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The CIA is ending publication of the World Factbook, closing a widely used reference resource that provided detailed information about countries around the globe for more than six decades.
The agency announced the decision Wednesday on its website but did not explain why it was discontinuing the Factbook. The move follows CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s pledge to eliminate programs that do not support the agency’s core missions.
Created in 1962, the Factbook began as a classified printed manual for intelligence officers. It compiled statistics and other information about foreign countries, including their economies, militaries, natural resources and societies.
The manual became useful across the federal government, prompting the release of an unclassified public edition within a decade.
The Factbook moved online in 1997 and developed a broad audience beyond government. Journalists, students and trivia enthusiasts helped generate millions of visits to the website each year.
Its closure comes as the White House has sought staffing reductions at the CIA and National Security Agency during President Donald Trump’s second term, leaving the intelligence agencies under pressure to operate with fewer employees.
The CIA did not respond Wednesday to a request for more information about the decision.