The World Factbook

The World Factbook provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.

Travel the globe with CIA’s World Factbook.

Edition: Sep 21, 2023

Fact of The Day

September 21, 2023

Statue of Queen Victoria

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What's New

UNESCO recently inscribed 24 cultural sites and 3 natural sites representing 26 countries and entities to its World Heritage List. The 27 additions bring the total number of sites on the list to 1,184, consisting of 924 cultural, 221 natural, and 39 mixed sites. Updated entries for both the World and individual countries and entities can be found in the Government category under “National heritage.”

VIEW ALL UPDATES

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Explore Countries

Explore all Countries

Part of a flag display in one of the buildings of the UN Office in Vienna.

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The World & Its Regions

World

Africa

Antarctica

Australia and Oceania

Central America and the Caribbean

Central Asia

East and Southeast Asia

Europe

Middle East

North America

South America

South Asia

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Oceans

Arctic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

Indian Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Southern Ocean

Travel more intelligently with The World Factbook Travel Facts. Here’s what you should know about each country before you go.

Pressed for time? Check out our one-page summaries for essential information on each country.

Every flag has a story. View flags of all the world’s countries and territories to learn the symbolism behind each design.

Love data? The World Factbook has over 65 rank order pages that compare country data in specific fields.