are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation.
The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged
with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection
issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in
forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude,
and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a
multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and
freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown,
inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human
capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000,
the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the
US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad.
One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department
of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the
government response (i.e., the current situation) in some 150
countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across
their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or
obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation. Countries in the
annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts
to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are
those listed in the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2
Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following tier rating definitions:
Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making
significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria:
1. they display high or significantly increasing number of victims,
2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking in persons, or,
3. they have committed to take action over the next year.
Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to
do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential
non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
Transnational issues
This category includes four entries - Disputes - international,
Refugees and internally displaced persons, Trafficking in persons,
and Illicit drugs - that deal with current issues going beyond
national boundaries.
Transportation
This category includes the entries dealing with the means for
movement of people and goods.
Transportation - note
This entry includes miscellaneous transportation information of
significance not included elsewhere.
U
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
See entry for Coordinated Universal Time.
Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without
jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.
Urbanization
This entry provides two measures of the degree of urbanization of a
population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of
the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the
country. The second, rate of urbanization, describes the projected
average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the
given period of time. Additionally, the World entry includes a list
of the ten largest urban agglomerations. An urban agglomeration is
defined as comprising the city or town proper and also the suburban
fringe or thickly settled territory lying outside of, but adjacent
to, the boundaries of the city.
W
Waterways
This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and
other inland bodies of water.
Weights and Measures
This information is presented in This information is presented in <a
href = "../appendix/appendix-g.html"Appendix G: Weights and Measures
and includes mathematical notations (mathematical powers and names),
metric interrelationships (prefix; symbol; length, weight, or
capacity; area; volume), and standard conversion factors.
Y
Years
All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated
as fiscal year (FY). The calendar year is an accounting period of 12
months from 1 January to 31 December. The fiscal year is an
accounting period of 12 months other than 1 January to 31 December.
Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was complied from
material in the public domain and does not represent Intelligence
Community estimates.
======================================================================
CIA - The World Factbook -- About :: History
A Brief History of Basic Intelligence and The World Factbook
The Intelligence Cycle is the process by which information is
acquired, converted into intelligence, and made available to
policymakers. Information is raw data from any source, data that may
be fragmentary, contradictory, unreliable, ambiguous, deceptive, or
wrong. Intelligence is information that has been collected,
integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Finished
intelligence is the final product of the Intelligence Cycle ready to
be delivered to the policymaker.
The three types of finished intelligence are: basic, current, and
estimative. Basic intelligence provides the fundamental and factual
reference material on a country or issue. Current intelligence
reports on new developments. Estimative intelligence judges probable
outcomes. The three are mutually supportive: basic intelligence is
the foundation on which the other two are constructed; current
intelligence continually updates the inventory of knowledge; and
estimative intelligence revises overall interpretations of country
and issue prospects for guidance of basic and current intelligence.
The World Factbook, The President's Daily Brief, and the National
Intelligence Estimates are examples of the three types of finished
intelligence.
The United States has carried on foreign intelligence activities
since the days of George Washington but only since World War II have
they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. Three programs
have highlighted the development of coordinated basic intelligence
since that time: (1) the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies
(JANIS), (2) the National Intelligence Survey (NIS), and (3)The
World Factbook .
During World War II, intelligence consumers realized that the
production of basic intelligence by different components of the US
Government resulted in a great duplication of effort and conflicting
information. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought
home to leaders in Congress and the executive branch the need for
integrating departmental reports to national policymakers. Detailed
and coordinated information was needed not only on such major powers
as Germany and Japan, but also on places of little previous
interest. In the Pacific Theater, for example, the Navy and Marines
had to launch amphibious operations against many islands about which
information was unconfirmed or nonexistent. Intelligence authorities
resolved that the United States should never again be caught
unprepared.
In 1943, Gen. George B. Strong (G-2), Adm. H. C. Train (Office of
Naval Intelligence - ONI), and Gen. William J. Donovan (Director of
the Office of Strategic Services - OSS) decided that a joint effort
should be initiated. A steering committee was appointed on 27 April
1943 that recommended the formation of a Joint Intelligence Study
Publishing Board to assemble, edit, coordinate, and publish the
Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS). JANIS was the first
interdepartmental basic intelligence program to fulfill the needs of
the US Government for an authoritative and coordinated appraisal of
strategic basic intelligence. Between April 1943 and July 1947, the
board published 34 JANIS studies. JANIS performed well in the war
effort, and numerous letters of commendation were received,
including a statement from Adm. Forrest Sherman, Chief of Staff,
Pacific Ocean Areas, which said, "JANIS has become the indispensable
reference work for the shore-based planners."
The need for more comprehensive basic intelligence in the postwar
world was well expressed in 1946 by George S. Pettee, a noted author
on national security. He wrote in The Future of American Secret
Intelligence (Infantry Journal Press, 1946, page 46) that world
leadership in peace requires even more elaborate intelligence than
in war. "The conduct of peace involves all countries, all human
activities - not just the enemy and his war production."
The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947 and
officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1 October
1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed operational
responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the National Security
Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID) No. 3, which
authorized the National Intelligence Survey (NIS) program as a
peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS program. Before adequate
NIS country sections could be produced, government agencies had to
develop more comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board
on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the
Interior produced the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.
The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the
structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in
1955 that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable
publication which provides the essential elements of basic
intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always be a
continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date." The
Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the
encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was
published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was
published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973
except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975
Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales
through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The Factbook was
first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The year 2009
marks the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of the Central
Intelligence Agency and the 66th year of continuous basic
intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and
its two predecessor programs.
The Evolution of The World Factbook
National Basic Intelligence Factbook produced semiannually until
1980. Country entries include sections on Land, Water, People,
Government, Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces.
1981
Publication becomes an annual product and is renamed The World
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
Definitions and Notes.
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). Entries in the Transportation section reordered;
Highways changed to Roadways, and Ports and harbors to Ports and
terminals.
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 Definitions and Notes. Printing of the
Factbook turned over to the Government Printing Office.
2009
In the People category, two new fields provide information on
education in terms of opportunity and resources: School Life
Expectancy and Education expenditures. Additionally, the
Urbanization entry expanded to include all countries. In the Economy
category, five fields added: Central bank discount rate, Commercial
bank prime lending rate, Stock of money, Stock of quasi money, and
Stock of domestic credit. The online Factbook site completely
redesigned with many new features.
======================================================================
About :: Copyright and Contributors
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 Program (National
Science Foundation), Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center
(Department of Defense), Bureau of the Census (Department of
Commerce), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of 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 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.
The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied
freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
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.
Citation model:
The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency,
2009.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Comments and queries are welcome and may be addressed to:
Central Intelligence Agency
Attn: Office of Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20505
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
Telephone: [1] (703) 482-0623
FAX: [1] (703) 482-1739
======================================================================
About :: Purchasing
Printed copies of The World Factbook may be obtained from the following:
US Government Printing Office
732 N. Capitol St.
Washington, DC 20401
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-6:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Telephone: [1] (202) 512-1800; toll free: [1] (866) 512-1800
FAX: [1] (202) 512-2104
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)
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/
The World Factbook can be accessed on the Internet at:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
CIA - The World Factbook -- Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to many frequently asked questions (FAQs) are explained in
the Definitions and Notes section inThe 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.
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. In November 2001, we began more frequent online updates,
and we now update the Web site every two weeks. The CIA discontinued
publishing the printed Factbook after the 2007 edition; the 2008 and
2009 editions are being published by the US Government Printing
Office.
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
(Section 403m) prohibits use of the CIA seal in a manner which
implies that the CIA approved, endorsed, or authorized such use. For
any questions about your intended use, you should consult with legal
counsel. Further information on use of The World Factbook is
described on the Contributors and Copyright Information page. As a
courtesy, please cite The World Factbook when used.
Why are there discrepancies between The World Factbook's demographic
statistics and other sources?
Although estimates and projections start with the same basic data
from censuses, surveys, and registration systems, final estimates
and projections can differ as a result of factors including data
availability, assessment, and methods and protocols.
Data availability Researchers may obtain specific country data at
different times. Estimates or projections developed before the
results of a census have been released will not be as accurate as
those that take into account new census results.
Assessment Researchers can differ in their assessment of data
quality and in their estimates based on the available country data.
They often need to adjust their estimates due to such factors as
undercounting in a census or underregistration of births or deaths.
Methods and protocols Differences in methods and protocols can
shape the way estimates and projections are made of fertility,
mortality, and international migration, and how these data are
integrated with the population data. For example, the US Census
Bureau uses a model that projects the population ahead by single
years of age, a single year at a time (population statistics used in
the Factbook are based on this model), whereas the United Nations
model projects five-year age groups forward, five years at a time.
Why doesn't The World Factbook include information on states,
departments, provinces, etc., for each country?
The World Factbook provides national-level information on countries,
territories, and dependencies, but not subnational administrative
units within a country. A comprehensive encyclopedia might be a
source for state/province-level information.
Is it possible to access older editions of The World Factbook to do
comparative research and trend analysis?