For visitor convenience, the following comprises What's New
items for the current and preceding 12 months:

October 2012

• October 15 - The application system is currently experiencing technical difficulties. If you are having a problem accessing the system, please try again later. We will continue to accept applications for student internships after the October 15 deadline. Thank you for your patience.
• October 11 - Read the original account of the rescue of the "Canadian Six" and see related CIA Museum artifacts.
• October 11 - In light of the importance of the energy sector to the world's economy, The World Factbook has created a new Energy category. Some of the fields are based on the same entries used previously in the Economy category, but several contain entirely new data and definitions that have not previously appeared in The World Factbook.
• October 11 - Skyhook:  Ground to Plane Rescue in Minutes.
• October 4 - Learn About September at CIA.
• October 4 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Afghanistan, Angola, Botswana, Bulgaria, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Grenada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Romania, and Trinidad and Tobago. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period September 26 - October 3, 2012.
• October 4 - The People's Republic of China has two Special Administrative Regions created in 1997 and 1999. Can you name them? Hint: they have separate entries in The World Factbook. (Here are the answers:  1 and 2)

September 2012

• September 27 - CIA Supports Wounded Warriors.
• September 27 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bangladesh, Bolivia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, India, Norway, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Slovakia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period September 18 - 25, 2012.
• September 27 - The World Factbook announces a new and distinctive Map of the World Oceans that depicts the relationships among states across the great oceanic basins of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans. The World Factbook also added 10 new regional political maps to its reference repertoire. To view or use any of these maps, click on the Regional and World Maps link on the Factbook homepage or go to the References tab on the Factbook site and click on Regional and World Maps. Learn more about the new maps in The World Factbook RSS.
• September 21 - CIA Declassification Event Traces the Evolution of the Director of Central Intelligence. Photos on CIA Flickr page [external link disclaimer].
• September 20 - CIA Maps: Your Ticket to the World.

• September 20 - CIA Honors Newest Trailblazers on the Agency’s 65^th Birthday.

• September 20 - Updated data for "Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons" in the Transnational Issues category of The World Factbook.
• September 19 - Director Petraeus Rings the NYSE Opening Bell To Commemorate the CIA’s 65^th Birthday.

• September 19 - Newsweek article on women targeters at CIA. [external link disclaimer]

• September 19 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Croatia, El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Norway, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Yemen and Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period September 5 - 18, 2012.
• September 13 - CIA’s Directorate of Science & Technology Celebrates 50 Years of Technological Excellence.
• September 13 - New Historical Collections Division publication, Intelligence, Policy, and Politics: The DCI, the White House, and Congress.
• September 13 - The Economy section includes updated data for "Population below poverty line," "Household income or consumption by percentage share," "Commercial bank prime lending rate," "Stock of narrow money," "Stock of broad money," and "Exchange rates."
• September 11 - Message from the Director:  9/11.
• September 6 - CIA Employees and Family Solve 'Mystery' of Colby Portrait.
• September 6 - What does FAO stand for? Check The World Factbook's Appendix A: Abbreviations. Then go to Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups to get details.
• September 6 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Australia; Belarus; Belize; Colombia; Gambia, The; India; Iraq; Kyrgyzstan; Mali; Romania; Slovenia; Uzbekistan; and Venezuela. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period August 22 - September 4, 2012.

August 2012

• August 31 - In The World Factbook, an update on international maritime piracy appears in the World entry, under "Transportation - note."
• August 31 - A Look at International Labor and Unemployment.

• August 31 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Closure of DoJ Investigations (August 30, 2012).

•  August 23 - The Economy section includes updated data through 2011 for the "Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares."
•  August 23 - Book Provides Window into CIA Briefings for Presidents-Elect.
• August 23 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Belarus, Belize, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Gabon, Haiti, Kosovo, Madagascar, Malaysia, Netherlands, Panama and Uganda. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period August 15 - 21, 2012.
• August 16 - CORONA:  The First Recovery of Film from Space.
• August 16 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nauru, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Serbia, Syria, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period August 6 - 14, 2012.
• August 10 - World Factbook Snapshot of Global Youth Challenges.
• August 10 - Posted Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 56, No. 2.
• August 10 - Posted new historical collection publication, An Underwater Ice Station Zebra: Recovering a Secret Spy Satellite Capsule from 16,400 Feet below the Pacific Ocean with accompanying photos on the CIA Flickr stream [external link disclaimer].

• August 10 - The World Factbook is celebrating its Golden Anniversary! Exactly 50 years ago - in August 1962 - the Agency dubbed its annual National Intelligence Survey summary the Factbook. The first unclassified version came out nine years later (June 1971), and it acquired the name of The World Factbook in 1981. Annual printing of the Factbook continues, albeit in far smaller quantities than originally; its online presence - begun June 1997 - continues to grow with some 3 million visitors monthly.
•  August 10 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Burma; Cameroon; Canada; Chad; Cyprus; Egypt; India; Iraq; Italy; Jamaica; Latvia; Madagascar; Malta; Namibia; Netherlands; Poland; Serbia; Singapore; South Sudan; Spain; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Uganda; and Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period August 1 - 6, 2012.
• August 2 - CIA Hosts Middle Eastern American Outreach Event.
• August 2 - In the People and Society section of The World Factbook, the "Languages" entry has been updated for dozens of countries.

• August 2 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bosnia and Herzegovina; Cape Verde; Egypt; El Salvador; Ghana; India; Iraq; Malawi; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius; Montenegro; Panama; Peru; Sao Tome and Principe; Solomon Islands; Syria; Tunisia; Turkmenistan; Uruguay; and Vanuatu. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period July 18-31, 2012.

July 2012

• July 26 - New CIA Museum online gallery with interactive timeline, new videos, and descriptions of an additional 100 artifacts.
• July 26 - Central Intelligence Agency has launched a new mobile site (https://www.CIA.gov/mobile)

• July 26 - Check out new photos of Australia, Iceland and Kyrgyzstan in The World Factbook.

• July 19 - New estimates available in The World Factbook economic fields related to GDP and trade.
• July 19 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Egypt; Haiti; Jamaica; Lithuania; Marshall Islands; Montenegro; Mozambique; and Sierra Leone. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period July 10-18, 2012.
• July 12 - Timeless Tips for ‘Simple Sabotage’
• July 12 - Posted new historical collection publication, Cold War Era Hard Target Analysis of Soviet and Chinese Policy and Decision Making, 1953-1973.

• July 12 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Albania; Andorra; Botswana; Cape Verde; Croatia; Czech Republic; Egypt; Finland; France; Georgia; Greece; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lesotho; Portugal; Romania; Seychelles; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkmenistan; and Uzbekistan. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period June 25 - July 10, 2012.
• July 6 - Center for the Study of Intelligence releases second edition of Getting to Know the President: Intelligence Briefings of Presidential Candidates, 1952-2004 by John Helgerson.
• July 6 - What European country has the largest number of administrative units in the world? Here's a hint from The World Factbook. (Here's the answer!)
• July 3 - Intelligence Operations During the Revolutionary War
• July 3 - Posted new historical collection publication, The Creation of the Intelligence Community: Founding Documents.

June 2012

• June 28 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bulgaria, Indonesia, Lesotho, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Venezuela. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period June 14 - 25, 2012.
• June 28 - CIA Celebrates National LGBT Pride Month
• June 28 - Can you name the seven countries that border the Bay of Bengal? Here's a hint from The World Factbook.

• June 22 - U-2 Pilot Powers Honored for Bravery

• June 22 - Look for updated data on airports and heliports in The World Factbook, in the Transportation category.
• June 14 - OSS’s WWII Anti-Axis Propaganda

• June 14 - The tune of God Save the Queen is used as the national anthem for a number of countries that comprise the Commonwealth of Nations. In addition to the United Kingdom, what other European country uses this tune in its national anthem? Note: A country's "National anthem" entry and its audio file may be found under the Government category.
• June 14 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Albania; Azerbaijan; Burundi; Congo, Democratic Republic of the; Congo, Republic of the; Cuba--NDE; Iran--NDE; Japan; Micronesia, Federated States of; Oman; Pakistan; Philippines; Saint Lucia; South Africa; Spain; and Vanuatu. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period June 6 - 13, 2012.
• June 7 - Find Environmental Facts in The World Factbook
• June 7 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Algeria; Barbados; Brazil; Germany; Grenada; Hungary; Ireland; Korea, South; Libya; Malawi; Nigeria; Norway; Taiwan--NDE; Thailand; Turkmenistan; and Yemen. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period May 22 - June 5, 2012.
• June 6 - CIA Recognizes Local Students for Excellence in Science and Technology
• June 1 - Name the archipelagic country in the Indian Ocean composed of almost 1200 coral islands, only about 200 of which are inhabited. Check The World Factbook Asia regional map, under the Reference tab, or click for the answer.
• June 1 - The CIA Workforce Is Finding Its Fit in 2012

May 2012

• May 25 - Interview with Jeanne Tisinger, CIA's Chief Information Officer, on CNN. [external link disclaimer]
• May 24 - Radio interview with Peter Clement, Deputy Director of Intelligence for Analytic Programs, on NPR. [external link disclaimer]
• May 24 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for The Bahamas, Costa Rica, Estonia, France, Gabon, Greece, Haiti, Iraq, Lesotho, Malawi, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Suriname and Vietnam. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials’ names in the country listings during the period May 8 – 21, 2012.
• May 24 - Name the Pacific island country that had the world’s highest GDP per capita in the 1970s, thanks to its rich phosphate deposits. Hint: it is also the world’s smallest independent republic.
• May 22 - CIA Holds Annual Memorial Ceremony to Honor Fallen Colleagues
• May 22 - Creating the Stars on CIA's Memorial Wall
• May 17 - Top 10 Lists for Mobile Phone and Internet Usage
• May 17 - To help you quickly find the information you need, The World Factbook now offers a helpful Users Guide. Just click the Users Guide button on the front page of The World Factbook or look under the References tab.
• May 11 - Japanese Americans in World War II Intelligence
• May 11 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Jordan, Kosovo, Malawi, Maldives, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Suriname, and Tanzania. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period May 2 - 7, 2012.
• May 11 - What two Caribbean islands are shared by two countries? Find out under the References tab, Regional Maps heading, Central America and the Caribbean map. Hint, one island is the second largest in the Caribbean, the other is one of the tiniest.
• May 7 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bahrain, Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, North--NDE, Liberia, Maldives, Pakistan, Romania, Slovakia, Sudan, Togo, and Tonga. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period April 20 - May 2, 2012.
• May 3 - Posted Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 56, no. 1
• May 3 - CIA Inaugurates New Foreign Language Immersion Center
• May 3 - The "Fiscal year" entry returns to the Economy section of The World Factbook.

April 2012

• April 27 - CIA to Participate in USA Science and Engineering Festival

• April 27 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Lithuania, Malawi, Norway, Romania, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, and Yemen. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period April 5 - 19, 2012.
• April 20 - CIA Recognizes Foreign Language Excellence

• April 20 - Remarks of CIA General Counsel Stephen W. Preston at Harvard Law School

• April 20 - New updates for "Military branches" and "Military service age and obligation" fields throughout The World Factbook.
• April 13 - CIA Recruitment Center Exploring Innovative Outreach
• April 13 - See the international maritime piracy update in The World Factbook, in the "World" entry, under "Transportation - note."
• April 9 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Belarus, Belize, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovakia, Suriname, Sweden, Timor-Leste, and Ukraine. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period March 23 - April 4, 2012.

• April 5 - CIA and ODNI Sponsor First Intelligence Community LGBT Summit
• April 5 - Recent election results from Belize, The Gambia, Germany, Moldova, Russia, Senegal, and Slovakia added the The World Factbook.

March 2012

• March 30 - WTOP interview with Justin Jackson, Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service on WTOP.com [external link disclaimer].
• March 30 - Spotlight on Women’s History: Virginia Hall
• March 27 - Posted Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba--NDE, Grenada, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Nepal, New Zealand, Paraguay, Qatar, Seychelles, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Uruguay and Vietnam. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period March 14 - 23, 2012.
• March 26 - CIA.gov Introduces Foreign Languages
• March 22 - New 2012-13 World Factbook cover - Look in the Gallery of Covers in the Reference tab to see the new design featuring photos from the Factbook website. Also, find out when Factbook first featured photography on its cover.
• March 16 - Director Petraeus Delivers Keynote Address at George Mason University Dedication
• March 16 - Remarks by Central Intelligence Agency Director David H. Petraeus at the Dedication of George Mason University’s Founders Hall
• March 16 - Remarks by Director Petraeus at the Kuwait-America Foundation Gala Dinner

• March 16 - How many inches in a micron? Check Appendix G in The World Factbook to find out!
• March 16 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cuba--NDE, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Maldives, Mali, Mongolia, Panama, Rwanda, Seychelles, and Ukraine. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period March 2 - 14, 2012.

• March 14 - Excerpts from Remarks Delivered by Director David H. Petraeus at the In-Q-Tel  CEO Summit (March 1, 2012).
• March 6 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dominican Republic, Fiji, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Kuwait, New Zealand, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Romania, Sudan, Taiwan -- NDE, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Yemen. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 16 Feb - 1 Mar 2012.

February 2012

• February 24 - Posted Studies in Intelligence, Volume 55, Number 4.
• February 23 - Presidential Reflections: Richard M. Nixon
• February 23 - Abyssinia is the former name of what African country? To find out, check Appendix F in the References tab in The World Factbook.
• February 21 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Argentina; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Burundi; Chile; Fiji; Indonesia; Iraq; Kiribati; Maldives; Malta; Micronesia, Federated States of; Nauru; Palau; Romania; Slovenia; Sri Lanka; Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 10 - 15 Feb 2012.

• February 16 - Wondering about the demographics of a country? Check out the updated information in the People and Society category of The World Factbook.
• February 13 - CIA Celebrates Original Headquarters Building's 50th Anniversary.
• February 13 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Chile, Iraq, Italy, Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Yemen, Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 2 - 10 Feb 2012.
• February 13 - The Atacama Desert is generally agreed to be the driest desert in the world. In what South American country is it? Check the "Regional Maps" in The World Factbook to find out.

• February 7 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Angola, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cook Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Ghana, Iraq, Korea, South, Lesotho, Libya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Timor-Leste, Turkey. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 25 Jan - 1 Feb 2012.

January 2012

• January 31 - Excerpts from Remarks Delivered by Director David H. Petraeus at the Reserve Officers Association, Minuteman Hall of Fame Ceremony (January 30, 2012).
• January 31 - The World Factbook is pleased to present a new audio function. In conjunction with the United States Navy Band, the Factbook now allows users to listen to most of the world's national anthems. Go to the Government category for any country and in the "National anthems" field click play to listen.
• January 27 - CIA Director’s Remarks at Furman University’s Wilkins Legislative and Civic Awards Ceremony (as prepared for delivery January 24, 2012).
• January 27 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guyana, Holy See (Vatican City), Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran--NDE, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, North--NDE, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 23 Dec 2011 - 24 Jan 2012.
• January 23 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Safeguarding our Secrets.
• January 20 - CIA Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.
• January 20 - In order to align their time zones more closely with their main trading partners, the Pacific island nations of Samoa and Tokelau late last year moved from east to west of the International Date Line. Their new time status may be found in The World Factbook in the Government section under the "Capital" entry.
• January 19 - The People of the CIA ... Richard Bissell: An Agency Leader.
• January 5 - CIA Announces New Position, Chief of Corporate Learning.
• January 5 - The CIA Museum ... Artifacts: Letter from Richard Helms to His Son.

December 2011

• December 29 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Remembering Our Fallen Colleagues.
• December 29 - CIA Museum Unveils Newly Renovated OSS Gallery.
• December 28 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Afghanistan, Australia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Grenada, Iraq, Kuwait, Macedonia, Peru, Saint Lucia, Uzbekistan, Yemen. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 16 - 22 Dec 2011.
• December 22 - What countries extend into the Arctic Circle? Check out The World Factbook's "Regional maps" to find out.
• December 19 - Remarks of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus at the 167th Sovereign's Parade, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (as delivered on December 16, 2011).
• December 19 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Angola, Bahamas, The, Bangladesh, Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Haiti, Iceland, Korea, South, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Yemen. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 7 - 16 Dec 2011.
• December 16 - CIA Director David H. Petraeus Presents Agency Contributions to “Toys for Tots” Campaign.
• December 15 - CIA Releases Documents on Reagan, Intelligence, and the End of the Cold War.
• December 15 - The most common symbols found on flags in The World Factbook are crosses, heavenly bodies (the sun, stars, or crescent moon), or birds (mostly eagles). One country's flag, however, prominently displays hands. Can you identify this Asian country?
• December 8 - The CIA and Congress: Creation of the SSCI.
• December 8 - Results of recent legislative elections have been entered in the Government sections of The World Factbook for Croatia, Guyana, Morocco, New Zealand, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, and St. Lucia.
• December 8 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Ecuador, Georgia, Guyana, Iraq, Jamaica, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Turkmenistan, Zimbabwe. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 30 Nov - 7 Dec 2011.
• December 1 - The People of the CIA ... Art Lundahl: Father of Imagery Analysis.
• December 1 - What is Animism? Check out the newly expanded "Religions" definition in The World Factbook's Definitions and Notes.

November 2011

• November 29 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Belarus, Bulgaria, Comoros, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Sao Tome and Principe, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 19 - 29 Nov 2011.
• November 22 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Thanksgiving.
• November 21 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Australia, Burundi, Costa Rica, Cuba--NDE, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Zimbabwe. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 10 - 18 Nov 2011.
• November 18 - The World Factbook Is Changing.
• November 18 - In The World Factbook, new photos have recently been added for Anguilla, Ireland, Peru, and Ecuador. The images from the latter country provide a virtual tour of the Galapagos Islands.
• November 14 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Afghanistan, Argentina, Bahamas, The, Barbados, Belarus, Botswana, Brazil, China, Comoros, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Germany, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea, South, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 5 Oct - 9 Nov 2011.
• November 10 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Veterans Day.
• November 10 - In the Economy section of The World Factbook, various macroeconomic and finance fields have been updated with the latest available data.
• November 9 - DC, Maryland, and Virginia Area College Students Participate in Central Intelligence Agency Simulation Competition Held at Georgetown University.
• November 9 - Posted Studies in Intelligence, Volume 55, Number 3.
• November 4 - Posted new historical collection publication, CIA's Clandestine Services Histories of Civil Air Transport.
• November 3 - The field "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24" has been moved from the Economy section into the People and Society section in The World Factbook.
• November 2 - Posted new historical collection publication, Ronald Reagan: Intelligence and the End of the Cold War.

October 2011

• October 31 - Central Intelligence Agency Marks 50th Anniversary of the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Building of the Berlin Wall.
• October 28 - The United Nations estimates the world population will reach 7 billion on 31 October 2011. The US Census Bureau, which supplies the population numbers in The World Factbook, estimates the planet's population will pass 7 billion in March 2012. While the true world total population is impossible to know, the Census Bureau and the UN independently estimate the world population through similar means. Estimate differences between the two organizations are due in part to differences in the frequency and timing of demographic updates for each country. Nonetheless, the world population estimates of the Census Bureau and the UN show that we are rapidly approaching the 7 billion mark.
• October 27 - A Look Back ... Intelligence and the Committee of Secret Correspondence.
• October 27 - Posted new historical collection publication, A City Torn Apart Building of the Berlin Wall.
• October 21 - Agency K-9 Facility Offers Community Training.
• October 20 - Many people know that Canada's national symbol is the maple leaf, but did you realize that Ukraine's is the trident or that India's is the Bengal tiger? Most countries' major national representation(s) may now be found in the new "National symbol(s)" field in the Government category of The World Factbook.
• October 14 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Setting the Record Straight on Our Afghanistan Analysis.
• October 13 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on the Critical Value of Diversity.
• October 13 - Information for "Exports - partners" and "Imports - partners" has been updated in The World Factbook to show data for 2010.
• October 12 - Vice President Biden Visits CIA Headquarters for Ceremony with Director Petraeus.
• October 12 - Paid Internships at the CIA.
• October 6 - Have you ever wanted to explore Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas? Check out the new photos in the Peru entry (Nos. 8-28) to get a virtual tour!
• October 6 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, India, Libya, Malta, Panama, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Sweden, Syria, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Zambia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 22 Sep - 5 Oct 2011.

September 2011

• September 29 - Excerpts of Remarks by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus, at the CIA Diversity Awards (September 28, 2011).
• September 29 - Presidential Reflections: Gerald R. Ford.
• September 29 - The World Factbook is expanding! The People category is now People and Society and includes eight new fields. Additionally, there is a new field in the Economy category. The new datasets focus on the health and welfare of a country's population, and provide information relevant to a country's internal stability. See The World Factbook's Homepage for a list of the new fields.
• September 27 - Event Highlights the CIA’s Role in Busting Cold War Missile Gap Myth.
• September 23 - D/CIA Highlights Accomplishments of Two Trailblazers.
• September 22 - Posted new historical collection publication, Penetrating the Iron Curtain: Resolving the Missile Gap with Technology.
• September 22 - In the Economy category of The World Factbook, the energy fields have been updated with the most recent data available.
• September 22 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Angola, Bahrain, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Japan, Libya, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Panama, Qatar, Somalia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 15 - 21 Sep 2011.
• September 16 - CIA’s Office of Technical Service Celebrates 60 Years of Innovation.
• September 16 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, China, Cuba--NDE, Dominican Republic, Latvia, Macedonia, Nepal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia. Changes reflect updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 6 - 15 Sep 2011.

• September 15 - Statement by the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus to Congress on the Terrorist Threat Ten Years After 9/11 (September 13, 2011).
• September 14 - 9.11 - Marking the Tenth Anniversary.
• September 14 - How many furlongs make up a mile? Check out the Weights and Measurements appendix in The World Factbook for the answer!
• September 9 - Excerpts of Remarks by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus, at the 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony.
• September 9 - Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency David H. Petraeus on Remembering 9/11.
• September 9 - Excerpts of Remarks by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David H. Petraeus, at his first Agency Address (September 6, 2011).
• September 9 - Posted new 9.11 Marking the Tenth Anniversary publication.
• September 8 - Posted updated Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments with updated entries for Cyprus, Egypt, Grenada, Holy See (Vatican City), Iraq, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tonga, United Arab Emirates. Changes reflect the addition of South Sudan and the removal of Netherlands Antilles as well as updates in leadership, positions, or the spelling of officials' names in the country listings during the period 30 Aug - 6 Sep 2011.
• September 6 - David H. Petraeus Takes Helm as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Press Release and DCIA Message to the Workforce.
• September 1 - Canada recently renamed the three major components of its armed forces. These and other changes for Botswana, Cape Verde, the Gambia, Venezuela, and Yemen may be found under the "Military branches" entry of The World Factbook.