The World Factbook Explained

The World Factbook
Language:English
Country:United States
Genre:Almanac about the countries of the world
Publisher:Central Intelligence Agency
Subject:General
Pub Date:See frequency of updates and availability, no longer published in paper book form by the CIA

The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook,[1] is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available from the Government Publishing Office. The Factbook is available in the form of a website that is partially updated every week. It is also available for download for use off-line. It provides a two- to three-page summary of the demographics, geography, communications, government, economy, and military of 266 international entities,[2] including U.S.-recognized countries, dependencies, and other areas in the world.

The World Factbook is prepared by the CIA for the use of U.S. government officials, and its style, format, coverage, and content are primarily designed to meet their requirements.[3] It is also frequently used as a resource for academic research papers and news articles.[4] As a work of the U.S. government, it is in the public domain in the United States.[5]

Sources

In researching the Factbook, the CIA uses the sources listed below. Other public and private sources are also consulted.[6]

Copyright

The Factbook is in the public domain and may be redistributed in part or in whole without need for permission,[6] although the CIA requests that the Factbook be cited if used.[5] Copying the official seal of the CIA without permission is prohibited by the US federal Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 .

Frequency of updates and availability

Before November 2001, The World Factbook website was updated yearly;[7] from 2004 to 2010 it was updated every two weeks;[7] since 2010 it has been updated weekly.[8] Generally, information currently available as of January 1 of the current year[9] is used in preparing the Factbook.

Government edition

The first classified edition of Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version in June 1971.[10] The World Factbook was first available to the public in print in 1975.[10] Until 2008 the CIA printed the Factbook; from then it has been printed by the Government Printing Office[11] following a CIA decision to "focus Factbook resources" on the online edition.[12] The Factbook has been available via the World Wide Web since October 1994,[13] receiving about six million visits per month in 2006;[4] it can also be downloaded.[14] The official printed version is sold[15] by the Government Printing Office and National Technical Information Service. In past years, the Factbook was available on CD-ROM,[16] microfiche,[17] magnetic tape,[17] and floppy disk.[17]

Reprints and older editions online

Many Internet sites use information and images from the CIA World Factbook.[18] Several publishers, including Grand River Books,[19] Potomac Books (formerly known as Brassey's Inc.),[20] and Skyhorse Publishing[21] have published the Factbook in recent years. Older editions since 2000 may be downloaded (but not browsed) from the Factbook Web site.[5]

Entities listed

See main article: List of entities and changes in The World Factbook., The World Factbook comprises 266 entities,[2] which can be divided into the following categories:[22]

Independent countries: The CIA defines these as people "politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory."[22] In this category, there are 195 entities.
  • Others: Places set apart from the list of independent countries. Currently there are two: Taiwan and the European Union.
  • Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty: Places affiliated with another country. They may be subcategorized by affiliated country:

    • 6 entities

    2 entities

    2 entities

    8 entities

    3 entities

    3 entities

    3 entities

    17 entities

    14 entities

    Miscellaneous: Antarctica and places in dispute. There are six such entities.
  • Other entities: The World and the oceans. There are five oceans and the World (the World entry is intended as a summary of the other entries).[4]

    • Territorial issues and controversies

    Political

    Areas not covered

    Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries, such as Kashmir, are not covered,[23] but other areas of the world whose status is disputed, such as the Spratly Islands, have entries.[23] [24] Subnational areas of countries (such as U.S. states or the Canadian provinces and territories) are not included in the Factbook. Instead, users looking for information about subnational areas are referred to "a comprehensive encyclopedia" for their reference needs.[25] This criterion was invoked in the 2007[26] and 2011[27] editions with the decision to drop the entries for French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion. They were dropped because besides being overseas departments, they were now overseas regions, and an integral part of France.[26] [27] Since the Trump administration's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in late 2020, most of its data has been merged into Morocco's page.[28] [29]

    Chagos Archipelago

    Some entries on the World Factbook are known to be in line with the political views and agenda of the United States. The United States is said to have been behind both the excision of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritian territory and the forcible expulsion of the Chagossians from their lands to establish a military base on one of the island of the archipelago, namely Diego Garcia.[30] The US does not recognise the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago and the archipelago is listed as the British Indian Ocean Territory on the CIA Website.[31] The website further erroneously mentioned that the Chagos Archipelago is also claimed by the Seychelles,[31] while officially 116 countries including the Seychelles against only 6 countries including the United States voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution dated 24 May 2019 which called upon the UK to withdraw its colonial administration from the Chagos Archipelago unconditionally to enable Mauritius to complete the decolonization of its territory as rapidly as possible.[32] [33]

    Kashmir

    Maps depicting Kashmir have the Indo-Pakistani border drawn at the Line of Control, but the region of Kashmir administered by China drawn in hash marks.[34]

    Northern Cyprus

    Northern Cyprus, which the U.S. considers part of the Republic of Cyprus, is not given a separate entry because "territorial occupations/annexations not recognized by the United States Government are not shown on U.S. Government maps."[35]

    Taiwan/Republic of China

    See also: Political status of Taiwan. The name "Republic of China" is not listed as Taiwan's official name under the "Government" section,[36] due to U.S. acknowledgement of Beijing's One-China policy according to which there is one China and Taiwan is a part of it.[37] The name "Republic of China" was briefly added on January 27, 2005,[38] but has since been changed back to "none".[36] Of the Factbooks two maps of China, one highlights the island of Taiwan as part of the country[34] while the other does not.[39]

    Disputed South China Sea Islands

    The Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands, subjects of territorial disputes, have entries in the Factbook where they are not listed as the territory of any one nation. The disputed claims to the islands are discussed in the entries.[40] [41]

    Burma/Myanmar

    The U.S. does not recognize the renaming of Burma by its ruling military junta to Myanmar and thus keeps its entry for the country under the Burma name.[42]

    North Macedonia

    The country was first entered as Macedonia in the Factbook upon independence in 1992.[43] In the 1994 edition, the name of the entry was changed to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as it is recognised by the United Nations (pending resolution of the Macedonia naming dispute).[44] [45] For the next decade, this was the name the nation was listed under. In the 2004 edition of the Factbook, the name of the entry was changed back to Macedonia, following a November 2004 U.S. decision to refer to the country using this name.[46] [47] [48] On February 19, 2019, the entry was renamed to North Macedonia following the country's name change to the Republic of North Macedonia.

    European Union

    On December 16, 2004, the CIA added an entry for the European Union (EU) for the first time.[49] [50] The "What's New" section of the 2005 Factbook states: "The European Union continues to accrue more nation-like characteristics for itself and so a separate listing was deemed appropriate."[37]

    United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges and Iles Eparses

    In the 2006 edition of The World Factbook, the entries for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Kingman Reef, Johnston Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and the Midway Islands were merged into a new United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry.[51] The old entries for each individual insular area remain as redirects on the Factbook website.[52] On September 7, 2006, the CIA also merged the entries for Bassas da India, Europa Island, the Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island into a new Iles Eparses entry.[53] As with the new United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry, the old entries for these five islands remained as redirects on the website.[54] On July 19, 2007, the Iles Eparses entry and redirects for each island were dropped due to the group becoming a district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in February.[55]

    Serbia and Montenegro/Yugoslavia

    The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) broke apart in 1991. The following year, it was replaced in the Factbook with entries for each of its former constituent republics.[43] In doing this, the CIA listed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), proclaimed in 1992, as Serbia and Montenegro, as the U.S. did not recognize the union between the two republics.[56] [57] This was done in accordance with a May 21, 1992, decision by the U.S. not to recognize any of the former Yugoslav republics[58] [59] as successor states to the recently dissolved SFRY.

    These views were made clear in a disclaimer printed in the Factbook: "Serbia and Montenegro have asserted the formation of a joint independent state, but this entity has not been recognized as a state by the United States."[60] Montenegro and Serbia were treated separately in the Factbook data, as can be seen on the map.[61] In October 2000, Slobodan Milošević was forced out of office after a disputed election.[62] This event led to democratic elections and U.S. diplomatic recognition. The 2001 edition of the Factbook thus referred to the state as Yugoslavia.[63] On March 14, 2002, an agreement was signed to transform the FRY into a loose state union called Serbia and Montenegro;[64] it took effect on February 4, 2003.[65] The name of the Yugoslavia entity was altered in the Factbook the month after the change.[66]

    Kosovo

    On February 28, 2008, the CIA added an entry for Kosovo, which declared independence on February 17 of the same year.[67] Before this, Kosovo was excluded in the Factbook.[23] Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute; Serbia continues to claim Kosovo as part of its own sovereign territory. Kosovo's independence has been out of United Nations member states, including the United States.[68]

    East Timor/Timor-Leste

    On July 19, 2007, the entry for East Timor was renamed Timor-Leste following a decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN).[69]

    Factual

    In June 2009, National Public Radio (NPR), relying on information obtained from The World Factbook, put the number of Israeli Jews living in settlements in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem at 250,000. However, a better estimate, based on State Department and Israeli sources put the figure at about 500,000. NPR then issued a correction. Chuck Holmes, foreign editor for NPR Digital, said, "I'm surprised and displeased, and it makes me wonder what other information is out-of-date or incorrect in the CIA World Factbook."[70]

    The factbook currently states that only four percent of Botswana are practitioners of the indigenous Badimo religion, in reality a great majority of Botswana follow at least some of the traditions deemed Badimo.[71]

    Scholars have acknowledged that some entries in the Factbook are out of date.[72]

    The inclusion of the metric countries.

    The government's own National Institute of Standards and Technology contradicts the CIA factbook website, stating that three countries have "not adopted" the metric system is incorrect.[73] At the time a better term would be have been "not committed", however this is not the case anymore as of 2023 all countries listed are committed to adopting the metric system including the US.[74] [75]

    See also

    Alternative publications

    References

    General and cited sources

    External links

    Mobile versions of the Factbook

    The Factbook by year

    1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Central Intelligence Agency . Where in the World is Mt. Kilimanjaro? Visit the CIA World Factbook to Find Out . 2008-01-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090114015209/https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2008-featured-story-archive/world-factbook.html . dead . January 14, 2009 . 2008-01-04 .
    2. Web site: The World Factbook . CIA . 5 January 2023 . 24 January 2021 . 4 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210104183935/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/ . live .
    3. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . About The World Factbook—Copyright and Contributors . 30 December 2021 . 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 other public and private sources. The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied freely without the permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). . 30 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211230131611/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/copyright-and-contributors/ . live .
    4. CIA World Factbook 2006 Now Available . Central Intelligence Agency . 2006-04-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613001545/https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/press-release-archive-2006/pr04052006.htm . dead . June 13, 2007 . 2007-01-11 . The World Factbook remains the CIA's most widely disseminated and most popular product, now averaging almost 6 million visits each month. In addition, tens of thousands of government, commercial, academic, and other Web sites link to or replicate the online version of the Factbook. * * * Included among the 271 geographic entries is one for the "World", which incorporates data and other information summarized where possible from the other 270 country listings. .
    5. Web site: The World Factbook - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . CIA . 11 January 2023 . 11 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230111164511/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/faqs/#general . live .
    6. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . About The World Factbook—Copyright and Contributors . 30 December 2021 . 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 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). . 30 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211230131611/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/copyright-and-contributors/ . live .
    7. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How often is The World Factbook updated? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2009-01-26 . Formerly our Web site (and the published Factbook) were only updated annually. Beginning in November 2001 we instituted a new system of more frequent online updates. The World Factbook is currently updated every two weeks. .
    8. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . World Factbook Updates – October 22, 2010. 2010-11-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110514231843/https://www.cia.gov/library/world-factbook-updates-november-24-2010.html . dead . May 14, 2011 . 2010-12-01 . Since 2004, The World Factbook website has been updated on a bi-weekly schedule. Culminating a three-month trial effort, we are pleased to announce that the Factbook will now be updated on a weekly basis. .
    9. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Notes and Definitions: Date of information . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612212505/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2006-09-23 . In general, information available as of 1 January 2007 was used in the preparation of this edition. .
    10. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – History . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612194809/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/history.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2007-03-03 . The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. .
    11. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook – About :: History: 2008 . 2009-06-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612194809/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/history.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2009-06-08 . Printing of the Factbook turned over to the Government Printing Office. .
    12. Book: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook 2008: Purchasing Information . 2008 . Government Printing Office . 9780160873614 . 2015-04-19 . The Government Printing Office has assumed production of The World Factbook print edition. The CIA has decided to focus Factbook resources exclusively on the World Wide Web online edition... . 2021-04-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210427071729/https://books.google.com/books?id=5lc9jxSKfuEC&q=world%20factbook&pg=PP2 . live .
    13. Miller, Jill Young. "CIA puts data on the internet." Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel 12 December 1994.
    14. Web site: Central Intelligence Agency . The World Factbook Archives - The World Factbook . 2021-06-05 . 2021-06-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210605141839/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/archives/ . live .
    15. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Purchasing Information . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612211848/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/purchase_info.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2006-09-23 . Other users may obtain sales information about printed copies from the following: Superintendent of Documents...National Technical Information Service .
    16. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook 1999 – Purchasing Information (mirror) . 1999 . 2006-09-24 . The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prepares The World Factbook in printed, CD-ROM, and Internet versions. . 2021-12-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211222123438/http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact99/11.htm . dead .
    17. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . Publication Information for The World Factbook 1995 (mirror) . 1995 . 2006-09-24 . This publication is also available in microfiche, magnetic tape, or computer diskettes. . 2012-03-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120317101742/http://www.ems.psu.edu/~williams/states/pubinfo.htm . dead .
    18. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): I am using the Factbook online and it is not working. What is wrong? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2006-09-24 . Hundreds of "Factbook" look-alikes exist on the Internet. The Factbook site at: www.cia.gov is the only official site. .
    19. Web site: Texas A&M University Libraries . Introduction to Comparative Politics POLS 329 . 2008-01-02 . The world factbook (Handbook of the Nations). Detroit, Mich.: Grand River Books, 1981–. . https://web.archive.org/web/20071011234640/http://library.tamu.edu/portal/site/Library/menuitem.95e060d328c5ba7869e19cf419008a0c/?vgnextoid=b6e4124698f60110VgnVCM1000007800a8c0RCRD . October 11, 2007.
    20. Web site: Potomac Books . The World Factbook 2008 CIA's 2007 Edition . 2008-01-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090620061652/http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=180790 . 2009-06-20 .
    21. Web site: Skyhorse Publishing . CIA World Factbook 2008, The . 2008-01-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081030094818/http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/details.php?TitleID=77 . 30 October 2008 .
    22. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Notes and Definitions: Entities . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612212505/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2011-07-12 . "Independent state" refers to a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory. * * * There are a total of 266 separate geographic entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows... .
    23. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why don't you include information on entities such as Tibet or Kashmir? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2008-08-24 . Also included in the Factbook are entries on parts of the world whose status has not yet been resolved (e.g., West Bank, Spratly Islands). Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries are not covered. .
    24. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Spratly Islands . 2006-09-19 . 2006-09-24 . 2021-01-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210128085936/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/spratly-islands/ . live .
    25. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why doesn't The World Factbook include information on states, departments, provinces, etc., in the country format? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2007-05-26 . 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. .
    26. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why has The World Factbook dropped the four French departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, and French Guiana? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2007-05-26 . The reason the four entities are no longer in The World Factbook is because their status has changed. While they are overseas departments of France, they are also now recognized as French regions, having equal status to the 22 metropolitan regions that make up European France. .
    27. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . World Factbook Updates – April 8, 2011 . 2011-04-08 . 2011-04-11 . The Indian Ocean island entity of Mayotte became an overseas department of France on 31 March. The change in status makes it an integral part of France and so its description is now included in the France country profile of The World Factbook. . https://web.archive.org/web/20110409010101/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/rss%2Dupdates/world%2Dfactbook%2Dupdates%2Dapril%2D8%2D2011.html. April 9, 2011 . (Archived by WebCite at)
    28. Web site: US State Department, CIA Use Undivided Moroccan Map . Morocco World News . 2021-03-11 . 2021-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210303091253/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/03/336255/western-sahara-us-state-department-cia-use-undivided-moroccan-map/ . live .
    29. Web site: Morocco . World Factbook . 2 August 2022 . Central Intelligence Agency . 11 March 2021 . 2 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191738/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/ . live .
    30. Web site: Annex 26 - U.K. Foreign Office, Colonial Office and Ministry of Defence, U.S. Defence Interests in the Indian Ocean, D.O. (O)(64)23, FCO 31/3437 . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/169/169-20180301-WRI-05-01-EN.pdf . 2022-10-09 . live . 1964-04-23 . . 2019-07-14.
    31. Web site: Introduction :: BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY . 2019-07-13 . 2021-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210117034125/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/british-indian-ocean-territory/ . live .
    32. Web site: Resolution A/RES/73/295 Vote - Request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965. . 2019-05-22 . United Nations Digital Library . 2019-07-13 . 2020-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200624204300/https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3807805?ln=en . live .
    33. Web site: Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 . 2019-05-24 . United Nations Digital Library . 2019-07-13 . 2019-07-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190713182344/https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/73/295 . live .
    34. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – China (map) . 2006-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090612211045/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/maps/large/ch-map.gif . dead . June 12, 2009 . 2009-12-27 .
    35. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why are the Golan Heights not shown as part of Israel or Northern Cyprus with Turkey? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2006-09-23 . Territorial occupations/annexations not recognized by the United States Government are not shown on US Government maps. .
    36. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Taiwan . 2006-09-19 . 2006-09-23 . 2021-01-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210109223447/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/ . live .
    37. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why are Taiwan and the European Union listed out of alphabetical order at the end of the Factbook entries? . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612214339/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/faqs.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2006-09-23 . Taiwan is listed after the regular entries because even though the mainland People's Republic of China claims Taiwan, elected Taiwanese authorities de facto administer the island and reject mainland sovereignty claims. * * * The European Union (EU) is not a country, but it has taken on many nation-like attributes and these are likely to be expanded in the future. .
    38. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Taiwan . 2005-01-27 . 2010-10-17 . 2021-01-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210109223447/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/ . live .
    39. Web site: China . CIA . CIA World Factbook . February 2, 2013 . February 13, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210213122152/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/ . live .
    40. Web site: Paracel Islands . CIA . CIA World Factbook . February 2, 2013 . June 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220617234116/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/paracel-islands/ . live .
    41. Web site: Spratly Islands . CIA . CIA World Factbook . February 2, 2013 . January 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210128085936/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/spratly-islands/ . live .
    42. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Burma . 2006-09-19 . 2006-09-23 . since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw . 2021-02-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210210200835/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burma/ . live .
    43. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . 1992 . The World Factbook 1992 – Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations . 2006-09-23 . Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia have replaced Yugoslavia. . 2006-09-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060909005408/http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact92/wf930000.txt . dead .
    44. Web site: Official site of the U.N., List of UN Member States . Un.org . 2013-03-29 . 2011-02-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110207190946/http://www.un.org/en/members/ . live .
    45. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . 1994 . The World Factbook 1994 – Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations . 2006-09-23 . The name of Macedonia was changed to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). . 2006-09-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060909043218/http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact94/wf950000.txt . dead .
    46. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Macedonia) . 2004-11-30 . 2010-10-17 . 2021-01-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121024841/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/north-macedonia/ . live .
    47. News: Staff reporter . US snubs Greece over Macedonia . BBC News . 2004-11-04 . 2006-09-23 . Greece has protested strongly at a decision by the US to refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) simply as "Macedonia". . 2006-11-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061112192927/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3981499.stm . live .
    48. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Macedonia . 2006-09-19 . 2006-09-23 . 2021-01-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121024841/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/north-macedonia/ . live .
    49. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – European Union . 2006-09-19 . 2006-09-23 . 2021-01-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210122190105/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/european-union/ . live .
    50. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Why doesn't The World Factbook include information on states, departments, provinces, the European Union, etc., in the country format? (mirror) . 2007-06-02 . The World Factbook provides national-level information on countries, territories, and dependencies, but not on subnational administrative units within a country or supranational entities like the European Union. . 2021-12-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211222123435/http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2003/docs/faqs.html . dead .
    51. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges . 2006-09-19 . 2006-09-23 . 2022-04-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220408014336/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-states-pacific-island-wildlife-refuges/ . live .
    52. For an example of a redirect, see what happens with the profile for Kingman Reef.
    53. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Iles Eparses (mirror) . 2006-09-19 . 2007-11-10 . 2011-06-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110606091424/http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2007/geos/zz.html . dead .
    54. For an example of a redirect, see what happens with the profile for Juan de Nova Island (mirror).
    55. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook 2007: What's New . 2007-07-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070607060922/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html . dead . June 7, 2007 . 2007-07-20 . The five former entities of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island, previously grouped as Iles Eparses (Scattered Islands), now constitute a district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. .
    56. Web site: Department of State . Serbia and Montenegro (08/99) (See Yugoslavia) . August 1999 . 2007-02-03 . (Serbia and Montenegro have asserted the formation of a joint independent state, but this entity has not been recognized as a state by the United States.) . 2020-06-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614084919/https://2001-2009.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/s/12685.htm . live .
    57. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . 1992 CIA World Factbook: Serbia and Montenegro (mirror) . 1992 . 2006-10-29 . 2021-12-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211222123430/http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact92/wf930216.txt . dead .
    58. Web site: Department of State . A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: Kingdom of Serbia/Yugoslavia . 2019-04-29 . On May 21, 1992, the U.S. announced that it would not recognize the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) as a successor state of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). The FRY was composed of the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro. . 2020-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200422221019/https://history.state.gov/countries/kingdom-of-yugoslavia/recognition . live .
    59. Web site: White, Mary Jo . Mary Jo White . 767 Third Avenue Associates v. United States: Brief For Amicus Curiae United States of America Supporting Appellees and Supporting Affirmance in Part and Reversal in Part . 2000-01-31 . MS Word . 2010-10-17 . Since 1992, the United States has taken the position that the SFRY has ceased to exist, that there is no state representing the continuation of the SFRY, and that five successors have arisen—the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) ("FRY(S&M)"), the Republic of Slovenia ("Slovenia"), the Republic of Croatia ("Croatia"), the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina ("Bosnia-Herzegovina"), and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ("FYROM") . 2020-06-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614095714/https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/6649.doc . live .
    60. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook 1999 – Serbia and Montenegro . 1999 . 2010-10-17 . Serbia and Montenegro have asserted the formation of a joint independent state, but this entity has not been formally recognized as a state by the US. The US view is that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has dissolved and that none of the successor republics represents its continuation. . https://web.archive.org/web/19991109042835/http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/sr.html#intro . 1999-11-09.
    61. For an example, see the profile for the FRY in the 1999 World Factbook.
    62. News: Staff reporter . Kostunica sworn in as president of Yugoslavia . CNN . 2000-10-07 . 2006-10-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20060922181312/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/yugoslavia/story/overview/ . September 22, 2006.
    63. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook – Notes and Definitions . 2001 . 2010-10-17 . The entity of Serbia and Montenegro is now officially known as Yugoslavia. . https://web.archive.org/web/20020803221944/http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/docs/notes.html . 2002-08-03.
    64. News: Staff reporter . Yugoslav partners sign historic deal . BBC News . 2002-03-14 . 2006-10-30 . Serbia and Montenegro have signed an accord which will consign the name Yugoslavia to history and shelve any immediate plans for Montenegrin independence. . 2009-01-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090107000017/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1872070.stm . live .
    65. News: Staff reporter . Yugoslavia consigned to history . BBC News . 2003-02-04 . 2006-11-17 . From now on it will be called just Serbia and Montenegro—the two remaining republics joined in a loose union. . 2022-11-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221108060047/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2724047.stm . live .
    66. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook 2002: What's new . 2003-03-19 . 2010-10-17 . Yugoslavia has been renamed Serbia and Montenegro as of 4 February 2003. . https://web.archive.org/web/20030408232850/http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html . 2003-04-08.
    67. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . The World Factbook – Kosovo . 2008-02-28 . 2008-02-29 . 2021-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210204144331/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kosovo/ . live .
    68. News: Kosovo's parliament declares independence. CTV.ca. 2008-02-17. 2008-08-24. Serbia opposes the declaration of independence* * *. https://web.archive.org/web/20081227105743/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080217/kosovo_indep_080217?s_name=&no_ads=. 2008-12-27.
    69. Web site: Directorate of Intelligence . CIA – The World Factbook 2007: What's New . 2007-07-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070607060922/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html . dead . June 7, 2007 . 2007-07-20 . The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) now recognizes Timor-Leste as the short form name for East Timor* * * .
    70. Web site: NPR Ombudsman CIA get numbers wrong on Jewish Settlers . Alicia Shepard . 2 June 2010 . National Public Radio . 30 October 2010 . 13 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101113141920/http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2010/06/01/127349281/cia-gets-the-numbers-wrong . live .
    71. Dube . Musa W. . July 1999 . Consuming a Colonial Cultural Bomb: Translating Badimo Into 'Demons' in the Setswana Bible (Matthew 8.28–34; 15.22; 10.8) . Journal for the Study of the New Testament . en . 21 . 73 . 33–58 . 10.1177/0142064X9902107303 . 162928204 . 0142-064X . 2023-01-26 . 2023-01-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126222235/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0142064X9902107303 . live .
    72. Richard Collin & Pamela L. Martin. An Introduction to World Politics: Conflict and Consensus on a Small Planet (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013), p. 41.
    73. Web site: Weights and Measures - The World Factbook . 2023-12-04 . www.cia.gov.
    74. 2023-08-28 . U.S. Metrication Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . NIST . en . The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Factbook is one of the often cited sources of the U.S./Liberia/Burma metric myth. The first unclassified version of the CIA Factbook was published around the same time the U.S. Metric Study. It’s likely that the original list of “uncommitted” countries was incorporated, then edited as countries adopted mandatory metric laws. Over the years, many web resources have quoted the CIA Factbook, perpetuating the metric myth and elevating the map to a pop culture meme. .
    75. Benham . Elizabeth . 2020-10-06 . Busting Myths about the Metric System . NIST . en.
    76. Web site: Central Intelligence Agency . World Leaders . https://web.archive.org/web/20070612180914/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/index.html . dead . June 12, 2007 . 2007-10-25 .

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