Home > The World Factbook

1 Introduction

The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. The factbook gives a two- to three-page summary of the demographics, location, telecommunications capacity, government, industry, military capability, etc, of all US-recognized countries and territories in the world.

2 Purpose

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.

3 Sources

Information is provided by:

• Antarctic Information Program ( National Science Foundation),
• Bureau of the Census ( Department of Commerce),
• Bureau of Labor Statistics ( Department of LaborThe United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. states also),
• Central Intelligence Agency,
• Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs ,
• Defense Intelligence AgencyOverview The Defense Intelligence Agency DIA , designated in 1986 as a United States Department of Defense combat support intelligence agency was established in 1961. It has over 7,000 military and civilian employees worldwide and is a major producer and ( Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. The Department of Defense controls the U. military and is headquartered at The P),
• US Department of StateThe United States Department of State often referred to as the State Department is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. It is administered by the United States Secre,
• US Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. It began as the U. Commission on Fish and Fisheries in the United States Department of Commerce an ( Department of the InteriorThe United States Department of the Interior DOI is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally-owned land. These responsibilities are quite different than Interior Departments of other nations, which ten),
• US Maritime Administration ( Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation DOT is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transport. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966 and began operation on April 1, 1967. It is administered by t),
• National Imagery and Mapping Agency ( Department of Defense),
• Naval Facilities Engineering Command ( Department of Defense),
• Office of Insular Affairs ( Department of the Interior),
• Office of Naval Intelligence ( Department of Defense),
• United States Board on Geographic Names ( Department of the Interior), and
• other public and private sources.