The CIA World Factbook Edition 2008 Introduction

Preliminary statement In 22 editions of 36.

Preliminary statement was published in 22 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 2004 to 2025. The 2008 edition carries it in 1 entry, in its Introduction section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.

entries in the 2008 edition
1
the first edition with it
2004
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Preliminary statement” (2004 to 2025) and “Preliminary Statement” (2018 to 2020).

the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Preliminary statement, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.

2008

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Entries with Preliminary statement in each edition

19902000201020202025

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Europe

1 entry

European Union

The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is truly unique.

Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations.

In the future, many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded. Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook. However, because of the EU's special status, this description is placed after the regular country entries.

Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 2008, “Preliminary statement”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/preliminary-statement/2008.

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