Customer Reviews

The World Factbook 2000: CIA's 1999 Edition

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Someone mentioned that the factbook lists a country as "Serbia and Montenegro" instead of as "Yugoslavia" as a big complaint about possible factual errors. Serbia existed long before the name "Yugoslavia" ever existed to be put on a map; and with the dissolution of Yugoslavia (for whatever reason one chooses to explain it), it has become Serbia once again, irregardless of what CNN uses on their news reports.

If we substitute "Wales and Scotland" and "Great Britian" for "Serbia and Montenegro" and "Yugoslavia", those complaints sound rather silly.

I don't know about the printed edition, but the online version has Vatican City listed under "Holy See" and clearly states, "Serbia and Montenegro have asserted the formation of a joint independent state, but this entity has not been formally recognized as a state by the US. The US view is that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has dissolved and that none of the successor republics represents its continuation." If the printed version omits these statements, or if the Yugoslavia was recognized as a state by the time this was published, just ignore this review.

This book was disappointing. I expected a highly accurate book that would be an interesting source to quote. The authority of the name Central Intelligence Agency would sound great on my essays. But in just casually reading through this book, I was surprised to find two significant problems.

First, the omission of Vatican City as a nation. Vatican City has been an independent nation since Feb 11, 1929. There is no explanation for why it is not listed.

Second, is a problem with Yugoslavia. It isn't listed under "Y". The book renames it "Serbia and Montenegro". I watch CNN and all the fuss over the October elections this year was in Yugoslavia. Solbodan Milosovic was the President of Yuglosavia, not of Serbia and Montenegro, as this book lists him.

How can a reference book make such major mistakes?

There is a lot of interesting stuff listed in this book. I really liked the detailed information about population, governments, geography, economics, communications and transporation. But I can't really trust it. When they make such major mistakes with countries, how can you possibly trust the smaller facts about population or the communcations industry.

No one should use this book for reference. The World Factbook 2000 does not have all the facts.