1. If any of the following questions are not applicable to the country being studied, explain why.

2. You need not write in complete sentences as long as the questions are answered.

1. What is the official name of the country, where is it located, and what countries and geographic boundaries define its borders?
   
2. When were the current name and national borders established? What events precipitated name and border changes?
   
3. Are there any current territorial disputes with neighboring states or more distant countries? Explain.
   
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02 - Size and Territories

1. What is the size of the country in square miles? Compare this to another well-known country or U.S. state. Into what kind of administrative territories, states, or provinces is the country divided? Name them.
2. When were administrative divisions established and why? Does the country have any other territorial possessions?
3. What kind of relationships exist between the in-country territories? What are the relations with other territorial possessions?
   
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1. Describe the overall geographic features of the country, including important rivers, mountain ranges, and the like.
2. Note important areas of natural and mineral resources, including lumber, coal, petroleum, other minerals, etc.
3. How have the terrain and resources influenced the development of the country?
   
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1. Describe the overall climate of the country, length of seasons, temperature ranges, and annual precipitation.
2. How has climate influenced population centers?
3. Discuss common climatic dangers or calamities, such as drought, flooding, etc., and their effects on the country.
   
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05 - Population Centers

1. What is the population of the country? Compare this to another well-known country or U.S. state. What is the capital? What are the five largest cities in the country?
2. What portion of the population lives in urban areas? Does the country conduct regular censuses? If so, is the data reliable?
3. Note when major cities were established. Why? (centers of gravity: ethnic, religious or cultural centers, trade or transportation hubs; areas of concentration of critical elements: industrial centers, national or military command centers).
   
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06 - Agriculture

1. What percentage of the land is arable? What are the primary agricultural products of the country and where are they produced?
2. Can the country feed itself? What portion of the population is involved in agricultural production?
3. Who are the country's primary trading partners for agricultural products?
   
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1. How technologically advanced is the country in terms of industrial development and manufacturing? What are its main industries and where are they located? What portion of the population is involved in industrial production?
2. What are the main products manufactured for domestic use and export? What industrial products/goods are imported?
3. Who are its industrial partners? Are there any economic sanctions against this nation? If so, what kind and why?
   
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08 - Environment

1. What is the general state of the country's environment?
2. What is the current state of specific environmental systems such as waterways, estuaries, forests, rainforests, deserts, etc.?
3. How are the environmental issues affected by current or developing government policies?
   
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1. What is the national currency? What is the official exchange rate against the U.S. Dollar and European euro?
2. How stable is the currency? Has it been devalued in recent years? How many times?
3. Discuss "alternative" currencies such as "unofficial exchange rates" or black market dollars, cash crops, drug and arms trading, etc.
   
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1. What is the gross domestic product for this nation? Compare this to another well-known country. What is the latest GDP growth rate?
2. What is the average annual income? What percentage of the population lives below the poverty line? What percentage is unemployed?
3. What is the relationship between the wealthy and the poor in the country? Is this a source of potential domestic turmoil?
   
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11 - Transportation

1. What are the primary means of transportation for moving products and people in this country?
2. What kind of public transportation is available in major cities? How common is automobile ownership? How do people travel from city to city? Is air travel common? Note major airports. Which international air carriers service the country?
3. Describe the transportation infrastructure -- condition and upkeep of waterways, railroads, and road/highway systems.
   
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1. What is the majority ethnic group in this nation? What are the predominant minorities? What defines ethnic groupings (nationality, language, race, religion, etc.)?
2. Describe the relations between the ethnic groups. Are there any state or religious laws that limit the rights of any minorities vis-à-vis other minorities or the majority, to include intermarriage?
3. Briefly discuss the origins of the various ethnic groups in the country.
   
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1. Is there an official state religion? What are the predominant religions practiced in the country?
2. What role does religion play in the politics of the country?
3. What is the relationship between the various religions?
   
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1. What is the official language of the country? What other languages are spoken there? What is the literacy rate for all languages?
2. Describe national educational requirements and the educational system from primary through secondary schools.
3. Describe the higher education system. Who receives higher education: men? women? the wealthy? open to all? Where are professionals, such as engineers and doctors, educated? What is the role and the influence of the educated in the country?
   
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1. What are the most recent life-expectancy, infant-mortality, and population-growth statistics? What percentage of the population is affected with HIV/AIDS? Are the noted levels rising or falling?
2. What factors account for the statistics noted above?
3. Describe health, medical, and social services available to average citizens.
   
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1. Describe the general status of women, including roles in society, work force, and politics.
2. Describe health care services for women, including availability and types of birth control.
3. Does the country have an active women's movement? Describe it briefly. If not, explain why.
   
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1. How do human rights organizations view the country? What do they see as the major human rights issues?
2. Are human rights concerns the result of actions against any specific ethnic, religious, or political groups?
3. What role does the government play in human rights guarantees and violations? How does it defend itself against abuse allegations?
   
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1. How does the government officially define itself? How does the U.S. view it? How long has the existing government ruled?
2. Is there a parliamentary body? What is it called? What is its role?
3. Have there been any recent illegal successions (via violent overthrow, assassination, etc.)?
   
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1. Does the country sponsor free and honest/legitimate elections? How often? Define the legal system.
2. Briefly describe the primary political powers and/or parties in the country.
3. Describe the judicial system. Who makes the laws? Who carries them out?
   
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1. Who is the current leader of the nation? How and when did the leader come to power? If elected, when does the leader's term expire?
2. What other important personages are in the government?
3. Who are the spokespeople for the country in the international arena, including the UN and in national responses before the media?
   
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1. What group or groups or political parties/movements stand in opposition to the existing government?
2. How free is the opposition to express its views? Who leads the opposition?
3. Is the opposition supported by external forces or nations?
   
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1. With what countries does this nation have alliances? Are they formal or informal? Does it have relations with non-state actors, e.g., terrorist organizations or groups?
2. Is the country party to any significant international treaties? What countries does this nation trust?
3. If this country were attacked, who would come to its immediate defense?
   
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1. What countries or non-state actors are enemies to this nation?
2. Is the country known to be in violation of any international agreements?
3. What did this country do to make enemies? Is the country trusted by the world community?
   
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1. Does this country have a standing military? What are the branches of the armed forces and how large are they? What percentage of the GDP goes to military expenditures?
2. Describe the make-up of the armed forces and any elite, special troops. What is the overall morale, loyalty, and discipline of the military? How modern is the weaponry?
3. Does the country produce its own weapons or buy them from abroad? If it buys them, from whom? Is it known to have or suspected of having, or attempting to acquire, weapons of mass destruction? What kind? How close is it to being able to deploy them? Who is suspected of enabling this state to get the technology?
   
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1. Does the U.S. have representation in this country (embassy, consulates, etc.)? Briefly describe representation. Describe any travelers' alerts posted for this country?
2. What is the sentiment of the population toward the U.S.? Have there been any attacks against American representatives or interests in this country?
3. Does the U.S. have trade agreements with this country? What does this nation trade with the U.S.? What does it export? What does it import? Does the country receive loans or other economic assistance from the U.S.? Does it have an economic debt to the U.S.?
   
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1. With what other countries does this nation have trade agreements and relationships? Is this country a member of the World Trade Organization? If not, why?
2. What does it export to other countries? What does it import?
3. With what countries does this nation have educational or cultural exchanges? Does it provide or receive economic assistance from any other nation?

1. To what political and trade alliances does the country belong?
2. What kind of representation does this country have at the UN? Is the country a member of any UN committees or councils?
3. What are the foreign investment levels in this country?
   
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1. Does "freedom of the press" exist in this country? If not, who controls information? If so, how free is the media?
2. What are the most read newspapers? Are they available online? What government-sponsored English language media resources are available?
3. What "outside" English language media resources are available to keep up with events in this country?
   
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1. How readily available are telephones, cellular phones, fax machines, and computers? How many televisions and radios are there in the country? How many Internet users are there?
2. Is the telecommunications infrastructure controlled by the government or by private companies? Explain your answer.
3. How easy is it to contact private parties and commercial interests in the country? Explain.
   
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1. From what early language did the present-day language evolve? How is the language currently defined among the world language families? What are some closely related languages?
2. Describe the writing system(s) used for this language? If the language uses a non-Roman script, what transliteration systems exist to render it into Roman letters?
3. What sociolinguistic factors have been of the greatest importance to the present-day language, e.g., foreign occupations or close cultural relations, lexical borrowings for technological reasons?
   
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1. What basic-level language materials are available on the Internet for the primary language of this country?
2. Describe some of the sites, to include what you consider the best site to learn the alphabet.
3. Which sites appear to be under active development and worthy of revisits?
   
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1. What online dictionaries are available for the language?
2. Test the dictionaries with some random words, e.g., "eschew," "bunker," "keyboard," "eclipse," "appendectomy," etc. How well do the dictionaries work?
3. Which dictionaries would you recommend? Are there any specialized online dictionaries available for the language?
   
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1. To what early civilization or country does this nation trace its roots?
2. What role did this civilization or country play in early world history?
3. What are some of the cultural remnants of the early civilization in modern life?
   
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1. When and under what circumstances did the currently predominant religion appear in this country?
2. What were some early religion(s) or beliefs native to this country?
3. Describe any religious beliefs or values unique to this country.
   
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1. Name some individuals, both real and mythological, who played important roles in the early history of this nation.
2. Describe some "national heroes."
3. To what degree do earlier figures live on in the national consciousness and influence culture and politics?
   
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1. What were the relations between this country and the rest of the world prior to the 19th century?
2. What importance did this nation have in the pre-Industrial age?
3. What pre-19th century events had an impact on the national consciousness of this country?
   
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1. What events of the 19th century had a major impact on this nation?
2. Did the industrial age reach this country and to what extent?
3. What was the societal structure like in the 19th century? Who controlled the economy?
   
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1. Previous to the outbreak of World War I in 1914, what was the role of this country in world politics?
2. To what other countries was this nation allied? What was its greatest fear or challenge?
3. Describe the economic conditions of the population before and immediately after WW I.
   
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1. What roles did this country play in the two World Wars?
2. Describe any occupations or battles fought on native soil and their impact. Describe participation in alliances.
3. How was this country affected by the end of WW II and the subsequent Cold War?
   
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1. What post-WW II events had the biggest impact on this nation?
2. Describe the impact of the noted events on national politics and policies.
3. How has this nation influenced post-WW II events?
   
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1. What early literary traditions, genres, or works are native to this country?
2. Describe some of the works and writers.
3. Is there a "national" literary work or writer most natives are familiar with? Describe this work/writer.
   
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1. What role does literature play in the contemporary culture of this nation? What type of literature and what writers are popular?
2. What work of contemporary literature and/or what writer is recommended as a "must read"?
3. What foreign literature is popular in the country? If foreign literature is banned or restricted, explain why.
   
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1. What are some of the important early architectural monuments of this nation? Why, when, and by whom were they built?
2. What are some aesthetic features that define them as belonging to this country or culture?.
3. What is the attitude of the current population toward historic national monuments and landmarks?
   
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1. Are there any modern architectural monuments or noteworthy constructions in the country (e.g., buildings, dams, airports, etc.)? If there are none, why?
2. Are modern architectural monuments of an aesthetic or practical nature?
3. What are some of the traditional national features that are unique to this nation?
   
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1. Is there a national tradition in music and/or dance that is unique to this country or culture? Describe it.
2. What musical instruments are traditional to this country?
3. What role did music and/or dance play in the culture of this country?
   
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1. What kind of music and/or dance is popular in the country currently? Who are some of the "hot" musicians, groups, or bands?
2. Is there a difference in the kind of music the young and older generations listen to? Is any particular kind of music or dance frowned upon or banned?
3. How do people access music -- live performances, radio, CDs? Where can you buy some recent recordings?
   
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1. What early philosophical principles helped shape the national character and world view of this country?
2. Are these early principles still evident? How?
3. Has the national character changed over the years? How?
   
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1. What are the philosophical and/or ideological principles that currently define this country's view of itself and the world at large ?
2. How long have these views been in place and where are they articulated (e.g., constitution, writings of a leader, etc.)?
3. Do these views hinder or help the nation interact with the world community? How?
   
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1. What is the state of science and technology in this country? Name some leading institutions and individuals in the field of science and technology.
2. What other countries does this nation work with and/or depend upon for scientific and technological development?
3. What are the current goals for this country in science and technology?
   
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1. Based on everything that you've learned, what are the primary future goals and ambitions of this country?
2. What are the major obstacles that it faces in achieving these goals?
3. Where do YOU think the country is heading?
   

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