Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Library of Congress Country Studies are published by the Federal Research Division of the United States Library of Congress. The books represent the analysis of the authors and are not expressions of official United States Government policy.
Yes, the text of the Library of Congress Country Studies is in the public domain. No copyright is claimed on the written content, though not all images used in the volumes carry the same public domain status.
The last appropriation for the program was in fiscal year 2004. After that one-time infusion, the Federal Research Division stated that no additional work could be initiated without renewed funding.
The series covers more than a hundred countries across every world region, including former states such as Czechoslovakia, East Germany, South Vietnam, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia.
Hard-copy editions are available from the U.S. Government Publishing Office for all books in the series except the regional studies on Macau and Afghanistan.
Each study presents a description and analysis of a country's historical setting and its social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions. The series also examines how cultural factors shape those systems.