United States. Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, is the main foreign intelligence service of the United States. It was established in 1947 under the National Security Act, following World War II and the earlier example of the Office of Strategic Services.

According to the agency’s own overview, its mission is to collect and share intelligence that helps protect the United States. Britannica likewise describes it as the country’s principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency, created in part to improve coordination across the U.S. intelligence system.

The CIA has become one of the most recognized intelligence organizations in the world, both for its behind-the-scenes role in U.S. national security and for the public debates surrounding covert action, surveillance, interrogation practices, and accountability. That mix of mystery, influence, and controversy has made it a frequent subject of history, journalism, and political discussion.