Using The World Factbook(Just like the CIA!)

Created by Jocelyn Dunlop

What IS the World Factbook?

• Published by the Central

Intelligence Agency of the

United States Government

• Updated biweekly (every

two weeks or twice per

week)

• Information about 267 world

entities (ranging from

geography to economic

and government facts)

• Perfect for everyone!

What can the World Factbook tell you?

• Population statisticso Ex: Birth/Death rates, ethnic make-up, and languages spoken

• Geography informationo Ex: Australia is generally arid to semi-arid

• Government structureo Ex: Vietnam is a Communist state

• Economic, Energy, Communications, and Transportation Statistics

o Ex: Gross Domestic Product, National Budget, Internet Users, Total Airports, Energy Imports/Exports,

• Military Facts

• Transnational Issueso Ex: Colombia is an illicit producer of coca, opium, and marijuana,

supplying to other nations via the black market

Tutorial1. Navigate directly to the publication at:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/OR use your favorite search engine to find the direct link

You found it!

The landing page of the World FactBook should look like this..

2. After finding the publication at its unique URL, you can narrow your search to a specific country by using the drop-down menu at the top of the page.

3. Or, if you prefer, use the map feature to browse by region.

4. After you’ve found your chosen world entity (Bolivia in this example), you will see a comprehensive page showcasing all of the relevant data you could ever want!

5. Simply click on one of the collapsed topics (ex: Geography) to reveal a wealth of data.

6. If you are interested in comparing country data, use the “Field Listing” icon at the right of the statistic (ex: Terrain), to see the alphabetical listing of all entities with that same information

Comparison Feature The World Factbook also offers a comparison tool that ranks entities by certain data points (infant mortality or gross domestic product, for example).

The “Guide to Country Comparisons” can be found under the “References” tab. There is also an icon linking to this page on the home page.

More Cool Features!

• Regional and World Maps

• Flags of the World

• Definitions

• Weights and Measures

Reference Sheet

• User Guide and Frequently

Asked Questions, if you are still

confused

Conclusion

P.S. Remember to always cite your sources!

Central Intelligence Agency (2014). The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

Was this helpful? Still feeling confused? If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me!