Debt securities that are issued or guaranteed by a sovereign government. Government paper of a nation is usually perceived as the least risky debt securities in that country, and will offer investors the lowest yields compared with debt of a similar maturity issued by other entities in that nation. 

|||Risk perceptions of government paper issued by different nations vary widely depending on a number of factors including credit rating, default history, political stability etc. U.S. government paper is considered to be among the safest investments and practically risk-free.