President Bush signed legislation Nov. 25 creating a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security -- a move representing the largest reorganization of the federal government in more than half a century.

Bush also named Tom Ridge, who has been director of the White House Office of Homeland Security, as his nominee to lead the new department. The president tapped Navy Secretary Gordon England to be Ridge's deputy.

"The new department will bring together the agencies responsible for border, coastline and transportation security," Bush said. "There will be a coordinated effort to safeguard our transportation systems and to secure the border, so that we're better able to protect our citizens and welcome our friends."

The Cabinet-level intelligence clearinghouse will combine about 170,000 federal workers from 22 agencies.

Some facts:

• Personnel for the new department would come from existing agencies. They are: Immigration and Naturalization Service; U.S. Coast Guard; Customs Service; Border Patrol; Federal Emergency Management Agency; Secret Service; Transportation Security Administration; and the border inspection part of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
• The department would be divided into four divisions: Border and Transportation Security; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures; and Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.
• While the new department would not become a domestic intelligence agency, it would analyze intelligence and "legally accessible information" from multiple sources such as the CIA; National Security Agency; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Department of Energy; Customs Service; and Department of Transportation.