Trump Administration Shuts Down CIA World Factbook After 50 Years
The Trump administration shut down the CIA World Factbook on February 4, ending the free online resource that millions used to look up basic facts about countries around the world. The reference guide had been available to the public since 1997.
The Trump administration abruptly closed the CIA World Factbook on February 4, cutting off public access to what many considered the gold standard for country information.
The Factbook provided basic facts about every nation's population, geography, military, government, and economy. Students writing reports, journalists checking details, and anyone curious about world facts could access it free online.
The CIA created the resource decades ago and put it online in 1997. The agency originally called it the National Basic Intelligence Factbook before renaming it in 1981. It became widely trusted because intelligence professionals compiled the data.
The CIA says shutting down the public website fits with changes to the spy agency's core mission. But critics worry about losing a reliable, free source of world information that served generations of users.
The move eliminates what many saw as an essential educational tool that helped people understand basic facts about countries and cultures worldwide.
Students, teachers, journalists, and curious readers relied on the Factbook for trusted information about population, geography, and government details for every country. Now they'll need to find new sources for this basic reference material.
Users will need to find alternative sources for country reference data, though none may match the Factbook's scope and reliability.
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