The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent US
Government agency responsible for providing national security
intelligence to senior US policymakers.
The World Factbook is one of the US Government's most accessed publications.
The World Factbook, produced for US policymakers and coordinated throughout the US Intelligence Community, presents the basic realities about the world in which we live. We share these facts with the people of all nations in the belief that knowledge of the truth underpins the functioning of free societies.
Who uses The World Factbook?
A wide variety of folks including US Government officials, researchers, news organizations, corporations, geographers, teachers, professors, librarians, and students. In short, anyone looking for an expansive body of international data on a recently updated Web site.
The World Factbook is a one-stop reference site.
Although many of the facts presented in The Factbook may be found in various other publications, they are conveniently gathered together in one place only at The World Factbook Web site.
The World Factbook is a unique reference in that it is updated continuously - on average, every two weeks.
Information in The Factbook is collected from - and coordinated with - a wide variety of US Government agencies, as well as from hundreds of published sources.
The online Factbook is updated bi-weekly. ISSN 1553-8133
For additional information on government leaders in selected foreign countries, go to World Leaders.
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