Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from David Klepper at The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.
The CIA announced Wednesday it is shuttering its World Factbook after more than 60 years of providing detailed reference information about foreign nations to intelligence officers, government agencies and the public.
Some key facts:
• The CIA World Factbook was first launched in 1962 as a printed, classified reference manual for intelligence officers.
• The Factbook provided detailed information about foreign nations’ economies, militaries, resources and societies by the numbers.
• Within a decade of its creation, an unclassified version was released to the public due to its usefulness across federal agencies.
• The Factbook went online in 1997 and became a popular reference site for journalists, trivia enthusiasts and college students.
• The website attracted millions of visits per year before its discontinuation.
• CIA Director John Ratcliffe had previously vowed to end programs that don’t advance the agency’s core missions.
• The White House has moved to cut staffing at both the CIA and National Security Agency during Trump’s second term.
• No official reason was provided by the CIA for the decision to cease publication of the Factbook.
READ MORE: CIA ends publication of its popular World Factbook reference tool
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