Get the facts, straight from the CIA
Where to find it: CIA World Factbook –
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
Who runs the site: Each year the Central Intelligence Agency
releases a world factbook. For many years, the information
contained in the factbook has also been available on the Web.
Who is likely to use the site: The site is a great resource for
kids and students doing reports, or others who need to find
information on any country in the world from top commodities,
geographical info or population statistics. Want to know the
literacy rate in Algeria or the median age in Ecuador? This is the
place to go.
Pros: The site is easy to navigate with a pull-down menu that
allows users to quickly find a country they are searching for. Each
country profile has the same information in the same order. While
the site has images of country flags and a map of each country,
images are pretty scarce so the site loads quickly.
When clicking on a country page, users can scroll down to the
bottom or they can click on a sidebar menu that has categories such
as geography, government and economy.
In addition, there is a kid’s page that explains what the CIA
does is for children of different ages. It includes stories and
games for children. Resources for parents include tips on keeping
children safe on the Internet and talking about drugs.
Cons: While the site offers many maps, they are only available
in PDFs or JPEGs so there is no option to zoom in for more detail.
The PDF loads a lot larger so if your computer can handle it, use
those.
Get the facts, straight from the CIA
Where to find it: CIA World Factbook – www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
Who runs the site: Each year the Central Intelligence Agency releases a world factbook. For many years, the information contained in the factbook has also been available on the Web.
Who is likely to use the site: The site is a great resource for kids and students doing reports, or others who need to find information on any country in the world from top commodities, geographical info or population statistics. Want to know the literacy rate in Algeria or the median age in Ecuador? This is the place to go.
Pros: The site is easy to navigate with a pull-down menu that allows users to quickly find a country they are searching for. Each country profile has the same information in the same order. While the site has images of country flags and a map of each country, images are pretty scarce so the site loads quickly.
When clicking on a country page, users can scroll down to the bottom or they can click on a sidebar menu that has categories such as geography, government and economy.
In addition, there is a kid’s page that explains what the CIA does is for children of different ages. It includes stories and games for children. Resources for parents include tips on keeping children safe on the Internet and talking about drugs.
Cons: While the site offers many maps, they are only available in PDFs or JPEGs so there is no option to zoom in for more detail. The PDF loads a lot larger so if your computer can handle it, use those.
