You should all have chosen a country to study in more depth during the remainder of the semester. Using the resources available in the Library, research the following questions for your country. The Reference Librarian will acquaint you with the use of many of the resources available in the Library, and will be available to help you in their use. In the process, familiarize yourself with the sources available on your country – you may want to return to them in preparing your country study later in the semester. You will need to spend additional time in the Library to complete this exercise. Your completed information is due on Friday, March 10^th.

Name:___________________________ Country:___________________

1. What is the population of your country?(use the most recent information available and note the year for which it pertains.)

 

2. What percentage of the population lives in urban areas? What percentage in rural areas?

 

3. What is the life expectancy for Women living in your country? For Men?

 

4. What is the infant mortality rate in your country?

 

5. What percentage of the population of your country is considered literate?

 

6. Is universal (free) education offered in your country? To what level?

 

7. Are the any significant ethnic or religious divisions in your country? If so, what are the major groups, and what percentage of the population does each represent?

1. What is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or Gross National Product (GNP) of your country? (The GNP and GDP are measures of the size of the national economy)

 

 

2. What is the GDP or GNP per capita? (This is a measure of the wealth available for each individual in the country)

 

 

3. How does your country compare to other countries in GNP/GDP? In GNP/GDP per capita? (You may find comparative data in a number of places. You could also use the list function in your software for the textbook)

 

4. What percentage of the total GNP/GDP is controlled by the richest part of the population? By the poorest part? (this may be denoted in terms of the richest/poorest 10% or 20%, etc. and is a measure of the distribution of wealth in the country)

 

5. What percentage of the population of your country is involved in Agriculture?

 

6. What are the major products produced in your country?

 

 

 

 

7. What are the major products exported from your country? What is the total value of exports from your country in the most recent year available?

 

 

 

 

8. What are the major products imported into your country? What is the total value of products imported into your country in the most recent year available?

1. What form of government does your country have? (Include: whether the country is a democracy, monarchy, ruled by a dictatorship; what different levels of government exist (is it a unitary, central government or a federated government?); etc.)

 

 

2. Does you country operate under a written constitution? When was it (the current one) written and adopted? Locate a copy of the constitution and attach the front page to this sheet (copy the rest for your purposes, if it’s short enough – or keep a note of where to find it).

 

 

3. How many Political Parties compete for power in government in your country? What are their names, how are they aligned (ideologically) and what percentage of the total support do they claim? (you should list them below; use the other side if necessary)

 

 

 

 

4. When was the last election (if any) in your country?

 

5. When and under what circumstances did the government last change significantly (if democratic, the last time power transferred from one party or coalition to another, if non-democratic, the last time and circumstances under which power transferred from one person/group of people to another).

 

 

 

6. Who is the Head of State in your country? Who is the Head of Government (if not the same)? List their names and the names of two other leaders in the government of your country.

 

 

 

7. Finally, locate at least two articles on your country, or on events in your country. Print them out if possible, otherwise give a complete citation of each with a short description of each here: