Factbook. A total of 165 nations are covered on 225 pages.
1983--Appendices (Conversion Factors, International Organizations)
first introduced.
1984--Appendices expanded; now include: A. The United Nations, B.
Selected United Nations Organizations, C. Selected International
Organizations, D. Country Membership in Selected Organizations, E.
Conversion Factors.
1987--A new Geography section replaces the former separate Land and
Water sections. UN Organizations and Selected International
Organizations appendices merged into a new International Organizations
appendix. First multi-color-cover Factbook.
1988--More than 40 new geographic entities added to provide complete
world coverage without overlap or omission. Among the new entities are
Antarctica, oceans (Arctic, Atlantic , Indian, Pacific), and the World.
The front-of-the-book explanatory introduction expanded and retitled to
Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Two new Appendices added:
Weights and Measures (in place of Conversion Factors) and a Cross-
Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size reaches 300 pages.
1989--Economy section completely revised and now includes an Overview
briefly describing a country's economy. New entries added under People,
Government, and Communications.
1990--The Government section revised and considerably expanded with
new entries.
1991--A new International Organizations and Groups appendix added.
Factbook size reaches 405 pages.
1992--Twenty new successor state entries replace those of the Soviet
Union and Yugoslavia . New countries are respectively: Armenia ,
Azerbaijan , Belarus , Estonia , Georgia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan ,
Latvia , Lithuania , Moldova , Russia , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan ,
Ukraine , Uzbekistan ; and Bosnia and Hercegovina , Croatia , Macedonia
, Serbia and Montenegro , Slovenia . Number of nations in the Factbook
rises to 188.
1993--Czechoslovakia 's split necessitates new Czech Republic and
Slovakia entries. New Eritrea entry added after it secedes from
Ethiopia . Substantial enhancements made to Geography section.
1994--Two new appendices address Selected International Environmental
Agreements. The gross domestic product (GDP) of most developing
countries changed to a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis rather than
an exchange rate basis. Factbook size up to 512 pages.
1995--The GDP of all countries now presented on a PPP basis. New
appendix lists estimates of GDP on an exchange rate basis.
Communications category split; Railroads, Highways, Inland waterways,
Pipelines, Merchant marine, and Airports entries now make up a new
Transportation category. The World Factbook is first produced on CD-
ROM.
1996--Maps accompanying each entry now present more detail. Flags also
introduced for nearly all entities. Various new entries appear under
Geography and Communications. Factbook abbreviations consolidated into
a new Appendix A. Two new appendices present a Cross-Reference List of
Country Data Codes and a Cross-Reference List of Hydrogeographic Data
Codes. Geographic coordinates added to Appendix H, Cross-Reference List
of Geographic Names. Factbook size expands by 95 pages in one year to
reach 652.
1997--A special edition for the CIA's 50 th anniversary. A schema or
Guide to Country Profiles introduced. New color maps and flags now
accompany each country profile. Category headings distinguished by
shaded backgrounds. Number of categories expanded to nine--the current
number--with the addition of an Introduction (for only a few
countries) and Transnational Issues (which includes Disputes--
international and Illicit drugs). The World Factbook introduced onto
the Internet.
1998--The Introduction category with two entries, Current issues and
Historical perspective, expanded to more countries. Last year for the
production of CD-ROM versions of the Factbook.
1999--Historical perspective and Current issues entries in the
Introduction category combined into a new Background statement. Several
new Economy entries introduced. A new physical map of the world added
to the back-of-the-book reference maps.
2000--A new "country profile" added on the Southern Ocean. The
Background statements dramatically expanded to over 200 countries and
possessions. A number of new Communications entries added.
2001--Background entries completed for all 267 entities in the
Factbook. Several new HIV/AIDS entries introduced under the People
category. Revision begun on individual country maps to include
elevation extremes and a partial geographic grid. Weights and Measures
appendix deleted.
2002--New entry on Distribution of Family income--Gini index added.
Revision of individual country maps continued (process still ongoing).
2003--In the Economy category, petroleum entries added for oil
production, consumption, exports, imports, and proved reserves, as well
as natural gas proved reserves.
2004--Additional petroleum entries included for natural gas
production, consumption, exports, and imports. In the Transportation
category, under Merchant marine, subfields added for foreign-owned
vessels and those registered in other countries. Descriptions of the
many forms of government mentioned in the Factbook incorporated into
the Notes and Definitions.
2005--In the People category, a Major infectious diseases field added
for countries deemed to pose a higher risk for travelers. In the
Economy category, entries included for Current account balance,
Investment, Public debt, and Reserves of foreign exchange and gold. The
Transnational issues category expanded to include Refugees and
internally displaced persons. Category headings receive distinctive
colored backgrounds. These distinguishing colors are used in both the
printed and online versions of the Factbook. Size of the printed
Factbook reaches 702 pages.
2006--In the Economy category, national GDP figures now presented at
Official Exchange Rates (OER) in addition to GDP at purchasing power
parity (PPP).
2007--In the Government category, the Capital entry significantly
expanded with up to four subfields, including new information having to
do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself,
its geographic coordinates , the time difference at the capital from
coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on
daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note is added
to highlight those countries with multiple time zones. A Trafficking in
persons entry added to the Transnational issues category. A new
appendix, Weights and Measures, (re)introduced to the online version of
the Factbook.
2008--In the Geography category, two fields focus on the increasingly
vital resource of water: Total renewable water resources and Freshwater
withdrawal. In the Economy category, three fields added for: Stock of
direct foreign investment--at home, Stock of direct foreign
investment--abroad, and Market value of publicly traded shares. Concise
descriptions of the major religions mentioned in the Factbook included
in the Notes and Definitions.
This page was last updated on 8 October, 2008
=======================================================================
CIA - The World Factbook -- Contributors and Copyright Information
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 Antarctic Information
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Labor), Central Intelligence Agency, Council of Managers of National
Antarctic Programs, Defense Intelligence Agency (Department of
Defense), Department of Energy, Department of State, Fish and
Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior), Maritime
Administration (Department of Transportation), National Center for
Medical Intelligence (Department of Defense), National
Geospatial-Intelligence 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), US Board on Geographic Names
(Department of the Interior), US Transportation Command (Department
of Defense), Oil & Gas Journal, and other public and private sources.
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The official seal of the CIA, however, may NOT be copied without
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information about availability of the Factbook from their
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may obtain sales information about printed copies from the following:
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The World Factbook can be accessed on the Internet at:
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CIA - The World Factbook -- FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
The World Factbook staff thanks you for your comments, suggestions,
updates, kudos, and corrections over the past years. The willingness
of readers from around the world to share their observations and
specialized knowledge is very helpful as we try to produce the best
possible publications. Please feel free to continue to write and
e-mail us. When submitting corrections or updates to the Factbook,
please include your source(s) of information. At least two Factbook
staffers review every submitted item. The sheer volume of
correspondence precludes detailed personal replies, but we sincerely
appreciate your time and interest in the Factbook. If you include
your e-mail address we will at least acknowledge your note. Thank
you again.
Answers to many frequently asked questions (FAQs) are explained in
the Notes and Definitions section in The World Factbook. Please
review this section to see if your question is already answered
there. In addition, we have compiled the following list of FAQs to
answer other common questions. Select from the following categories
to narrow your search:
General
Geography
Spelling and Pronunciation
Policies and Procedures
Technical
General
Can you provide additional information for a specific country?
The staff cannot provide data beyond what appears in The World
Factbook. The format and information in the Factbook are tailored to
the specific requirements of US Government officials and content is
focused on their current and anticipated needs. The staff welcomes
suggestions for new entries.
How often is The World Factbook updated?
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. US Government officials may obtain information about
Factbook availability from their own organizations or through
liaison channels to the CIA. Other users may obtain sales
information through the following channels:
Superintendent of Documents
P. O. Box 371954 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
Telephone: [1] (202) 512-1800
FAX: [1] (202) 512-2250
http://bookstore.gpo.gov
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: [1] (800) 553-6847 (only in the US);
[1] (703) 605-6000 (for outside US)
FAX: [1] (703) 605-6900
http://www.ntis.gov
Can I use some or all of The World Factbook for my Web site (book,
research project, homework, etc.)?
The World Factbook is in the public domain and may be used freely by
anyone at anytime without seeking permission. However, US Code
prohibits use of the CIA seal in a manner which implies that the CIA
approved, endorsed, or authorized such use. If you have any
questions about your intended use, you should consult with legal
counsel. Further information on The World Factbook's use is
described on the Contributors and Copyright Information page. As a
courtesy, please cite The World Factbook when used.
Why doesn't The World Factbook include information on states,
departments, provinces, etc., in the country format?
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.
Is it possible to access older editions of The World Factbook to do
comparative research and trend analysis?
Previous versions of the Factbook, beginning with the 2000 edition,
are available for downloading - but not browsing - on the CIA Web
site. Hardcopy editions for earlier years are available from
libraries.
Would it be possible to set up a partnership or collaboration
between the producers of The World Factbook and other organizations
or individuals?
The World Factbook does not partner with other organizations or
individuals, but we do welcome comments and suggestions that such
groups or persons choose to provide.
Geography
I can't find a geographic name for a particular country. Why not?
The World Factbook is not a gazetteer (a dictionary or index of
places, usually with descriptive or statistical information) and
cannot provide more than the names of the administrative divisions
(in the Government category) and major cities/towns (on the country
maps). Our expanded Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names,
however, includes many of the world's major geographic features as
well as historic (former) names of countries and cities mentioned in
The World Factbook.
Why are Taiwan and the European Union listed out of alphabetical
order at the end of the Factbook entries?
Taiwan is listed after the regular entries because even though the
mainland People's Republic of China claims Taiwan, elected Taiwanese
authorities de facto administer the island and reject mainland
sovereignty claims. With the establishment of diplomatic relations
with China on January 1, 1979, the US Government recognized the
People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China,
acknowledging the Chinese position that there is only one China and
that Taiwan is part of China.
The European Union (EU) is not a country, but it has taken on many
nation-like attributes and these are likely to be expanded in the
future. A more complete explanation on the inclusion of the EU into
the Factbook may be found in the Preliminary statement.
Since we have an ambassador who represents the US at the Vatican,
why is this entity not listed in the Factbook?
Vatican City is found under Holy See. The term "Holy See" refers to
the authority, jurisdiction, and sovereignty vested in the Pope and
his advisors to direct the worldwide Catholic Church. The Holy See
has a legal personality that allows it to enter into treaties as the
juridical equal of a state and to send and receive diplomatic
representatives. Vatican City, created in 1929 to administer
properties belonging to the Holy See in Rome, is recognized under
international law as a sovereign state, but it does not send or
receive diplomatic representatives. Consequently, Holy See is
included as a Factbook entry, with Vatican City cross-referenced in
the Geographic Names appendix.
Why is Palestine not listed in The World Factbook?
The areas that could potentially form a future Palestinian state --
the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- do appear in the Factbook. These
areas are presently Israeli-occupied with current status subject to
the Israeli-Palestinian 1995 Interim Agreement; their permanent
status is to be determined through further negotiation.
Why are the Golan Heights not shown as part of Israel or Northern
Cyprus with Turkey?
Territorial occupations/annexations not recognized by the United
States Government are not shown on US Government maps.
Why don't you include information on entities such as Tibet or
Kashmir?
The World Factbook provides information on the administrative
divisions of a country as recommended by the United States Board on
Geographic Names (BGN). The BGN is a component of the US Government
that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the
spelling, use, and application of geographic names--domestic,
foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all
departments and agencies of the US Government to have access to
uniform names of geographic features.
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.
What do you mean when you say that a country is "doubly landlocked"?
A doubly landlocked country is one that is separated from an ocean
or an ocean-accessible sea by two intervening countries. Uzbekistan
and Liechtenstein are the only countries that fit this definition.
Why is the area of the United States described as "slightly larger
than China" in the Factbook , while other sources list China as
larger in area than the United States?
It all depends on whether one is looking at total area (land and
water) when making the comparison (which is the criterion used by
the Factbook) or just land area (which excludes inland water
features such as rivers or lakes).
Total area (combining land and water)
United States = 9,826,630 sq km
China = 9,596,960 sq km
Land only (without any water features)
United States = 9,161,923 sq km
China = 9,326,410 sq km
Why has The World Factbook dropped the four French departments of
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, and French Guiana?
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. In other words, they are now recognized as
being part of France proper. Their status is somewhat analogous to
Alaska and Hawaii vis-a-vis the contiguous United States. Although
separated from the larger geographic entity, they are still
considered to be an integral part of it.
Spelling and Pronunciation
Why is the spelling of proper names such as rulers, presidents, and
prime ministers in The World Factbook different than their spelling
in my country?
The Factbook staff applies the names and spellings from the Chiefs
of State link on the CIA Web site. The World Factbook is prepared
using the standard American English computer keyboard and does not
use any special characters, symbols, or most diacritical markings in
its spellings. Surnames are always spelled with capital letters;
they may appear first in some cultures.
The spelling of geographic names, features, cities, administrative
divisions, etc. in the Factbook differs from those used in my
country. Why is this?
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) recommends and
approves names and spellings. The BGN is the component of the United
States Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures
governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic
names--domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions
enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to use
uniform names of geographic features. (A note is usually included
where changes may have occurred but have not yet been approved by
the BGN). The World Factbook is prepared using the standard American
English computer keyboard and does not use any special characters,
symbols, or most diacritical markings in its spellings.
Why doesn't The World Factbook include pronunciations of country or
leader names?
There are too many variations in pronunciation among
English-speaking countries, not to mention English renditions of
non-English names, for pronunciations to be included. American
English pronunciations are included for some countries like Qatar
and Kiribati.
Why is the name of the Labour party misspelled?
When American and British spellings of common English words differ,
The World Factbook always uses the American spelling, even when
these common words form part of a proper name in British English.
Policies and Procedures
What is The World Factbook's source for a specific subject field?
The Factbook staff uses many different sources to publish what we
judge are the most reliable and consistent data for any particular
category. Space considerations preclude a listing of these various
sources.
The names of some geographic features provided in the Factbook
differ from those used in other publications. For example, in Asia
the Factbook has Burma as the country name, but in other
publications Myanmar is used; also, the Factbook uses Sea of Japan
whereas other publications label it East Sea. What is your policy on
naming geographic features?
The Factbook staff follows the guidance of the United States Board
on Geographic Names (BGN). The BGN is the component of the United
States Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures
governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic
names--domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions
enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to have
access to uniform names of geographic features. The position of the
BGN is that the names Burma and Sea of Japan be used in official US
Government maps and publications.
Why is most of the statistical information in the Factbook given in
metric units, rather than the units standard to US measure?
US Federal agencies are required by the Metric Conversion Act of
1975 (Public Law 94-168) and by Executive Order 12770 of July 1991
to use the International System of Units, commonly referred to as
the metric system or SI. In addition, the metric system is used by
over 95 percent of the world's population.
Why don't you include information on minimum and maximum temperature
extremes?
The Factbook staff judges that this information would only be useful
for some (generally smaller) countries. Larger countries can have
large temperature extremes that do not represent the landmass as a
whole. In the future, such a category may be adopted listing the
extremes, but also adding a normal temperature range found
throughout most of a country's territory.
What information sources are used for the country flags?