency, is an organization dedicated to preserving government documents and records of historical importance originated from various governmental organizations and securing their access to the public through various services such as reading room facilities and exhibitions.

Korea has a longstanding tradition of record keeping as evident in the documentary heritage listed in the Memory of the World Register such as the Annals of Joseon Dynasty, Hunmin Jeongeum manuscript, Seungjeongwon Ilgi (the diaries of the royal secretariat), Buljo Jikji Simche Yojeol (the second volume of Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests), Printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana and miscellaneous Buddhist scriptures, and the Uigwe (the royal protocols of the Joseon Dynasty). However, such a tradition has been weakened through periods of cultural disruption; i.e., Japanese rule, Korean War, and military-led governments.

As the official public archive of the United Kingdom government, we hold records covering more than 1,000 years of history. Government records which have been selected for permanent preservation are sent to The National Archives.

The purpose of NRS is to collect, preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations.

Our work underpins the fabric of Scottish society: telling the story of our nation.

We were established on 1 April 2011, following the merger of the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) and the National Archives of Scotland (NAS).

Among the significant collections at the Arquivo are items relating to the Portuguese explorations and discoveries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Corpo Cronológico (Chronological Corpus), a collection of manuscripts on the Portuguese discoveries, was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2007 in recognition of its historical value "for acquiring knowledge of the political, diplomatic, military, economic and religious history of numerous countries at the time of the Portuguese Discoveries." [2] Another item relating to the Portuguese discoveries, the Carta de Pêro Vaz de Caminha (Letter from Pêro Vaz de Caminha), was also inscribed on the Memory of the World Register in 2005. This letter is the first document describing the land and people of what became Brazil.[3]

The National Archives of Australia can best be described as the memory of our nation – collecting and preserving Australian Government records that reflect our history and identity. Our collection traces events and decisions that have shaped the nation and the lives of Australians. Visitors are welcome to explore our collection, online or in person, to learn more. As well as preserving our history, the National Archives plays a key role in helping to ensure the Australian Government and its departments are effective and accountable to the people.