be produced, government agencies had to develop more
comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board on Geographic
Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the Interior produced
the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.

The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the
structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in 1955
that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable publication
which provides the essential elements of basic intelligence on all
areas of the world. There will always be a continuing requirement for
keeping the Survey up-to-date." The Factbook was created as an annual
summary and update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first
classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first
unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was
terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook , map, and gazetteer
components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the
public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The
Factbook was first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The
year 2008 marks the 61st anniversary of the establishment of the
Central Intelligence Agency and the 65th year of continuous basic
intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its
two predecessor programs.

The Evolution of The World Factbook

National Basic Intelligence Factbook produced semiannually until 1980.
Country entries include sections on Land, Water, People, Government,
Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces.

1981--Publication becomes an annual product and is renamed The World
Factbook. A total of 165 nations are covered on 225 pages.

1983--Appendices (Conversion Factors, International Organizations)
first introduced.

1984--Appendices expanded; now include: A. The United Nations, B.
Selected United Nations Organizations, C. Selected International
Organizations, D. Country Membership in Selected Organizations, E.
Conversion Factors.

1987--A new Geography section replaces the former separate Land and
Water sections. UN Organizations and Selected International
Organizations appendices merged into a new International Organizations
appendix. First multi-color-cover Factbook.

1988--More than 40 new geographic entities added to provide complete
world coverage without overlap or omission. Among the new entities are
Antarctica, oceans (Arctic, Atlantic , Indian, Pacific)