In general, information available as of January 1, 2009 was used in the preparation of this edition. Provides brief information on the geography, people, government, economy, communications, and defense of countries and regions around the world. Contains information on international organizations. Designed to meet the specific requirements of United States Government Officials in style, format, coverage, and content. Includes 3 unattached maps.

The ultimate authoritative source for information on all the nations of the world. Provides current data for more than 250 countries and territories.

The Factbook is the OECD's most comprehensive and dynamic statistical annual. More than 100 indicators cover a wide range of areas: economy, agriculture, education, energy, environment, foreign aid, health and quality of life, industry, information and communications, population and labor force, trade and investment, taxation, public expenditure, and R&D. The focus of the 2009 edition is on inequalities in income, earnings, health, and education. Each indicator has a two-page spread: the left page provides a short introductory text followed by a detailed definition of the indicator, comments on comparability of the data, an assessment of related long-term trends, and a list of references for further information. The right page contains a table and a graph that provide--at a glance--the key message conveyed by the data. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each table. It directs the user to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel(R) format.

Freedom in the World, the Freedom House flagship survey whose findings have been published annually since 1972, is the standard-setting comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. The survey ratings and narrative reports on 193 countries and a group of select territories are used by policy makers, the media, international corporations, and civic activists and human rights defenders to monitor trends in democracy and track improvements and setbacks in freedom worldwide. Press accounts of the survey findings appear in hundreds of influential newspapers in the United States and abroad and form the basis of numerous radio and television reports. The Freedom in the World political rights and civil liberties ratings are determined through a multi-layered process of research and evaluation by a team of regional analysts and eminent scholars. The analysts used a broad range of sources of information, including foreign and domestic news reports, academic studies, nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, individual professional contacts, and visits to the region, in conducting their research. The methodology of the survey is derived in large measure from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and these standards are applied to all countries and territories, irrespective of geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development.

For the first time, Norris gives readers not only his favorite "facts about himself, but also the stories behind the facts and the code by which he lives his life.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The 2009 CIA World Factbook" by United States. Central Intelligence Agency. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

What's the capital of Portugal? What do they speak in Mozambique? Do they really eat fried tarantulas in Cambodia? Find out in The Kids World Factbook, the amazing guide to EVERY country and entity in the world (over 200 of them!). The pages are packed with facts, tidbits, maps, photos, flags, and more. For kids who love facts and trivia, this collection of up-to-date research by the CIA is not just essential--it's irresistible!