The World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known as the CIA World Factbook)[2] is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official paper copy version is available from the National Technical Information Service and the Government Printing Office. Other companies—such as Skyhorse Publishing—also print a paper edition. The Factbook is available in the form of a website, which is partially updated every week. It is also available for download for use off-line. It provides a two- to three-page summary of the demographics, geography, communications, government, economy, and military of 267 entities[3] including U.S.-recognized countries, dependencies, and other areas in the world.
