The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has announced it will cease publishing the World Factbook, a free online resource used by millions around the globe.
Frequently cited by journalists and academics, the Factbook offered regularly updated statistics and information about countries and communities all over the world, in an easily understood and searchable format.
A statement on the CIA's website did not include a reason for the decision, simply stating that the publication had "sunset" while encouraging readers to "stay curious about the world and find ways to explore it … in person or virtually".
First launched during World War II as a classified internal program named JANIS (Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies), the Factbook was originally commissioned as a way to standardise "basic intelligence" — fundamental and factual information about the world — across different agencies of the US government.
The program was taken over by the CIA in 1947 and renamed the National Intelligence Survey, before the Factbook was launched in 1971 as an annual summary of information.
An unclassified version was first made available to the public in 1975, and a digital version was published online in the early 1990s, with the data freely available under public domain.
The website was particularly popular during the US school year, according to previous versions of the site, with traffic experiencing a noticeable drop-off during US summer months.
While no specific reason has been given for the Factbook's closure, the Trump administration has made no secret of its intent to cut government programs it does not consider to be furthering the core purpose of its agencies and departments.
The administration offered buyouts to every CIA employee in February last year, and is reportedly planning to cut about 1,200 further jobs at the agency over the next several years.
The CIA has been contacted for comment.
