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World Factbook 2002

The Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, that venerable annual reference on the countries of the world, has finally been updated for 2002. At www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook, you’ll find information and statistics on the geography, government, people, economy, and much more for countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Other features include 15 reference maps (in JPEG and PDF formats) and images of the flags of the world. The site also has been redesigned for improved navigation and access.

Information in the World Factbook 2002 is generally current as of Jan. 1, 2002. While the fact book previously was updated only once a year, more frequent updates are planned for the coming year, according to the CIA Web site.