| **Segment Information**                      | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        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| **Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          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| Segment Information                          | NOTE 14 – SEGMENT INFORMATION Our segment data is based on disclosure requirements of accounting guidance on segment reporting, which requires that financial information be reported on the basis that is used internally for measuring segment performance.  Internally, we report information for operating segments based on management responsibility.  Our operating segments offer primarily the same types of services within each of the respective segments.  The operating segments are as follows: · North America: We have offices in the United States and Canada that serve local dealers and customers.  This segment also includes certain unallocated corporate headquarter expenses. · Asia/Pacific and Mining: This segment includes offices in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia that serve local dealers and customers and also includes large mining customers worldwide.  This segment also provides project financing in various countries. · Europe and Global Power Finance: This segment includes our offices that serve dealers and customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  This segment also includes the Global Power Finance Division (GPF), which finances marine vessels with Caterpillar engines worldwide and also provides debt financing for Caterpillar electrical power generation, gas compression and co-generation systems, as well as non-Caterpillar equipment that is powered by these systems worldwide. · Latin America: We have offices in Brazil, Mexico and Chile that serve local dealers and customers in Central and South America. Effective January 1, 2011, changes were made to the executive management responsibilities at Cat Financial in order to provide ongoing improvement to our business.  Prior year data has been reclassified to conform to the 2011 presentation. Debt and other expenses are allocated from the North America segment to other segments based on their respective portfolios.  The related Interest expense is calculated based on the amount of allocated debt and the rates associated with that debt.  The Provision for credit losses included in each segment's profit is based on each segment's share of the Company's Allowance for credit losses.  Inter-segment revenues result from lending activities between segments and are based on the amount of the respective Inter-segment loans and the rates associated with those loans. As noted above, the segment information is presented on a management-reporting basis.  Unlike financial reporting, there is no authoritative guidance for management reporting equivalent to U.S. GAAP. (Millions of dollars)                              2011               NorthAmerica  Europe and GPF  Latin America   Asia/Pacificand Mining  Total External revenue $1,011   505   350   779  $2,645 Inter-segment revenue $39   -   -   -  $39 Profit(1) $95   62   87   134  $378 Interest expense $384   145   127   210  $866 Depreciation and amortization     expense $296   90   47   277  $710 Provision for income taxes(1) $55   (15)  21   50  $111 Assets as of December 31, $17,303   6,982   3,948   7,068  $35,301 Expenditures for equipment on     operating leases and for non-    leased equipment $534   118   175   363  $1,190                       (1) Includes the impact of the out of period adjustments that are disclosed in Note 1B.(Millions of dollars)                              2010               NorthAmerica  Europeand GPF  Latin America   Asia/Pacificand Mining  Total External revenue $1,061   500   297   694  $2,552 Inter-segment revenue $23   -   -   -  $23 Profit $(4)  78   84   120  $278 Interest expense $444   179   121   196  $940 Depreciation and amortization     expense $328   93   29   265  $715 Provision for income taxes $-   (1)  16   25  $40 Assets as of December 31, $15,774   7,434   3,392   5,799  $32,399 Expenditures for equipment on     operating leases and for non-    leased equipment $390   104   124   341  $959                        (Millions of dollars)                             2009               NorthAmerica  Europeand GPF  Latin America   Asia/Pacific and Mining  Total External revenue $1,204   589   276   645  $2,714 Inter-segment revenue $46   -   -   -  $46 Profit $17   80   59   103  $259 Interest expense $549   222   135   188  $1,094 Depreciation and amortization     expense $376   108   22   236  $742 Provision for income taxes $1   (8)  26   26  $45 Assets as of December 31, $17,362   8,848   3,103   5,602  $34,915 Expenditures for equipment on    operating leases and for non-leased     equipment $297   71   193   415  $976                       Reconciliation:(Millions of dollars) 2011  2010  2009 Interest expense:         Interest expense from segments $866  $940  $1,094 Less: Inter-segment Interest expense  (39)  (23)  (46)Total $827  $917  $1,048               (Millions of dollars) 2011  2010  2009 Assets         Assets from segments $35,301  $32,399  $34,915 Less: Investment in subsidiaries  (1,189)  (1,117)  (1,080)Less: Inter-segment balances  (4,000)  (2,530)  (3,187)Total $30,112  $28,752  $30,648                 Inside and outside the United States: (Millions of dollars) 2011  2010  2009 Revenue         Inside U.S. $1,112  $1,138  $1,338 Inside Canada  374   362   348 Inside Australia  259   222   188 All other  900   830   840   Total $2,645  $2,552  $2,714               Equipment on Operating Leases and Non-Leased   Equipment (included in Other Assets), Net  2011   2010   2009 Inside U.S. $986  $1,044  $1,246 Inside Canada  771   818   901 Inside Australia  314   343   325 All other   592    567    604   Total $2,663  $2,772  $3,076                 |

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| - Definition
This element may be used to capture the complete disclosure of reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10% or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 131
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