Country and Currency Info

All good study abroad students want to learn as much as possible about their destination prior to departure.  Take this challenge to see how much you already know.

Country Information

For official facts and information, consult

• the CIA World Factbook
• the Library of Congress Country Studies
• the U.S. State Department Background Notes
• The Economist magazine’s Country Briefings

To learn about current events in your destinations:

• World Newspapers

For more in-depth information:

• the Lonely Planet, Footprint, Rough Guide and Let’s Go publications are useful
• the Culture Shock series provides a good introduction to customs and etiquette in selected countries or cities (no web site; you can order through your local indie bookstore)
• Planeta.com provides good information on Latin America and eco-tourism
• The British Council puts out a zine directed at US students planning to study in the UK.
• Budget Britain is a website created by American students for American students planning to study in Great Britain.

Currency

It’s advisable, prior to departure, to have a good sense of how the US dollar relates to the currency of the nation where you plan to study. Good currency sense will prevent rude financial awakenings later in the term. For a user-friendly way of determining exchange rates, refer to the currency converter.

The currency converter run by Travlang.com provides pictures of the currency you’ll soon be calling your own. Familiarize yourself with the different bills and their worth.