FirstGovis the world wide web information portal for the United States Federal Government. FirstGov is intended to be your first resource to find any government information on the Internet, with topics ranging from business and economy to money and benefits to science and technology - and everything in between!

" The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Truman. The National Security Act charged the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) with coordinating the nation’s intelligence activities and correlating, evaluating and disseminating intelligence which affects national security.
Porter J. Goss became Director of Central Intelligence on 24 September 2004. The DCI serves as the head of the United States Intelligence Community, principal advisor to the President for intelligence matters related to national security, and head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The CIA is an independent agency, responsible to the President through the DCI, and accountable to the American people through the intelligence oversight committees of the U.S. Congress. " more about the CIA

The Factbook : The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in 1955 that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable publication which provides the essential elements of basic intelligence on all areas of the world. . . . There will always be a continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date." The Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The 1996 edition was printed by GPO and the 1997 edition was reprinted by GPO. The year 1999 marks the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 56th year of continuous basic intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its two predecessor programs

" The Office of American Services and Crisis Management (ACS) exists to serve Americans traveling or residing abroad. Our primary goal is to meet the needs of American citizens while providing them with premier customer service.
ACS administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Consular Information Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program..." more

" Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Countries where avoidance of travel is recommended will have Travel Warnings as well as Consular Information Sheets. You may also want to review specific country " more about Travel Warning
Background Notes are factual publications that contain information on all the countries of the world with which the United States has relations.

" ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the voice of world business championing the global economy as a force for economic growth, job creation and prosperity.
Because national economies are now so closely interwoven, government decisions have far stronger international reper-cussions than in the past.
ICC – the world's only truly global business organization responds by being more assertive in expressing business views.
ICC activities cover a broad spectrum, from arbitration and dispute resolution to making the case for open trade and the market economy system, business self-regulation, fighting corruption or combating commercial crime.
ICC has direct access to national governments all over the world through its national committees. The organization's Paris-based international secretariat feeds business views into intergovernmental organizations on issues that directly affect business operations. "

Piracy attacks : " Outrage in the shipping industry at the alarming growth in piracy on the world's oceans prompted the creation of the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in October 1992 in Kuala Lumpur. The Centre is financed by voluntary contributions from a number of companies and provides its services free of charge to all vessels irrespective of ownership or flag."

" The National Strategy for Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 served to mobilize and organize our nation to secure the homeland from terrorist attacks. This exceedingly complex mission requires a focused effort from our entire society if we are to be successful. To this end, one primary reason for the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security was to provide the unifying core for the vast national network of organizations and institutions involved in efforts to secure our nation.
In order to better do this and to provide guidance to the 180,000 DHS men and women who work every day on this important task, the Department developed its own high-level strategic plan. The vision and mission statements, strategic goals and objectives provide the framework guiding the actions that make up the daily operations of the department. " ... more

" Terrorists are working to obtain biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapons, and the threat of an attack is very real. Here at the Department of Homeland Security, throughout the federal government, and at organizations across America we are working hard to strengthen our Nation's security. Whenever possible, we want to stop terrorist attacks before they happen. All Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack. While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what your personal circumstances will be, there are simple things you can do now to prepare yourself and your loved ones. " ... more

" Created in 1985 to foster the exchange of information between the U.S. Government and the American private sector, including American colleges and universities, OSAC has become an active partnership to assist American businesses remain competitive and secure in a global environment. One of OSAC's primary goals is to develop and maintain an effective security communication network through cooperation. This section provides a brief synopsis of OSAC, its history, makeup and initiatives.
In 1985, CEOs from a handful of American companies met with Secretary of State George Shultz to promote security cooperation between American private sector interest worldwide and the U.S. Government. The subsequent establishment of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) has developed into an enormously successful joint venture for effective security cooperation. The over 2300 U.S. companies and organizations that are affiliated with OSAC are provided with the tools needed to cope with security-related issues abroad. " more about OSAC

" CountryReports.org was established in 1997 out of a love for international relations and culture. Today millions of visitors a year take advantage of the great content found within CountryReports.org. We provide statistical information as well as cultural information which students, parents, teachers and researchers find valuable. CountryReports.org has over 23,000 pages of content. While we do not seek accolades we have been mentioned in prominent media publications such as: ... " more

" The FedWorld.gov web site is a gateway to government information. This site is managed by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) as part of it's information management mandate.
" In 1992, FedWorld was established by The National Technical Information Service (NTIS), an agency of the U S Department of Commerce, to serve as the online locator service for a comprehensive inventory of information disseminated by the Federal Government. This service assisted agencies and the public in electronically locating Federal Government information, both information housed within the NTIS repository and outside of NTIS. " more

" Embassy World is designed to provide a comprehensive list of contact resources for all of the world's diplomatic offices. Our goal is to provide an easy-to-navigate directory that is clearly laid out and fully cross-indexed. Our database is searchable via a bi-lateral search-engine to search both host location and hosted embassy from dual query boxes. It is our intention to make finding an embassy easy. " more