Follow a fact back to its source
Sources & methodology
A useful atlas lets you see where its information comes from. GEONARY keeps source names, reporting periods and context close to the figures you explore.
Where the information comes from
We combine published statistics, geographic datasets and reviewed reference material. The source shown beside an individual measure is the reference for that figure; different topics can use different providers.
People, economies & wellbeing
Sources include the World Bank, UNDP Human Development Reports and World Health Organization, alongside other named specialist sources.
Places, shapes & landscapes
Geographic grouping follows United Nations M49. Map geometry uses Natural Earth, with elevation imagery derived from Mapterhorn's credited sources. Flag images are delivered by FlagCDN.
Specialist topics also draw on Trading Economics, FAOSTAT, the International Telecommunication Union, ND-GAIN, Worldwide Governance Indicators and Global Firepower. Provider coverage and reuse terms differ.
Open a measure's source link or About the data section in the Atlas. Country profiles collect their references under See sources. Quiz figures use reviewed snapshots; source details are shown where relevant to the question.
Read the year as well as the number
“Latest available” does not mean “measured today.” A population figure and a GDP figure for the same country may refer to different years. The reporting period beside each measure tells you which observation you are seeing.
Reporting periods and updates
GEONARY publishes reviewed data snapshots. A retrieval or update date describes when data was collected or refreshed in GEONARY; it does not change the original reporting year. New releases can revise earlier estimates, so a provider's current website may differ from a retained snapshot.
Missing data
“No data,” “Not available” or a dash means there is no usable observation in the current snapshot. It does not mean zero. Coverage varies by provider and territory, and we do not invent values to fill empty cells.
Units, rounding and comparisons
Check whether a figure is a total, a percentage, a per-person value or an index. K, M and B abbreviate thousands, millions and billions; display rounding can hide small differences. Current US-dollar values are affected by exchange rates and are not interchangeable with inflation-adjusted or purchasing-power figures.
Figures from different years, definitions or providers may not be directly comparable. The displayed unit and source notes explain those limits.
World figures
Where available, we show the provider's published world aggregate. Other world readings are labelled as a country average or a reported total, with their coverage. An average of available countries is not necessarily a population-weighted global measure; a total with missing countries is incomplete.
Geography without hidden assumptions
Our directory includes countries and some territories or separately reported areas. Inclusion is for geographic exploration and data coverage; it does not assert sovereign status or political recognition.
Broad regions and more specific areas generally follow the UN M49 geographic hierarchy. Some retained entries, including Kosovo, Taiwan and Somaliland, use GEONARY mappings rather than standalone M49 entries. Original provider classifications remain distinct from these browsing labels.
Map borders, names and simplified outlines are aids to exploration. They are not statements about disputed boundaries. Silhouette questions may focus on a mainland or main island group, and small territories may be difficult to distinguish at a world scale.
About the mountain relief
Topography uses stylised shaded elevation imagery. Stronger lighting and shadows make mountain ranges easier to see; they do not change the published summit heights. Colours are not a vegetation map or a precise elevation scale. This is an atlas view, not a navigation chart or terrain survey.
Country artwork and learning content
Country artwork is illustrative. Use the accompanying name, map and source text for identification. Quiz questions and Country of the Day content are reviewed separately from statistical updates, so a newly released dataset does not silently change the answer to a published question.
Country profile quizzes retain citations and pinned source revisions. Some geography and country-knowledge questions adapt material from English Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording is shortened and reworked into questions and answer explanations. Each quiz's source credits link to the original revision and contributor history. Statistical observations and artwork retain their separate provider terms.
Help us make it more accurate
Found a questionable figure, an unclear question or an incorrect label? Send the page link, country or quiz mode, the value or wording you saw, and a supporting source if you have one. Please leave passwords and sign-in codes out of your message.
Report a correctionReuse permissions differ by provider. Follow the original source's licence and attribution requirements; see our Terms of use for GEONARY content.