The World Factbook might not be widely known among the general public, but it’s actually one of the most important sources of geographic knowledge in the world – at least if you ask most U.S. officials. Created by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) back in 1962, it has been available to the public since 1975 and online since 1994.
The World Factbook offers up-to-date information on the geography, population, government, economy, energy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues of every recognized country and territory in the world. As the Factbook reflects the official geopolitical stance of the U.S., the only territories not covered are those that the U.S. doesn’t recognize, such as Taiwan.
The Factbook is updated throughout the year on a weekly basis, but the biggest updates (for example, major economic changes) are typically made at the beginning of each calendar year to reflect what has changed over the course of the previous year.
What Is the World Factbook Used For?
As a key reference for detailed, up-to-date information about countries around the world, the World Factbook is used by everyone who needs reliable geographic data in their line of work. This includes:
- U.S. government officials, including diplomats, analysts, policymakers, etc.
- Academics and researchers who study economics, politics, and social issues and need a credible reference
- Journalists and media professionals, who often cite the Factbook in their materials
- Educators and students in academic contexts, including schools, universities, and libraries
- Creators of trivia and quizzes. The way information is organized in the Factbook makes using it for trivia very convenient. For example, country comparison tabs are a great source of questions like, “What’s the largest island country in the world?” or “Which country has the longest coastline?”
Basically, anyone in need of credible information on anything that has to do with geography or geopolitics can rely on the Factbook. While the information presented in it isn’t unique and can be found in a variety of sources, the high status of the World Factbook eliminates the need for constant fact-checking. All the fact-checking is done – very thoroughly! – before any new information is added to the Factbook.
How the World Factbook Gathers the Data
One of the main reasons why the World Factbook is considered the most credible database on geography, population, economy, and related topics is the quality of its sources. To update the Factbook, the CIA relies on the data from:
- U.S. government agencies, such as the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, and Department of Energy. These agencies provide credible official statistics on population, economic performance, military strength, energy production, and infrastructure projects.
- International organizations, including the United Nations (UN), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Health Organization (WHO), etc. They are all reliable sources of standardized global statistics on demographics, health, development, trade, and economics.
- National governments for country-level data, which comes from government reports, censuses, and official publications. However, given the political nature of some of the data, the Factbook cross-checks it to verify its accuracy, especially when it comes to things like GDP or industrial output.
- Academic and research institutions, especially for current information. Research centers and think tanks conduct studies on social trends and environmental data that give the Factbook access to relevant up-to-date information and analysis beyond mere statistics.
- Historical and archival sources for historical data.
Recent Highlights
December 15, 2017
The Transportation section has been updated and now features the list of main Merchant marine ship types, as well as their up-to-date number. You can find out how many bulk carriers, oil tankers, and other merchant ships each country has.
October 27, 2017
If you’ve always wanted to find out more about Dominica, now’s your chance. This island state is known, among other things, for its volcanoes: out of all the Caribbean islands, Dominica has the most of them. Dominica is also a popular tourist destination, so you might be interested in its attractions (mostly natural), such as the Boiling Lake.
October 13, 2017
The Atlantic hurricane season takes place yearly, but some years it’s relatively mild, and others not so much. The 2017 one was destructive, especially to the Caribbean, including the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Cuba, and Antigua and Barbuda, among others. You can check the entries of individual islands to see the extent of the damage caused by the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.
September 18, 2017
As is evident from its lesser-known name (“The CIA World Factbook”), there would be no World Factbook without the CIA – so it seems only fair to remind the reader that today is the 70th anniversary of the Agency. Interestingly, the World Factbook is not that much younger than the CIA: while the Agency was formed in 1947, the first Factbook was published in 1962.
September 1, 2017
If you are interested in aviation and, more specifically, airports, check the Airports section of the World entry. There is a lot of fascinating information there. For example, do you know which country has the most airports in the world? Or, which countries have the busiest airports?
July 14, 2017
A popular type of question at trivia events is questions involving a toponymic euphemism: you need to guess which country is meant by “The Land Down Under” (Australia) or “The Emerald Isle” (Ireland). If you want to know more toponymic euphemisms, as well as old names of modern countries, check the Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names in Appendix F of the Factbook.
June 2, 2017
How much different governments spend on the military is an interesting topic, regardless of where you fall on the “peace activist to defense supporter” spectrum. Such information isn’t always easy to find in open sources, which is understandable. However, the Military expenditures entry of the World Factbook 2017 has been updated, and you can now find up-to-date data there.
May 16, 2017
Amending the Constitution is challenging for most nations – as it’s supposed to be. However, the exact procedure varies across the globe, and you might find it interesting to explore the differences. Amendment protocols for non-European countries have been added to the Constitution entry.
March 30, 2017
Life expectancy is one of the best indicators of the quality of life and population health of nations globally. If you’re shopping for a place with a nice climate and great life expectancy to spend retirement in, check the Life expectancy at birth section from the People and Society entry.
February 2, 2017
Most people know what such acronyms as “UN” or “NATO” stand for. But what about “UPU”? Almost every country is part of the UPU, and it’s critical for nations’ communication. If you don’t know what the UPU is but would like to find out, check International Organizations and Groups in Appendix B.
January 13, 2017
January is when the World Factbook is updated most actively (to add up-to-date information from the past year). If you want to catch up, start with the Energy and Economy categories – they’ve just been revised.
December 16, 2016
Among the general public, one of the most popular categories of the World Factbook is the Flags of the World. Flag-related questions are common in trivia and quizzes, so it’s a great way to earn your team a few extra points if you ever find yourself at such an event.
November 23, 2016
It’s always interesting to see which countries and regions are the most and least populated, but it’s no less fascinating to explore the distribution of population inside countries. The Population distribution sections have just been updated for North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia – feel free to check them out.
October 14, 2016
The Demographic profile sections have been added for all African nations. You can now learn everything there is to know about the demographics of the African continent in one place: age structure, education, migration, mortality, the ethnic makeup, and more. Or, you can revisit earlier entries and find the same information about other regions of the world.
September 23, 2016
Electricity is something that people in developed nations don’t even notice – not unless there is a reason. However, this is not the case everywhere, as access to it remains uneven across the world. Check the new Electricity access sections for different countries to see how divided the numbers are regionally, as well as between urban vs. rural populations.
August 19, 2016
Not everyone knows that there are half-hour time zones, and this isn’t even the most surprising fact about time zones. If you want to expand your knowledge on the subject, check out the newly updated time zone entries for different countries. You can locate them in the Government category in the Capital sections.
July 22, 2016
Most English speakers still refer to this Central European country as “the Czech Republic,” but it’s actually not technically correct now. The international English version of this country’s name is now officially changed to Czechia, and the World Factbook has been updated to reflect the change.
June 3, 2016
Do you know which ocean is the smallest? Yes, it’s the Arctic Ocean. But what about the countries that border it? There are only six of them, and you can find the complete list in the Arctic Ocean entry.
May 27, 2016
The final of this year’s National Geographic Society’s Geography Bee has just taken place in Washington, DC. By the way, the main reference for the Geography Bee is the World Factbook.
April 22, 2016
A curious topic to dive into is the etymology of countries’ names. For example, “Mexico” comes from “Mexica” – the people who ruled the Aztec Empire and founded Tenochtitlan, the largest city in the Americas prior to La Conquista. Find other etymologies in the Country name entries for different countries.
March 17, 2016
Crude oil reserves are one of the predictors of a nation’s economic prosperity. If you want to know which country has the most of them, go to the References tab, open country comparisons, and find the Energy section.
February 19, 2016
The Energy categories have been updated for all countries to include up-to-date information from the past year.
January 15, 2016
Nations across the globe have different policies and procedures for acquiring and holding citizenship. Citizenship entries have been added to all Government sections to describe such regulations.
December 30, 2015
Did you know there is an African country that’s 96% desert? Yet somehow, it’s home to almost 90 million people who manage to live in harsh conditions – and it’s also a popular tourist destination. If you’re interested in which country it is, go to the References tab and open the country comparison by population.
November 13, 2015
Nations’ population is volatile and requires regular updates – especially if you factor in refugees and displaced persons. The data for several Balkan nations, Greece, Italy, Hungary, and a few countries from the same region have just been updated.
October 22, 2015
Maritime piracy isn’t just something that belongs in children’s books and Disney movies. It remains a huge threat in 2015, especially in such places as West Africa and the South China Sea, among others. If you want to learn more about the subject, go to the World entry and find the Transportation note.
September 25, 2015
It’s sometimes hard to fully grasp how big or small a geographical object is without comparing it to another one. That’s why area comparison maps have just been updated, with quite a few added. Go to the Area – comparative entry in the Geography section to check them out.
September 18, 2015
It’s the 125th anniversary of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) – the federal body that approves standardized geographic names. Every proper name you see in the World Factbook is approved by the BGN.
August 20, 2015
The most common way of long-distance travel might be by car, but this doesn’t mean that trains have lost their relevance, especially in densely populated regions, for example, Western Europe. Check the Railways entry to see the most recent updates. You can find it in the Transportation category.
July 31, 2015
Did you know that the U.S. isn’t the only country where the U.S. dollar is the official currency? Check the relevant entry to find out what the other countries are (and what all of them have in common – which explains why they all have the USD as the official currency).
July 10, 2015
Every American knows that the U.S. consists of 50 states (plus the District of Columbia and a few territories). But do you know how many Emirates make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE)? To find the answer, go to the Administrative divisions section of the UAE entry.
June 19, 2015
Demographic characteristics of nations change constantly. This applies not just to things like the population or mortality rates but also to other parameters that reflect a nation’s societal well-being. Check the People and Society category, and you’ll find a few updates in such fields as Literacy, Obesity, and a couple more.
May 22, 2015
Check the Economy and Energy categories to find up-to-date data revised to reflect the changes from the past few years.
May 15, 2015
Did you know that the colors of nations’ flags aren’t always the symbolic colors of those nations? That’s normally the case, but there are exceptions. Check the National symbols entry in the Government category to find out which countries have symbolic colors different from the ones in their flags.
April 21, 2015
Every brand needs a rebrand every once in a while, and the World Factbook is no exception. The Factbook’s logo has recently been updated, and you can find the new version in the Gallery of Covers.
June 26, 2014
When people think about monarchies, it’s usually the U.K. that comes to mind first. But there are over 40 monarchies in the world, and not even all of them are located in Europe. Out of all of them, though, only one is in the Pacific region. Can you name it? If not, check the relevant entry in the Factbook.
June 12, 2014
The national anthem of the U.S. is fully in English, but, interestingly, this isn’t the case for all nations. The record belongs to South Africa – the lyrics of its national anthem are in five different languages. Go to South Africa’s Government category to find out which five languages those are.
May 29, 2014
Dependency ratios refer to the demographic ratios that reflect the number of people who don’t participate in the workforce (for example, infants). If you are interested in those, check the People and Society section. A few dependency ratios have just been updated, including the youth dependency ratio and the elderly dependency ratio.
May 8, 2014
Do you know which modern island used to be named Ceylon? If not, check the Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. You’ll find the old names of most modern countries there.
April 17, 2014
The World Factbook might be the biggest source of geography trivia questions ever. For example, can you name the largest island country in the world? It’s an Asian archipelago, and the exact number of islands it consists of is a whopping 17,508.
April 30, 2014
The Energy category of the Factbook is constantly updated to accurately reflect the newest data. Go to the Guide to Country Comparisons, find the Electricity–production there, and find out which country is the largest electricity producer at the moment.
April 3, 2014
The World Factbook isn’t all numbers and text. It contains plenty of visuals, including both maps and photos. If you are in the mood for beautiful scenery, check out the entries for Central American and Caribbean nations. Dozens of new photos have just been added to them.
Conclusion
Overall, anyone in need of credible and up-to-date information on geography, geopolitics, social trends, or government can definitely rely on the World Factbook. It might not be the quickest to update, but at least you can be confident that there’s no misleading data in it. If the Factbook is good enough for U.S. government officials, it’s good enough for students and trivia lovers.
The World Factbook is such an influential source of data that it is actually available as a mobile app for both Android and iOS users. It’s updated yearly and very easy to navigate – much more user-friendly than CIA.gov, where the original Factbook is located. The convenient app format makes Factbook an even better database, especially for students.