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| The World Factbook | |
 The World Factbook 2008 (government edition) cover. | |
| Author | Central Intelligence Agency |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | almanac about the countries of the world |
| Publisher | Directorate of IntelligenceCentral Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency Publications. Retrieved on 2008-01-02. “The World Factbook is produced by CIA\'s Directorate of Intelligence. The Factbook is a comprehensive resource of facts and statistics on more than 250 countries and other entities.” |
| Publication date | see frequency of updates and availability |
| ISBN | see the list of ISBN numbers |
The World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known as the CIA World Factbook)Central Intelligence Agency (2008-01-03). Where in the World is Mt. Kilimanjaro? Visit the CIA World Factbook to Find Out. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The Factbook provides a two- to three-page summary of the demographics, geography, communications, government, economy, and military of 266Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Notes and Definitions: Entities. Retrieved on 2008-02-29. “"Independent state" refers to a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory. * * * There are a total of 266 separate geographic entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows...” U.S.-recognized countries, dependencies, and other areas in the world.
The World Factbook is prepared by the CIA for the use of U.S. government officials, and its style, format, coverage and content are primarily designed to meet their requirements.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Contributors and Copyright Information. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of US Government officials, and the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. Information is provided by ... other public and private sources. The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).” However, it is frequently used as a resource for student papers, web sites and non-governmental publications.Central Intelligence Agency (2006-04-05). "CIA World Factbook 2006 Now Available". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-11. “The World Factbook remains the CIA\'s most widely disseminated and most popular product, now averaging almost 6 million visits each month. In addition, tens of thousands of government, commercial, academic, and other Web sites link to or replicate the online version of the Factbook. * * * Included among the 271 geographic entries is one for the "World," which incorporates data and other information summarized where possible from the other 270 country listings.” As a work of the U.S. government, it is in the public domain.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Can I use some or all of The World Factbook for my Web site (book, research project, homework, etc.)?. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “The World Factbook is in the public domain and may be used freely by anyone at anytime without seeking permission.* * * As a courtesy, please cite The World Factbook when used.”
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In researching the Factbook, the CIA uses the sources listed below. Other public and private sources are also consulted.
The World Factbook website as it appeared in January 2008.
Because the Factbook is in the public domain, people are free to redistribute and modify it in any way that they like, without permission of the CIA. However, the CIA requests that it be cited when the Factbook is used. The official seal of the CIA, however, may not be copied without permission as required by the CIA Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. section 403m). Misuse of the official seal of the CIA could result in civil and criminal penalties.Central Intelligence Agency. Use of the Central Intelligence Agency Seal. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “Federal law prohibits use of the words "Central Intelligence Agency," the initials "CIA," the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency, or any colorable imitation of such words, initials, or seal in connection with any merchandise, impersonation, solicitation, or commercial activity in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the impression that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Central Intelligence Agency.”
Before November 2001, The World Factbook website was updated yearly.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How often is The World Factbook updated?. Retrieved on 2008-01-02. “Formerly our Web site (and the published Factbook) were only updated annually. Beginning in November 2001 we instituted a new system of more frequent online updates. The World Factbook is currently updated every two weeks. The annual printed version of the Factbook is usually released about midyear.” Since then, the Factbook website is updated every two weeks; the print edition is still updated annually. Generally, information currently available as of January 1 of the current yearDirectorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Notes and Definitions: Date of information. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “In general, information available as of 1 January 2007 was used in the preparation of this edition.” is used in preparing the printed Factbook, which is released around the middle of each year.
The first classified edition of Factbook was published in August 1962 and the first unclassified version in June 1971.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook -- History. Retrieved on 2007-03-03. “The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971.” The World Factbook has been available to the public in print since 1975 and on the World Wide Web since October 1994.Miller, Jill Young. "CIA puts data on the internet." Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel 12 December 1994. The Web version gets an average of 6 million visits per month; it can also be downloaded.Central Intelligence Agency. CIA Download Page. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. The official printed version is soldDirectorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Purchasing Information. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “Other users may obtain sales information about printed copies from the following: Superintendent of Documents...National Technical Information Service” at cost by the Government Printing Office and National Technical Information Service. In past years, the Factbook was available on CD-ROM,Directorate of Intelligence (1999). The World Factbook 1999 - Purchasing Information (mirror). Retrieved on 2006-09-24. “The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prepares The World Factbook in printed, CD-ROM, and Internet versions.” microfiche, magnetic tape, and floppy disk.Directorate of Intelligence (1995). Publication Information for The World Factbook 1995 (mirror). Retrieved on 2006-09-24. “This publication is also available in microfiche, magnetic tape, or computer diskettes.”
Many Internet sites use information and images from the CIA World Factbook.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): I am using the Factbook online and it is not working. What is wrong?. Retrieved on 2006-09-24. “Hundreds of “Factbook” look-alikes exist on the Internet. The Factbook site at: www.cia.gov is the only official site.” Several publishers, including Grand River Books,Texas A&M University Libraries. Introduction to Comparative Politics POLS 329. Retrieved on 2008-01-02. “The world factbook (Handbook of the Nations). Detroit, Mich.: Grand River Books, 1981-.” Potomac Books (formerly known as Brassy\'s Inc.),Potomac Books. The World Factbook 2008 CIA\'s 2007 Edition. Retrieved on 2008-01-02. and Skyhorse PublishingSkyhorse Publishing. CIA World Factbook 2008, The. Retrieved on 2008-01-22. have re-published the factbook in recent years.
As of February 2008, The World Factbook consists of 266 entities. These entities can be divided into categories. They are:
Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries, such as Kashmir, are not covered,Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why don’t you include information on entities such as Tibet, Kashmir, or Kosovo?. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “Also included in the Factbook are entries on parts of the world whose status has not yet been resolved (e.g., West Bank, Spratly Islands). Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries are not covered.” but other areas of the world whose status is disputed, such as the Spratly Islands, have entries.Directorate of Intelligence (2006-09-19). The World Factbook - Spratly Islands. Retrieved on 2006-09-24. Subnational areas of countries (such as US States or the Canadian provinces and territories) are not included in the Factbook. Instead, users looking for information about subnational areas are referred to "a good encyclopedia" for their reference needs.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why doesn\'t The World Factbook include information on states, departments, provinces, etc., in the country format?. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. “The World Factbook provides national-level information on countries, territories, and dependencies, but not subnational administrative units within a country. A good encyclopedia should provide state/province-level information.” This criterion was invoked in the 2007 edition with the decision to drop the entries for French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion. They were dropped due to the fact that besides being overseas departments, they were now overseas regions, and a part of France.Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why has The World Factbook dropped the four French departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, and French Guiana?. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. “The reason the four entities are no longer in The World Factbook is because their status has changed. While they are overseas departments of France, they are also now recognized as French regions, having equal status to the 22 metropolitan regions that make up European France.”
A/47/876-S/25147 to membership in the United Nations, this State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that has arisen over the name of the State.” the European Union,European Commission. Background information - The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Retrieved on 2006-09-24. “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was the first country in the region to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement in April 2001 (in force since April 2004).” NATO,North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "The situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is critical". Retrieved on 2006-09-24. the European Broadcasting Union,European Broadcasting Union. Members\' Logos. Retrieved on 2006-09-24. and the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee. List of National Olympic Committees Participating In the XIX Olympic Winter Games In Salt Lake City. Retrieved on 2006-09-24. use this short form (they all use the phrase The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). The history of the name used for the entry is a bit complex. In the 1992 edition of The World Factbook, the entry for the nation was listed under the formerDirectorate of Intelligence (1992). The World Factbook 1992 - Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia have replaced Yugoslavia.” (at the same time, new entries were added for the then 20 nations that were formed out of the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia; the latter two being dropped.) In the 1994 edition, the name of the entry was changed to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.Directorate of Intelligence (1994). The World Factbook 1994 - Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. “The name of Macedonia was changed to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).” For the next decade, this was the name the nation was listed under. Finally, in the 2004 edition of the Factbook, the name of the entry was changed back to Macedonia.Directorate of Intelligence (2004-11-30). The World Factbook - Macedonia (mirror). Retrieved on September 23, 2006. This came after a November 2004 US decision to refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the Republic of Macedonia.Staff reporter. "US snubs Greece over Macedonia", BBC News, 2004-11-04. Retrieved on 2006-09-23. "Greece has protested strongly at a decision by the US to refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) simply as "Macedonia"." (See also Macedonia naming dispute.)
A map of Yugoslavia from the 2000 edition of The World Factbook.Directorate of Intelligence (2000). CIA World Factbook 2000 - Country Maps (mirror). Retrieved on 2007-02-06. Notice how the disclaimer is printed in the upper right hand corner. One can see how the capital cities of both republics are individually labeled on the map.
has not been recognized as a state by the United States.)”
Before 1998, the United Kingdom profile contained a sentence that asserted the UK had gained independence on 1 January 1801.Directorate of Intelligence (1996). The World Factbook - United Kingdom (mirror). Retrieved on September 23, 2006. This terse, confusing description in reference to the Act of Union 1801 has since been greatly expanded.Directorate of Intelligence (2006-09-19). The World Factbook - United Kingdom. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
This is a list of International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) for the Government editionThe ISBN for each edition can be found on the Government Printing Office Bookstore website. of The World Factbook. ISBNs for the Potomac Books and Skyhorse Publishing reprints of the Factbook are noted as well. For the reprint editions, the year of the data is in parentheses.
This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia
