The World Factbook

Recommended supplement

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes The World Factbook annually for the benefit of other government agencies; therefore, the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. The facts about the world are as up-to-date and correct as the U.S. government can make them, which makes this publication particularly useful. All the countries in the world are represented in the book, some with three-page descriptions and some with five or six pages. A small map of each country is shown, with the major cities indicated, plus a scale in kilometers. The description is broken down into the following areas:

• Geography
• Economy
• People
• Communications
• Government
• Defense forces

The descriptions are very brief and exacting. The discussion of the economy is probably the most salient piece for student purposes and is divided into the following areas:

Overview	GDP/fiscal year	Budget
Inflation rate	Unemployment	Exports
External debt	Industrial production	Electricity
Exchange rate	Agriculture	Currency
Economic aid	Illicit drugs	Industries

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www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
Database: my guess is they would rather not have you in it…go to public domain

The World Factbook

0-02-881044-9
For more information, call
Central Intelligence Agency
Phone: (703) 482-1100
Fax: (703) 613-7871