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The CIA World Factbook 2017
A country-by-country guide to the world.
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2017 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world’s nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with data on the politics, populations, military expenditures, and economics of 2016.
For each country, The CIA World Factbook 2017
• Detailed maps with new geopolitical data
• Statistics on the population of each country, with details on literacy rates, HIV prevalence, and age structure
• New data on military expenditures and capabilities
• Information on each country’s climate and natural hazards
• Details on prominent political parties and contact information for diplomatic consultation
• Facts on transportation and communication infrastructure
Also included are appendixes with useful abbreviations, international environmental agreements, international organizations and groups, weight and measure conversions, and more. Originally intended for use by government officials, this is a must-have resource for students, travelers, journalists, and businesspeople with a desire to know more about their world.
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2017 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world’s nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with data on the politics, populations, military expenditures, and economics of 2016.
For each country, The CIA World Factbook 2017
• Detailed maps with new geopolitical data
• Statistics on the population of each country, with details on literacy rates, HIV prevalence, and age structure
• New data on military expenditures and capabilities
• Information on each country’s climate and natural hazards
• Details on prominent political parties and contact information for diplomatic consultation
• Facts on transportation and communication infrastructure
Also included are appendixes with useful abbreviations, international environmental agreements, international organizations and groups, weight and measure conversions, and more. Originally intended for use by government officials, this is a must-have resource for students, travelers, journalists, and businesspeople with a desire to know more about their world.
- GenresNonfictionReference
1114 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2016
31 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Central Intelligence Agency
1,750 books94 followersThe Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the U.S. Government, tasked with gathering, processing and analyzing national security information from around the world, primarily through the use of human intelligence (HUMINT). As one of the principal members of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), the CIA reports to the Director of National Intelligence and is primarily focused on providing intelligence for the President and his Cabinet.
Unlike the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is a domestic security service, CIA has no law enforcement function and is mainly focused on overseas intelligence gathering, with only limited domestic collection. Though it is not the only U.S. government agency specializing in HUMINT, CIA serves as the national manager for coordination and deconfliction of HUMINT activities across the entire intelligence community. Moreover, CIA is the only agency authorized by law to carry out and oversee covert action on behalf of the President, unless the President determines that another agency is better suited for carrying out such action. It can, for example, exert foreign political influence through its tactical divisions, such as the Special Activities Division.
Before the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, CIA Director concurrently served as the head of the Intelligence Community; today these functions and authorities reside with the Director of National Intelligence. Despite transferring some of its powers to the DNI, the CIA has grown in size as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In 2013, The Washington Post reported that in fiscal year 2010, the CIA had the largest budget of all IC agencies, exceeding previous estimates.
The CIA has increasingly expanded its roles, including covert paramilitary operations. One of its largest divisions, the Information Operations Center (IOC), has shifted focus from counter-terrorism to offensive cyber-operations. While the CIA has had some recent accomplishments, such as locating Osama bin Laden and taking part in the successful Operation Neptune Spear, it has also been involved in controversial programs such as extraordinary rendition and enhanced interrogation techniques.
Unlike the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is a domestic security service, CIA has no law enforcement function and is mainly focused on overseas intelligence gathering, with only limited domestic collection. Though it is not the only U.S. government agency specializing in HUMINT, CIA serves as the national manager for coordination and deconfliction of HUMINT activities across the entire intelligence community. Moreover, CIA is the only agency authorized by law to carry out and oversee covert action on behalf of the President, unless the President determines that another agency is better suited for carrying out such action. It can, for example, exert foreign political influence through its tactical divisions, such as the Special Activities Division.
Before the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, CIA Director concurrently served as the head of the Intelligence Community; today these functions and authorities reside with the Director of National Intelligence. Despite transferring some of its powers to the DNI, the CIA has grown in size as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In 2013, The Washington Post reported that in fiscal year 2010, the CIA had the largest budget of all IC agencies, exceeding previous estimates.
The CIA has increasingly expanded its roles, including covert paramilitary operations. One of its largest divisions, the Information Operations Center (IOC), has shifted focus from counter-terrorism to offensive cyber-operations. While the CIA has had some recent accomplishments, such as locating Osama bin Laden and taking part in the successful Operation Neptune Spear, it has also been involved in controversial programs such as extraordinary rendition and enhanced interrogation techniques.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 17, 2017
This is a fine resource if one is interested in national level data. For each country listed, basic data are provided, so that one can see how different states compare.
For each country, data are provided on such dimensions as (a) geography, (b)nature of the government, (c) the economy, (d) energy, (e) communications, (f) transportation, and (g) military and security, among others.
I do research that calls for comparative data across countries. This volume becomes an important resource for me. A good investment, in my mind, y purchasing annual editions of this volume.
For each country, data are provided on such dimensions as (a) geography, (b)nature of the government, (c) the economy, (d) energy, (e) communications, (f) transportation, and (g) military and security, among others.
I do research that calls for comparative data across countries. This volume becomes an important resource for me. A good investment, in my mind, y purchasing annual editions of this volume.
July 3, 2019
More than I ever wanted or needed to know about the world's governments and countries.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews