About The World Factbook

Did You Know?

The World Factbook presents the basic realities about the world in which we live in and is one of the U.S. Government’s most accessed publications.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to additional questions you may have about The World Factbook publication, its purpose, and content.

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Explore Our Archives

The World Factbook Archives

Access previous editions of the CIA’s most popular publication — The World Factbook.

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Gallery of Covers

The Gallery of Covers displays the evolution and diversity of our cover designs since 1981, and also presents selected covers from the first two decades of the Factbook’s existence.

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History

A brief history of basic intelligence and The World Factbook.

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The World of the CIA

A portfolio of photos showing the George Bush Center for Intelligence and its environs (aka CIA headquarters), the home of The World Factbook.

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Publication information and partnership organizations.

Public and government sentiment from users of The World Factbook.

Updates on new features and functionality.