Released in 1962 as a confidential, printed reference manual for intelligence officers, the Factbook offered a detailed, numerical portrait of foreign nations, their economies, militaries, resources, and societies.
The US Information Agency (CIA) revealed on Wednesday that, after more than 60 years, it will close the popular reference publication World Factbook.
The ad, did not provide any justification for the decision to end Factbook, but follows director John Ratcliffe’s promise to end programs that do not contribute to the agency’s core missions.
Initially released in 1962 as a confidential, printed reference manual for intelligence officersthe Factbook offered a detailed and numerical portrait of foreign nations, their economies, militaries, resources, and societies.
The Factbook proved so useful that other federal agencies began using it and, within a decade, an unclassified version was released to the public.
After going online in 1997, Factbook quickly became a popular reference site for journalists, curiosity enthusiasts and academic authors, accumulating millions of visits per year.
The White House took steps to reduce the staffing of the CIA and National Security Agency (NSA) early in Trump’s second term, forcing the agency to do more with less.
