km
China = 9,326,410 sq km

Why has The World Factbook dropped the four French departments of
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, and French Guiana?

The reason the four entities are no longer in The World Factbook is
because their status has changed. While they are overseas
departments of France, they are also now recognized as French
regions, having equal status to the 22 metropolitan regions that
make up European France. In other words, they are now recognized as
being part of France proper. Their status is somewhat analogous to
Alaska and Hawaii vis-a-vis the contiguous United States. Although
separated from the larger geographic entity, they are still
considered to be an integral part of it.

Spelling and Pronunciation

Why is the spelling of proper names such as rulers, presidents, and
prime ministers in The World Factbook different than their spelling
in my country?

The Factbook staff applies the names and spellings from the Chiefs
of State link on the CIA Web site. The World Factbook is prepared
using the standard American English computer keyboard and does not
use any special characters, symbols, or most diacritical markings in
its spellings. Surnames are always spelled with capital letters;
they may appear first in some cultures.

The spelling of geographic names, features, cities, administrative
divisions, etc. in the Factbook differs from those used in my
country. Why is this?

The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) recommends and
approves names and spellings. The BGN is the component of the United
States Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures
governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic
names--domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions
enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to use
uniform names of geographic features. (A note is usually included
where changes may have occurred but have not yet been approved by
the BGN). The World Factbook is prepared using the standard American
English computer keyboard and does not use any special characters,
symbols, or most diacritical markings in its spellings.

Why doesn't The World Factbook include pronunciations of country or
leader names?

There are too many variations in pronunciation among
English-speaking countries, not to mention English renditions of
non-English names, for pronunciations to be included. American
English pronunciations are included for some countries