Machka 

The US and other countries probably have a website like this, but here's Canada's:

https://www.voyage.gc.ca/consular_home-en.asp

In it are travel advisories for all sorts of things including war, demonstrations, natural disasters, etc. There is a page on contact numbers in case of emergencies. There are sections on laws, regulations, visa requirements, etc. etc.

There are a whole collection of Travel Publications which are quite informative - lots of good tips:
https://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs_menu-en.asp


This page on Travel Warnings is also interesting:
https://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/sos/warnings-en.asp

Allen

In the U.S. travel warnings are issued by the Department of State Here.
And the C.I.A. is responsible for the publication of The World Factbook, their travel information site.

jibi

In England and the UK

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Travel Advice Notices page is Here

George

Flic

Australia has DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) which offers warnings... at https://www.dfat.gov.au/ ... check the Country Information section (though personally I wouldn't bother!!! Its often totally over exagerated)

Machka 

It is really? So do you believe the government randomly posts over-exaggerated warnings because it is a slow day at the office? What exactly are you basing your statement on ... what proof do you have for saying what you did?

Flic

Well I've traveled in countries that had DFAT warnings and had a 100% trouble free expereince, as had others I met traveling there at the time. I've also been told by a company offering travel insurance that the statements are exaggerated. But hey, I won't deny that I'm a lucky person, maybe I've just been safely sliding though the net, thats why I premiced it with the 'personally' and 'often' part.

jibi

I have been in some countries where the FO has said its war, mayhem and don't go and I have been having a ball.

Several friends have cycled through Columbia, and look at what the government sites say about there. My friends said it was great and the people were the friendliest they met. Jin even had a photo taken with the FARC and swapped T shirts.

I agree 100%, take it all with a pinch of salt.

better to get info on forums and crazyguy.

george

Losligato

These warnings are written by good people working at the embassy who have just finished dealing with a tragic situation and want to warn others to avoid the same fate. For many of the warnings you can almost read between the lines that they were written for the benefit of a distraught mother pleading with the staff, "Please warn other Americans (or Canadians, or Australians, or British) not to go there!"

The problem is that it is impossible to sum up the safety of a country in a few paragraphs. Even tame countries end up sounding like war zones.

And once we discover that something bad once happened to a fellow countryman our prudent nature takes over. We avoid all risk at the cost of actually living.