1. For each of the 3 countries, give the following information:
a) location/the countries that share its borders
b) the religious breakdown of the population
c) the type of government
d) the chief of state (and head of government if different) [If monarch or dictator, since what date has he/she ruled? - include name of heir apparent for monarch]
e) the population

[Find the answers at the CIA World FactBook website. For each country, answers can be found under the "Geography" "People" and "Government" headings.  Go to worldatlas.com for a list of continents.]

2. For Turkey:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Apart from the magnitude of the quake, what other factor likely increased the amount of damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey?

3. For Afghanistan:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) According to an August 2009 Washington Post article, "Since 2001, the United States has spent $38 billion on reconstruction in Afghanistan, more than half of it on training and equipping Afghan security forces. Spending on civilian governance and development programs has doubled under the Obama administration, to $200 million a month."
What do you think of President Karzai's declaration of alliance with Pakistan?  Ask a parent to share his/her thoughts on this issue.

4. For India:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Why do some Indian parents name their daughters Nakusa or Nakushi (meaning "unwanted" in Hindi)?
c) Are you surprised by the practice of naming a daughter "unwanted"?  Why did your parents chose the name they gave you?