The 2006 CIA World Factbook (ePub)

In its 2006 edition, the 'CIA World Factbook' consolidates its stature as a preeminent reference work comprising expansive profiles of nations around the globe. Its methodical compendium of details ranges from the geopolitical and economic to the environmental and demographic. Crafted with analytical precision, the Factbook adopts a utilitarian prose devoid of literary adornments, focusing instead on clarity and accessibility. Sitting within a tradition of annually updated government publications, it exists as an invaluable resource within the realms of academia, policymaking, and journalism, encapsulating the world's pulse in a moment of time and providing a snapshot with which future movements can be measured.
The United States Central Intelligence Agency, as the progenitor of this publication, draws from an extensive intelligence-gathering network to distill a vast sea of data into this single volume. The 2006 version's inception at the confluence of a rapidly globalizing world and unprecedented informational interchanges reflects the agency's commitment to information dissemination and public awareness. Such an effort might have been motivated by the need for a common knowledge base in scholarly discussions and informed decision-making, particularly in a post-9/11 world where understanding geopolitical landscapes became all the more critical.
Scholars, students, journalists, and policy architects are among the most frequent beneficiaries of the work. The '2006 CIA World Factbook' not only provides a foundational dataset for cross-country comparisons and analyses but also serves as a starting point for deeper investigations into the complexities of international relations. Its empirical approach towards global understanding makes it an indispensable guide for anyone seeking a factual grounding before embarking on more speculative or theoretical inquiries.