Strategy. In seeking to track the performance of the Bloomberg SASB Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap ESG Ex-Controversies Select Index ? (the Index ), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. ( SSGA FM or the Adviser ), … Show more… In seeking to track the performance of the Bloomberg SASB Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap ESG Ex-Controversies Select Index ? (the Index ), the Fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the Index. Instead, the Fund may purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The quantity of holdings in the Fund will be based on a number of factors, including asset size of the Fund. Based on its analysis of these factors, SSGA Funds Management, Inc. ( SSGA FM or the Adviser ), the investment adviser to the Fund, either may invest the Fund's assets in a subset of securities in the Index or may invest the Fund's assets in substantially all of the securities represented in the Index in approximately the same proportions as the Index, as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund in pursuing its objective. Under normal market conditions, the Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index and in depositary receipts (including American Depositary Receipts ( ADRs ) or Global Depositary Receipts ( GDRs )) based on securities comprising the Index. In addition, in seeking to track the Index, the Fund may invest in equity securities that are not included in the Index (including common stock, preferred stock, depositary receipts and shares of other investment companies), cash and cash equivalents or money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). In seeking to track the Index, the Fund's assets may be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, but only to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. Futures contracts (a type of derivative instrument) may be used by the Fund in seeking performance that corresponds to the Index and in managing cash flows. The Index is designed to measure the performance of large- and mid-capitalization companies in emerging markets that exhibit certain ESG characteristics, while also exhibiting risk and return characteristics that are comparable to those of the Bloomberg Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap Index (the Parent Index ). The Parent Index includes stocks of large- and mid-capitalization companies from emerging markets countries. The Index incorporates ESG criteria to screen securities within the Parent Index and assign scores to the remaining securities. The scoring system that is utilized by the Index, the Responsibility or R-Factor TM score, was developed by State Street Global Advisors. The R-Factor TM score measures the performance of a company's business operations and governance as related to financially material ESG challenges facing the issuer's industry. The R-Factor TM score draws on a number of data sources that provide data metrics on a variety of ESG topics. The R-Factor TM scoring process comprises two underlying components, an ESG component and a corporate governance component. The ESG component is based on the framework published by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board ( SASB ), which attempts to identify ESG issues that are financially material to an issuer based on its industry classification. The ESG component of the R-Factor TM score is determined using only those metrics from data sources that specifically address such issues. The corporate governance component of the score is generated using region-specific corporate governance codes developed by investors or regulators that describe minimum corporate governance expectations of a particular region. The governance codes typically address topics such as shareholder rights, board independence and executive compensation. The corporate governance component uses data provided by data sources to assign a corporate governance score according to these governance codes. For securities in the Parent Index for which an R-Factor TM Score is unavailable, the Index assigns a score based on the average R-Factor TM Scores of the issuer's country and sector. The sector average is calculated by taking the average of all R-Factor scores within the issuer's sector in the Parent Index. The country average is calculated by taking the average of all R-Factor scores within the issuer's country in the Parent Index. The final assigned score is calculated by taking the average of the country average and the sector average. Such assigned score is utilized as an R-Factor TM Score for the purpose of the Index's R-Factor optimization process discussed below. To construct the Index, the Parent Index is first screened to remove securities of issuers involved in, and/or which derive significant revenue (as determined by the Index Provider (as defined below)) from, certain practices, industries or product lines, including: Extreme Event Controversies, Controversial Weapons, UN Global Compact Violations, Civilian Firearms, Thermal Coal Extraction and Tobacco (collectively, Controversial Categories ). The Index Provider incorporates data sourced by a third-party data provider for applying the screen. If there is insufficient data available to determine whether an issuer is involved in and/or derives significant revenue from Controversial Categories, the issuer's securities will be excluded from the Index. All remaining securities are considered the investable universe. The Index then utilizes a quantitative process that selects a portfolio of securities and assigns weights designed to maximize the Index's overall R-Factor TM score, while maintaining predicted tracking error within a targeted range relative to the Parent Index. The quantitative process also applies (i) individual security, sector and country weighting constraints; and (ii) a constituent turnover constraint. As a result of the quantitative process' objectives and applied constraints, the Index may not necessarily include the securities of companies with the highest R-Factor TM scores. As of November 30, 2022, the Fund consisted of securities from the following emerging markets countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. As of November 30, 2022, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies in the financial and technology sectors, although this may change from time to time. As of November 30, 2022, a significant portion of the Fund comprised companies located in Asia-Pacific region and China, although this may change from time to time. As of November 30, 2022, the Index comprised 727 securities. Rebalancing and reconstitution of the Index is quarterly, effective after the close of business on the second Wednesday of March, June, September and December. The Index is sponsored by Bloomberg Index Services Limited (the Index Provider ), which is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the composition of the Index, relative weightings of the securities in the Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Index. Show less