Gallery of Covers

The World Factbook is privileged to work with a team of highly talented graphic designers and cartographers. Each year, The World Factbook cover design is assigned to a new graphic designer who is asked to provide a unique and innovative visual concept that captures the spirit of The World Factbook. 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. Information on the classification of The World Factbook in the 1960s and 1970s may be found on the History page.

In 2017, the Government Printing Office discontinued printing The World Factbook.

All editions of the Factbook from 2000 onward can be accessed on The World Factbook Archives page.