Resource Library
36 resources — PDFs, datasets, videos, audio, and interactive tools
CIA World Factbook 2024 Edition Guide
Comprehensive guide to the 2024 CIA World Factbook data, including field definitions, methodology notes, and data coverage for 257 countries.
Historical Data Comparison (1990-2024)
Analysis document comparing key metrics across all 33 editions from 1990 to 2024, showing global trends in population, GDP, and development.
Country Data Field Reference
Complete reference of all 200+ data fields used in the World Factbook, with descriptions, units, and data availability by edition.
GEC Country Code Reference
Complete mapping of GEC (FIPS) two-letter country codes to ISO codes and country names used throughout the database.
Sovereignty Changes Timeline
Document tracking all sovereignty changes, new countries, and dissolved states reflected across Factbook editions from 1990 to 2024.
World Factbook API Integration Guide
Developer guide for integrating with the World Factbook REST API, including authentication, endpoints, and code examples.
World Geography Quick Reference
Compact reference card with key geographic facts: largest/smallest countries, highest/lowest points, longest rivers, and more.
CIA World Factbook 2024 (Full PDF)
Complete PDF version of the 2024 CIA World Factbook with all country profiles, maps, and appendices.
factbook.json — Full Dataset (GitHub)
Complete machine-readable JSON dataset of all country profiles. Updated regularly. Ideal for developers and researchers.
Wayback Machine: CIA Factbook Archives
Browse archived snapshots of the CIA World Factbook website from 2000 to 2025 via the Internet Archive.
World Factbook REST API
Programmatic access to all country data, rankings, and search functionality via our REST API.
World Factbook Timeline Viewer
Interactive tool to visualize how country data has changed across 12 editions spanning 1990-2024.
National Anthems Collection Guide
Guide to the 216 national anthems in the collection, including titles, composers, and adoption dates.
CIA World Factbook 2023 Edition Guide
Reference guide for the 2023 edition with 257 countries and 79,657 data records across all categories.
World Regions Classification Guide
Detailed guide to the geographic region classification system used in the Factbook, including country assignments and border cases.
Factbook Data Import Scripts Documentation
Technical documentation for the data import pipeline covering Gutenberg text, CIA HTML archives, and JSON format parsers.
Population Trends 1990-2024
Statistical analysis of global population changes across 33 editions, highlighting fastest growing and declining nations.
GDP Rankings Evolution
Visual report showing how GDP rankings have shifted over three decades of Factbook data.
Edition Coverage Matrix
Spreadsheet showing data field availability across all 33 editions, useful for planning historical comparisons.
Country Flag Identification Guide
Visual guide to identifying all 256 country flags with descriptions of symbols, colors, and historical significance.
Global Rankings Explorer
Explore sortable rankings for population, GDP, area, life expectancy, and dozens of other metrics.
World Factbook Country Comparison Guide
Reference guide for comparing country statistics across key indicators like GDP, population, and area.
Definitions and Notes
Official CIA definitions for all data fields used in the World Factbook, including methodology notes.
Country Codes Cross-Reference
Cross-reference table mapping GEC, ISO 3166, FIPS, and internet country codes used across different standards.
World Factbook CSV Export
Export any ranking or comparison data from this application in CSV format for use in spreadsheets and analysis tools.
How the CIA World Factbook Was Made
Documentary overview of how the CIA compiled and maintained the World Factbook over four decades of publication.
Understanding Country Statistics
Educational video explaining how to interpret GDP, PPP, population growth rates, and other key metrics in the Factbook.
World Factbook Podcast: Global Trends
Audio discussions analyzing global demographic, economic, and geopolitical trends using World Factbook data.
Project Gutenberg: World Factbook 1990
Full text of the 1990 CIA World Factbook digitized by Project Gutenberg. One of the earliest publicly available digital editions.
Project Gutenberg: World Factbook 2000
Complete text of the 2000 edition with data on 268 world entities at the turn of the millennium.
Project Gutenberg: World Factbook 2005
Mid-2000s edition capturing the post-9/11 geopolitical landscape with updated country profiles.
Project Gutenberg: World Factbook 2010
The 2010 edition covering the global financial crisis era with comprehensive economic data.
World Factbook Flag Gallery
Browse flags of all 260+ countries and territories in the World Factbook. High-resolution PNG images.
Country Reference Maps (GitHub)
Collection of reference maps for all countries from the factbook/media repository. PNG format.
factbook.json GitHub Repository
Open-source repository with structured JSON data for all countries. Fork, contribute, or download.
Country Comparison Tool
Compare up to 4 countries side-by-side across all data categories with visual charts.
External Data Sources
CIA World Factbook Archives
Official CIA archives with yearly snapshots from 2000-2025
factbook.json on GitHub
Machine-readable JSON format of the World Factbook
Project Gutenberg Editions
Historical text editions from 1990-2010
UPenn Online Books
Serial listing of World Factbook editions
Wayback Machine
Archived snapshots of the CIA Factbook website
World Bank Open Data
Complementary economic and development indicators
CIA Original Factbook Editions
9 archived editions — browse the original CIA World Factbook files or download as ZIP
2019 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2018 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2017 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2016 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2015 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2014 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2013 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2012 Edition
CIA World Factbook
2011 Edition
CIA World Factbook
About CIA Original Factbook Archives
These are the original CIA World Factbook HTML files as published by the Central Intelligence Agency. Each edition contains country profiles, maps, and reference data as they appeared in that year. Browse them online or download the full ZIP archive for offline use via the Download Center.
Gutenberg Text Editions
22 plain-text editions from Project Gutenberg — read online or download
About Gutenberg Text Editions
These plain-text editions were sourced from Project Gutenberg and cover the years 1990–2010. Click "Read" to view the full text in your browser, or download the .txt file for offline use via the Download Center.
HathiTrust Text Editions
10 plain-text editions from HathiTrust Digital Library — read online or download
About HathiTrust Text Editions
These plain-text editions were sourced from the HathiTrust Digital Library, a partnership of academic and research institutions. Click "Read" to view the full text in your browser, or download the .txt file for offline use via the Download Center.