National archives are central archives maintained by countries or nation states. This article contains a list of national archives . In some countries, national libraries serve the same purpose as national archives - or have archival departments.
Among their more important tasks is ensuring the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both analogically and digitally, for the government itself, researchers and the public.
Some national archives collections are large, holding millions of items spanning several centuries, while others have been created more recently and have modest collections. Many national archives are effectively dispersed, especially in post-colonial countries, and often have smaller local collections due to cultural imperialism and the theft of cultural and national documents and artifacts. There are ongoing international efforts to repatriate these materials to their communities of origin, in particular Indigenous cultural and intellectual property.
In the last decade, digitization projects have made possible to browse records and contents online.
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Afghanistan | National Archives of Afghanistan | Kabul | 1890 | ||||
Albania | General Directorate of Archives | Tirana | 1949 | ||||
Algeria | Centre Nationale des Archives | Birkhadem, Algiers | |||||
American Samoa | American Samoa's Office of Archives and Records Management | Tutuila | 1978 | ||||
Andorra | National Archives of Andorra | Andorra la Vella | 1975 | ||||
Angola | Arquivo Histórico Nacional | Luanda | |||||
Antigua and Barbuda | Antigua and Barbuda National Archives | St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda | 1982 | ||||
Argentina | General Archive of the Nation | Buenos Aires | 1821 |
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Armenia | National Archives of Armenia | Yerevan | 1923 | ||||
Aruba | National Archives of Aruba | Oranjestad | 1994 | ||||
Australia | National Archives of Australia | Canberra | 1961 |
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National Film and Sound Archive | 1984 |
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Austria | Austrian State Archives | Vienna | 1749 | ||||
Azerbaijan | National Archive Department of Azerbaijan | Baku | 2002 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Democratic Republic of the Congo | Institut National des Archives du Congo | Kinshasa | 1989 |
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Denmark | Danish National Archives | Copenhagen | 1889 | ||||
Djibouti | Archives Nationales et Bibliotheque de Djibouti | Balbala | |||||
Dominica | Dominica Library & Information Service | Roseau | 1843 | ||||
Dominican Republic | Archivo General de la Nación de República Dominicana | Santo Domingo | 1935 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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East Timor | National Archives of East Timor | Dili | 1999 | ||||
Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum | 2005 | ||||||
Ecuador | National Archives of Ecuador | Quito | 1884 | ||||
Egypt | Egyptian National Library and Archives | Cairo | 1870 | ||||
El Salvador | National Library of El Salvador | San Salvador | 2023 | ||||
Eritrea | National Archives of Eritrea | Asmara | |||||
Estonia | National Archives of Estonia | Tartu | 1999 | ||||
Eswatini | Eswatini National Archives | Lobamba | 1971 | ||||
Ethiopia | National Archives and Library of Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | 1944 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Falkland Islands | Jane Cameron National Archives | Stanley | 1841 | ||||
Faroe Islands | National Archives of the Faroe Islands | Tórshavn | 1932 | ||||
Fiji | National Archives of Fiji | Suva | 1954 | ||||
Finland | National Archives of Finland | Helsinki | 1816 |
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France | Archives Nationales | Paris and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine | 1790 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Gabon | Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Gabon | Libreville | 1969 | ||||
Gambia | The Gambia National Records Service | Banjul | 1966 |
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Georgia | National Archives of Georgia | Tbilisi | 1920 |
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Germany | German Federal Archives | Koblenz | 1952 | ||||
Ghana | National Archives of Ghana (until 1997) | Accra | |||||
Public Records and Archives Administration Department | 1997 | ||||||
Gibraltar | Gibraltar Archives | Gibraltar | 1969 | ||||
Greece | General State Archives | Psychiko | 1914 | ||||
Greenland | Greenland National Museum | Nuuk | 1982 |
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Grenada | Grenada National Museum | St. George's | 1959 |
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Guam | Guam Museum | Hagåtña | 1980 | ||||
Guatemala | Archivo General de Centro América | Guatemala City | 1846 |
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Guatemala National Police Archives | Discovered in 2005 |
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Guinea | National Archives of Guinea | Conakry | |||||
Guinea-Bissau | Arquivos Históricos Nacionais da República da Guiné-Bissau | Bissau | 1984 | ||||
Guyana | National Archives of Guyana (a.k.a. the Walter Rodney Archives) | Georgetown, Guyana | 1958 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Haiti | Archives Nationales d'Haïti | Port-au-Prince | 1860 | ||||
Honduras | Archivo Nacional de Honduras | Tegucigalpa | 1880 | ||||
Hong Kong | Government Records Service | Kwun Tong, Kowloon | 1989 | ||||
Hungary | National Archives of Hungary | Budapest | 1756 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Iceland | National Archives of Iceland | Reykjavík | 1882 | ||||
India | National Archives of India | New Delhi | 1891 | ||||
Indonesia | National Archives of Indonesia | Jakarta | 1819 |
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Iran | National Library and Archive of Iran | Tehran | 1899 |
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Iraq | Iraq National Library and Archive | Baghdad | 1920 |
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Ireland | National Archives of Ireland | Dublin | 1867 |
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Isle of Man | Manx Museum | Douglas, Isle of Man | 1922 | ||||
Israel | Israel State Archives | Jerusalem | 1949 |
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Central Zionist Archives | West Jerusalem | 1919 |
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Italy | Central Archives of the State | Rome | 1875 | ||||
Ivory Coast | Archives Nationales du Côte d´Ivoire | Abidjan |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Jamaica | Jamaica Archives and Records Department | Kingston, Jamaica | 1955 | ||||
Japan | National Archives of Japan | Chiyoda, Tokyo | 1959 | ||||
Jordan | National Library of Jordan | Amman | 1977 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Kazakhstan | National Archives of Kazakhstan | Astana | 2002 | ||||
Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan | Almaty | ||||||
Republic of Kazakhstan Presidential Archive | |||||||
Kenya | Kenya National Archives | Nairobi | 1965 |
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Kiribati | Kiribati National Library and Archives | Bairiki | |||||
Kosovo | National Library of Kosovo | Pristina | 1944 |
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State Agency of Archives of Kosovo [2] | 1977 | ||||||
Kuwait | National Library of Kuwait | Kuwait City | 1923 |
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Kyrgyzstan | National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic | Bishkek | 1934 | ||||
Central State Archives of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Lebanon | Centre des Archives Nationales | Beirut | |||||
Liberia | Center for National Documents and Records | Monrovia | 1977 | ||||
Libya | National Archives of Libya | Tripoli, Libya | |||||
Liechtenstein | National Archives of Liechtenstein | ||||||
Lithuania | Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania | Vilnius | |||||
Luxembourg | Archives nationales de Luxembourg (ANLux) |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Madagascar | National Archives of Madagascar |
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Malawi | National Archives of Malawi | ||||||
Malaysia | National Archives of Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | 1957 | ||||
Mali | Direction Nationale des Archives du Mali | Bamako | |||||
Malta | National Archives of Malta | Rabat, Malta | |||||
Marshall Islands | Alele Museum & Public Library | ||||||
Mauritania | National Archives of Mauritania | 1955 |
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Mauritius | National Archives of Mauritius | Coromandel, Mauritius | 1815 | ||||
Mexico | Archivo General de la Nación | Mexico City | |||||
Mongolia | National Archives of Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | 1927 | ||||
Montenegro | State Archives of Montenegro | Cetinje | 1951 | ||||
Morocco | National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco | Rabat | 1924 | ||||
Mozambique | Arquivo Histórico de Moçambique | 1934 | |||||
Myanmar | National Archives of Myanmar | Naypyidaw | 1973 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Namibia | National Archives of Namibia | Windhoek | 1939 |
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Netherlands | Nationaal Archief | The Hague | 1802 | ||||
New Zealand | Archives New Zealand | Wellington | |||||
Nicaragua | General National Archive | Managua | |||||
Niger | Archives nationales du Niger [3] | ||||||
Nigeria | National Archives of Nigeria | Abuja | |||||
Norway | National Archival Services of Norway | Oslo | 1817 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Pakistan | National Archives of Pakistan | Islamabad |
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Palestine | Palestine National Archives | Ramallah | |||||
Central Archives of Gaza City | Gaza City | ||||||
Al-Budeiri Library | Old City of Jerusalem |
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Khalidi Library | 1900 |
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Panama | National Archives of Panama | Panama City | 1912 | ||||
Paraguay | Archivo Nacional de Asunción | ||||||
Peru | General Archive of the Nation | Lima | 1872 | ||||
Philippines | National Archives of the Philippines | Manila | |||||
Poland | Central Archives of Historical Records | Warsaw | 1808 | ||||
National Digital Archives | 2008 (1955) |
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Portugal | Torre do Tombo National Archive | Lisbon | 1378 | ||||
Puerto Rico | Archivo General de Puerto Rico | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1955 |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Romania | National Archives of Romania | Bucharest |
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Russia | Russian State Archive of Contemporary History | Moscow | |||||
Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History | |||||||
Russian State Archive of Literature and Art | 1941 | ||||||
State Archive of the Russian Federation | 1992 | ||||||
Rwanda | National Archives of Rwanda | Kigali |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Taiwan | National Archives Administration, National Development Council | ||||||
Tanzania | Tanzania National Archives | Dar es Salaam | 1962 | ||||
Thailand | National Archives of Thailand | Bangkok |
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Thai Film Archive | Nakhon Pathom province | ||||||
Togo | National Archives of Togo | Lomé | |||||
Trinidad and Tobago | National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | |||||
Tunisia | National Archives of Tunisia | Tunis | |||||
Turkey | Ottoman archives | Istanbul |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Ukraine | State Archival Service of Ukraine | ||||||
United Arab Emirates | National Library and Archives | Abu Dhabi | 1968 | ||||
United Kingdom | The National Archives | Greater London | |||||
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland | Belfast | 1923 |
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United States | National Archives and Records Administration | Washington, D.C. | 1934 | ||||
Uruguay | General Archive of the Nation | Montevideo |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Vanuatu | National Archives of Vanuatu | ||||||
Vatican City | Vatican Apostolic Archive | Cortile del Belvedere | 1612 | ||||
Venezuela | National Archives of Venezuela | Caracas |
Country | Archive | Location | Year | Collection size | Notable artifacts | Image | Website |
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Zambia | National Archives of Zambia | Lusaka |
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Zimbabwe | National Archives of Zimbabwe | Harare | 1935 |
An incunable or incunabulum is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were produced before the printing press became widespread on the continent and are distinct from manuscripts, which are documents written by hand. Some authorities on the history of printing include block books from the same time period as incunabula, whereas others limit the term to works printed using movable type.
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a country in Southeast Europe with partial diplomatic recognition. Kosovo lies landlocked in the centre of the Balkans, bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west. Most of central Kosovo is dominated by the vast plains and fields of Metohija and the Kosovo field. The Accursed Mountains and Šar Mountains rise in the southwest and southeast, respectively. Its capital and largest city is Pristina.
An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication (periodical), such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs are used in ordering, cataloging, interlibrary loans, and other practices in connection with serial literature.
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the largest libraries worldwide, which was lost in antiquity. The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974 when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library. Construction work began in 1995, and after some US$220 million had been spent, the complex was officially inaugurated on 16 October 2002. In 2009, the library received a donation of 500,000 books from the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). The gift makes the Bibliotheca Alexandrina the sixth-largest Francophone library in the world.
A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works. A national library is that library which has the duty of collecting and preserving the literature of the nation within and outside the country. Thus, national libraries are those libraries whose community is the nation at large. Examples include the British Library in London, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris.
Library and Archives Canada is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the fifth largest library in the world. The LAC reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec or BAnQ is a Quebec government agency which manages the province's legal deposit system, national archives, and national library. Located at the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal, the BAnQ was created by the merging of the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec and the Archives nationales du Québec in 2006. The Bibliothèque nationale du Québec had previously merged with the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec in 2002.
An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic libraries there are worldwide. An academic and research portal maintained by UNESCO links to 3,785 libraries. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an estimated 3,700 academic libraries in the United States. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. Previously before the electronic appliances became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles. Modern academic libraries generally also provide access to electronic resources.
The National Library of Luxembourg, abbreviated as BnL, is Luxembourg's national library. It was founded in its current form in 1899, as a result of a series of different institutions originating in the 18th century. It is located in the Kirchberg district of Luxembourg City. The BnL is a public establishment under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.
Pristina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.
Uigwe is the generic name given to a collection of approximately 3,895 books recording in detail the royal rituals and ceremonies of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. There is no generally agreed English translation; some scholars suggest "book of state rites", while the Glossary of Korean Studies from the Korea Foundation suggests "manual of the state event" or "rubrica for a state ceremony." The expression "Royal Protocols" is widely used.
The Private Case is a collection of erotica and pornography held initially by the British Museum and then, from 1973, by the British Library. The collection began between 1836 and 1870 and grew from the receipt of books from legal deposit, from the acquisition of bequests and, in some cases, from requests made to the police following their seizures of obscene material.
Trove is an Australian online library database owned by the National Library of Australia in which it holds partnerships with source providers National and State Libraries Australia, an aggregator and service which includes full text documents, digital images, bibliographic and holdings data of items which are not available digitally, and a free faceted-search engine as a discovery tool.
The Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce was a Nazi Party organization dedicated to appropriating cultural property during the Second World War. It was led by the chief ideologue of the Nazi Party, Alfred Rosenberg, from within the NSDAP Office of Foreign Affairs. Between 1940 and 1945, the ERR operated in France, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Greece, Italy, and on the territory of the Soviet Union in the Reichskommissariat Ostland and Reichskommissariat Ukraine. Much of the looted material was recovered by the Allies after the war, and returned to rightful owners, but there remains a substantial part that has been lost or remains with the Allied powers.
The Guinea National Library is the national library of Guinea, located in the capital city of Conakry.
Bordeaux municipal library is the central library of Bordeaux, situated in the Mériadeck neighbourhood and linked to nine smaller libraries. It has noteworthy collections and rare documents which earn it a French government designation of classée (‘listed’), meaning it is a library of national significance.
The architectural heritage of the Kosovo Albanians during Yugoslav rule was shown institutionalised disregard for decades prior to outright conflict at the end of the 20th century. Numerous Albanian cultural sites in Kosovo were destroyed during the period of Yugoslav rule and especially the Kosovo conflict (1998-1999) which constituted a war crime violating the Hague and Geneva Conventions. In all, 225 out of 600 mosques in Kosovo were damaged, vandalised, or destroyed alongside other Islamic architecture during the conflict. Additionally 500 Albanian owned kulla dwellings and three out of four well-preserved Ottoman period urban centres located in Kosovo cities were badly damaged resulting in great loss of traditional architecture. Kosovo's public libraries, of which 65 out of 183 were completely destroyed, amounted to a loss of 900,588 volumes, while Islamic libraries sustained damage or destruction resulting in the loss of rare books, manuscripts and other collections of literature. Archives belonging to the Islamic Community of Kosovo, records spanning 500 years, were also destroyed. During the war, Islamic architectural heritage posed for Yugoslav Serb paramilitary and military forces as Albanian patrimony with destruction of non-Serbian architectural heritage being a methodical and planned component of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
In the field of book publishing, a collection or, more precisely, editorial collection, is a set of books published by the same publisher, usually written by various authors, each book with its own title, but all grouped under the same collective title. The collective title is the title of the collection, it must be mentioned on each book.