# List of entities and changes in The World Factbook

This is a list of entities and changes in The World Factbook. The World Factbook is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world.
As of July 2011, The World Factbook consists of 267 entities. These entities can be divided into categories. These categories are:
* Independent countries
* Others
* Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty
* Miscellaneous
* Other entities
After the list of entities, there is a table that lists entities that have been dropped, added, renamed, or consolidated in The World Factbook.

## List of entities

The list of entities follows below. The names and flags of entities are as listed in the Factbook and may differ from other sources.

### Independent countries

This is a list of independent countries. The CIA defines an independent country as people "politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory". In this category, there are 195 entities:
| Name of entity | Name of entity | Name of entity | Name of entity |
| Afghanistan | Albania | Algeria | Andorra |
| Angola | Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina | Armenia |
| Australia | Austria | Azerbaijan | Bahamas, The |
| Bahrain | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belarus |
| Belgium | Belize | Benin | Bhutan |
| Bolivia | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil |
| Brunei | Bulgaria | Burkina Faso | Burma |
| Burundi | Cabo Verde | Cambodia | Cameroon |
| Canada | Central African Republic | Chad | Chile |
| China | Colombia | Comoros | Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Congo, Republic of the | Costa Rica | Cote d'Ivoire | Croatia |
| Cuba | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark |
| Djibouti | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Ecuador |
| Egypt | El Salvador | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea |
| Estonia | Eswatini | Ethiopia | Fiji |
| Finland | France | Gabon | Gambia, The |
| Georgia | Germany | Ghana | Greece |
| Grenada | Guatemala | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau |
| Guyana | Haiti | Holy See (Vatican City) | Honduras |
| Hungary | Iceland | India | Indonesia |
| Iran | Iraq | Ireland | Israel |
| Italy | Jamaica | Japan | Jordan |
| Kazakhstan | Kenya | Kiribati | Korea, North |
| Korea, South | Kosovo | Kuwait | Kyrgyzstan |
| Laos | Latvia | Lebanon | Lesotho |
| Liberia | Libya | Liechtenstein | Lithuania |
| Luxembourg | Madagascar | Malawi | Malaysia |
| Maldives | Mali | Malta | Marshall Islands |
| Mauritania | Mauritius | Mexico | Micronesia, Federated States of |
| Moldova | Monaco | Mongolia | Montenegro |
| Morocco | Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru |
| Nepal | Netherlands | New Zealand | Nicaragua |
| Niger | Nigeria | North Macedonia | Norway |
| Oman | Pakistan | Palau | Panama |
| Papua New Guinea | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines |
| Poland | Portugal | Qatar | Romania |
| Russia | Rwanda | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa | San Marino | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Serbia | Seychelles |
| Sierra Leone | Singapore | Slovakia | Slovenia |
| Solomon Islands | Somalia | South Africa | South Sudan |
| Spain | Sri Lanka | Sudan | Suriname |
| Sweden | Switzerland | Syria | Tajikistan |
| Tanzania | Thailand | Timor-Leste | Togo |
| Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tunisia | Turkey |
| Turkmenistan | Tuvalu | Uganda | Ukraine |
| United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | United States | Uruguay |
| Uzbekistan | Vanuatu | Venezuela | Vietnam |
| Yemen | Zambia | Zimbabwe | |

### Others

This is a list of other places set apart from the list of independent countries. There are two entities in this category:
| Flag of entity | Name of entity |
| | Taiwan |
| | European Union |

### Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty

This category is a list of places affiliated with another country. They may be subdivided into categories using the country they are affiliated with:
| Flag of entity | Name of entity |
| Australia: six entities ||
| | Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
| | Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
| | Coral Sea Islands |
| | Heard Island and McDonald Islands |
| | Christmas Island |
| | Norfolk Island |
| China: two entities ||
| | Hong Kong |
| | Macau |
| Denmark: two entities ||
| | Faroe Islands |
| | Greenland |
| France: eight entities ||
| | Clipperton Island |
| | French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| | New Caledonia |
| | Saint Barthelemy |
| | Saint Martin |
| | French Polynesia |
| | Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
| | Wallis and Futuna |
| Netherlands: three entities ||
| | Aruba |
| | Curacao |
| | Sint Maarten |
| New Zealand: three entities ||
| | Cook Islands |
| | Niue |
| | Tokelau |
| Norway: three entities ||
| | Bouvet Island |
| | Jan Mayen |
| | Svalbard |
| United Kingdom: 17 entities ||
| | Akrotiri |
| | Dhekelia |
| | Anguilla |
| | Bermuda |
| | British Indian Ocean Territory |
| | British Virgin Islands |
| | Cayman Islands |
| | Falkland Islands |
| | Gibraltar |
| | Guernsey |
| | Jersey |
| | Isle of Man |
| | Montserrat |
| | Pitcairn Islands |
| | Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha |
| | South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
| | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| United States: 14 entities ||
| | Baker Island |
| | Howland Island |
| | Jarvis Island |
| | Johnston Atoll |
| | Kingman Reef |
| | Midway Islands |
| | Navassa Island |
| | Palmyra Atoll |
| | Wake Island |
| | American Samoa |
| | Guam |
| | Northern Mariana Islands |
| | Puerto Rico |
| | Virgin Islands |

### Miscellaneous

This category is for Antarctica and places in dispute. There are five entities here:
* Antarctica
* Gaza Strip
* Paracel Islands
* Spratly Islands
* West Bank

### Other entities

This category is for the World and the oceans. There are five oceans and the World (the World entry is intended as a summary of the other entries) :
* Arctic Ocean
* Atlantic Ocean
* Indian Ocean
* Pacific Ocean
* Southern Ocean
* World

## Changes in The World Factbook

This table lists changes in the entities in the Factbook. Entities that have been added are in green; dropped entities are in red; the flag last used by the entity is shown as well. Entities that have changed their name are in blue; entities that have been redirected and consolidated into another entry are in purple.
| Name of entity | Date change was made | Comments |
| Antarctica | 1988 | one of more than 40 entities added to the Factbook in order to provide a complete picture of the world |
| Arctic Ocean | 1988 | one of more than 40 entities added to the Factbook in order to provide a complete picture of the world |
| Atlantic Ocean | 1988 | one of more than 40 entities added to the Factbook in order to provide a complete picture of the world |
| Indian Ocean | 1988 | one of more than 40 entities added to the Factbook in order to provide a complete picture of the world |
| Pacific Ocean | 1988 | one of more than 40 entities added to the Factbook in order to provide a complete picture of the world |
| World | 1988 | one of more than 40 entities added to the Factbook in order to provide a complete picture of the world |
| Soviet Union | 1992 | dropped |
| Yugoslavia | 1992 | dropped |
| Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone | 1992 | dropped |
| Armenia | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Azerbaijan | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Belarus | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Estonia | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Georgia | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Kazakhstan | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Latvia | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Lithuania | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Moldova | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Russia | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Tajikistan | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Turkmenistan | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Ukraine | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Uzbekistan | 1992 | replaced the Soviet Union in the Factbook |
| Bosnia and Hercegovina | 1992 | replaced Yugoslavia in the Factbook |
| Croatia | 1992 | replaced Yugoslavia in the Factbook |
| Macedonia | 1992 | replaced Yugoslavia in the Factbook |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 1992 | replaced Yugoslavia in the Factbook |
| Slovenia | 1992 | replaced Yugoslavia in the Factbook |
| Czechoslovakia | 1993 | dropped after the country splits into the Czech Republic and Slovakia |
| Czech Republic | 1993 | added after Czechoslovakia splits |
| Slovakia | 1993 | added after Czechoslovakia splits |
| Eritrea | 1993 | added upon independence from Ethiopia |
| Vatican City | 1993 | renamed Holy See (Vatican City) |
| Ivory Coast | 1993 | renamed Cote d'Ivoire |
| Macedonia | 1994 | renamed The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
| Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the (Palau) | 1995 | renamed Palau |
| Kazakhstan | 1996 | renamed Kazakstan; spelling changed |
| Burkina | 1996 | renamed Burkina Faso |
| Corsica | 1996 | added |
| Zaire | 1997 | renamed Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
| Congo | 1997 | renamed Congo, Republic of the |
| Corsica | 1997 | dropped |
| Western Samoa | 1998 | renamed Samoa |
| Kazakstan | 1998 | renamed Kazakhstan; spelling change |
| Wake Island | 1999 | renamed Wake Atoll |
| Wake Atoll | 2000 | renamed Wake Island |
| Southern Ocean | 2000 | added |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 2001 | renamed Yugoslavia |
| East Timor | January 1, 2002 | added |
| Yugoslavia | March 19, 2003 | renamed Serbia and Montenegro |
| Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of | November 30, 2004 | renamed Macedonia after a November 2004 decision to refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as such |
| Akrotiri | November 30, 2004 | added because both Akrotiri and Dhekelia are dependencies and not lease areas |
| Dhekelia | November 30, 2004 | added because both Akrotiri and Dhekelia are dependencies and not lease areas |
| European Union | December 16, 2004 | added due to the fact the European Union has nation like qualities |
| Man, Isle of | January 10, 2006 | renamed Isle of Man |
| Baker Island | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| Howland Island | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| Jarvis Island | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| Johnston Atoll | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| Kingman Reef | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| Midway Islands | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| Palmyra Atoll | March 29, 2006 | redirected and consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry |
| United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges | March 29, 2006 | a consolidation of the entries for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, and Palmyra Atoll |
| Serbia and Montenegro | June 13, 2006 | dropped due to independence of Montenegro |
| Serbia | June 29, 2006 | added due to independence of Montenegro |
| Montenegro | June 29, 2006 | added due to independence of Montenegro |
| Bassas da India | September 7, 2006 | consolidated in Iles Eparses entry |
| Europa Island | September 7, 2006 | consolidated in Iles Eparses entry |
| Glorioso Islands | September 7, 2006 | consolidated in Iles Eparses entry |
| Juan de Nova Island | September 7, 2006 | consolidated in Iles Eparses entry |
| Tromelin Island | September 7, 2006 | consolidated in Iles Eparses entry |
| Iles Eparses | September 7, 2006 | a consolidation of the entries for Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island |
| French Guiana | January 18, 2007 | dropped because the area is now an Overseas region and a part of France proper |
| Guadeloupe | January 18, 2007 | dropped because the area is now an Overseas region and a part of France proper |
| Martinique | January 18, 2007 | dropped because the area is now an Overseas region and a part of France proper |
| Reunion | January 18, 2007 | dropped because the area is now an Overseas region and a part of France proper |
| Saint Barthelemy | July 19, 2007 | added due to the fact the area is now an Overseas collectivity of France |
| Saint Martin | July 19, 2007 | added due to the fact the area is now an Overseas collectivity of France |
| Bassas da India | July 19, 2007 | dropped because the area is now part of the Iles Eparses district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Europa Island | July 19, 2007 | dropped because the area is now part of the Iles Eparses district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Glorioso Islands | July 19, 2007 | dropped because the area is now part of the Iles Eparses district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Juan de Nova Island | July 19, 2007 | dropped because the area is now part of the Iles Eparses district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Tromelin Island | July 19, 2007 | dropped because the area is now part of the Iles Eparses district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| Iles Eparses | July 19, 2007 | dropped because the area is now part of the Iles Eparses district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
| East Timor | July 19, 2007 | renamed Timor-Leste due to a decision of the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to use the latter instead of the former |
| Kosovo | February 28, 2008 | added |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | September 1, 2009 | renamed South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
| Saint Helena | January 15, 2010 | renamed Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha |
| Netherlands Antilles | October 12, 2010 | dropped after the Netherlands Antilles dissolves. |
| Curacao | October 20, 2010 | added after the Netherlands Antilles dissolves |
| Sint Maarten | October 20, 2010 | added after the Netherlands Antilles dissolves |
| Mayotte | April 8, 2011 | dropped because the area is now an Overseas department and a part of France proper |
| South Sudan | July 11, 2011 | added following independence from Sudan |
| Cape Verde | January 7, 2014 | renamed Cabo Verde |
| Swaziland | May 25, 2018 | renamed Eswatini |
| Macedonia | February 19, 2019 | renamed North Macedonia |