Central Intelligence Agency, Director of Central Intelligence
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What: Posted below are the Central Intelligence Agency's two most popular publications--The World Factbook 2004 and the Factbook on Intelligence--in compressed, .Zip file format, for the convenience of visitors who wish to download a personal copy.

Updates: We occasionally update these publications, so if you rely on the data for more than simple informational purposes, we recommend that you check back periodically for updates.

Format: The files for both publications are in standard HTML format. They have been compressed in .Zip format for ease of distribution.

Created with: The files were created with WinZip®, but any program that supports the .Zip format may be used to uncompress them.

To unzip (uncompress) the files:

1. Create a file folder or directory on your computer's hard drive or on a peripheral storage device in which to store each publication downloaded.

2. Download the desired file or files listed below to the location of your choice.

3. Unzip the file or files you downloaded into the folder or directory you created for storing the publication.
4. Do not unzip any file into a folder or directory other than the one you created. The process of unzipping the files will create subfolders or subdirectories required for the publication to be usable on your computer. If you unzip files into these subfolders or subdirectories, parts or all of the publication may not work.

Virus check: All files were checked with up-to-date commercial virus detection software prior to posting and, to the best of our ability to determine, were free of known viruses at the time they were posted.

How to use the publication: The files named index.htm and index.html open the publications' home page. Navigate to the index file in the folder or directory you created using a file manager, such as Windows Explorer, then double-click it to open and begin using the publication.

The World Factbook search feature: Please note that the downloaded World Factbook functions as a stand-alone publication on your computer with the exception that clicking the Search link will cause your browser to attempt to connect to the CIA's Internet website. The search software resides on our server and cannot be distributed with the World Factbook.

The World Factbook 2004

The World Factbook 2004 requires 30 megabytes of disk space for the .Zip files and about 80 megabytes of disk space for the publication once it's unzipped.

I. Single .Zip file for high-bandwidth users: factbook2004.zip (30,984 kilobytes)

  • Download the file and unzip it file into the folder or directory you created.
  • After unzipping this file, use a file manager to navigate to the folder or directory. To begin using The World Factbook, find and double-click the index file (there are two index files--both work equally well).

II. Two-file .Zip set for high-bandwidth users:

  • After downloading the two files listed below, unzip them both into the folder or directory you've created for the Factbook.
    • factbooka2004.zip (17,440 kilobytes) contains the complete Factbook except the PDF-format reference maps. With just these files, the Factbook is completely functional with the sole exception that the PDF map links on the Reference Maps page will not work.
    • factbookb2004.zip (13,544 kilobytes) contains only the 15 PDF-format reference maps.
  • After unzipping the files, use a file manager to navigate to the folder or directory you created. To begin using The World Factbook, find and double-click the index file (there are two index files--both work equally well).

II. Multi-file set for low-bandwidth users: After downloading the files listed below, unzip each of them into to the folder or directory you've created for the Factbook. Do not unzip any of them into the subfolders or subdirectories created during the unzipping process.

Note that the first 10.Zip files will create a fully-functional version of the Factbook with the sole exception that the links to the PDF-format maps (files 10 to 25 below) on the Reference Maps page will not work.

    1. docs.zip (354 KB)
    2. fields.zip (1,360 KB)
    3. flags.zip (2,853 KB)
    4. geos.zip (3,501 KB)
    5. graphics.zip (81 KB)
    6. maps.zip (3,253 KB)
    7. covers.zip (2,044 KB)
    8. print.zip (2,097 KB)
    9. refmaps.zip (1,533 KB)
    10. rankorder.zip (364 KB)


    Reference Maps (PDF)    :

    1. africa.zip (443 KB)
    2. antarctic.zip (1,288 KB)
    3. arctic.zip (526 KB)
    4. asia.zip (525 KB)
    5. central_america.zip (497 KB)
    6. europe.zip (445 KB)
    7. middle_east.zip (470 KB)
    8. north_america.zip (424 KB)
    9. oceania.zip (458 KB)
    10. physical_world.zip (4,317 KB)
    11. political_world.zip (1,840 KB)
    12. south_america.zip (796 KB)
    13. southeast_asia.zip (322 KB)
    14. time_zones.zip (818 KB)
    15. united_states.zip (374 KB)
  • After unzipping these files, use a file manager to navigate to that folder or directory. To begin using The World Factbook, find and double-click the index file (there are two index files--both work equally well).

While they cannot be browsed on this website, these previous editions of The World Factbook are available for download:

Factbook on Intelligence

  • Single .Zip file for all users: fboi.zip (17.9 MB)
  • After unzipping this file into the folder or directory you created for the publication, use a file manager to navigate to the folder or directory. Find and double-click the index.html file to open and begin using the Factbook on Intelligence.
  • Download text-only version: fboi_text.zip (31 KB) or textonly.htm (100 KB)

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