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.

Fact of The Day

March 28, 2024

The Rock Islands

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What's New

The Antarctica page and our five world oceans pages (Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Southern Ocean) have been carefully updated with information provided by the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Pictured is the blue ice covering Antarctica's Lake Fryxell, in the Transantarctic Mountains, which comes from glacial meltwater from the Canada Glacier and other smaller glaciers. Image courtesy of National Science Foundation.

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Explore Countries

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World Travel Facts

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

One-page Country Summaries

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

Flags of the World

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

Country Comparisons

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

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