As we start a new year, we are excited to debut a new format for some of our CIA World Factbook content on "Factbook Fridays." We'll share video highlights with facts and figures from countries around the world, taken directly from the Factsheets and Country Profiles available on our website, CIA.gov. Our series begins with a look at Indonesia. The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century. The country won its independence in 1949 and is now the world's third most populous demo

27K views · 1K reactions | The richness of the annual Nile River...

Costa Rica proclaimed its independence from the United Provinces of Central America in 1838. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country’s democratic development. Costa Rica still maintains a large agricultural sector but has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. CIA’s World Factbook is a public resource providing basic information on 258 world entities, including country profiles and one-page factsheets. Learn more.

416K views · 2.8K shares | Today Ireland will make history by becoming the first country in the world to put the issue of same-sex marriage to a public vote. Traditions change through the ages; mostly for the better. The people of Dublin give their opinion on bizarre ancient customs and the proposed changes to marriage equality. | The Guardian | Facebook