1. For each of the 3 countries, give the following information: 
a) capital:
b) location/the countries that share its borders:
c) the religious breakdown of the population:
d) the type of government:
e) 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]:
f) 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.]

NOTE: Before answering the questions below, read the info under “Background.”

2. For VENEZUELA:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Supporters of Chavez's socialist policies say he "empowered the poor and fought hunger and poverty by providing subsidized food, housing and medical clinics."  How did Chavez's policies harm the poor?

3. For AFGHANISTAN:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Sushmita Banerjee was a Hindu who married a Muslim. At some point she successfully escaped from Afghanistan to India, but voluntarily returned this year. There is no mention in the article or others as to whether she had children there. How would you view her decision to return to Afghanistan? Do you think she was naive, optimistic, willfully ignorant, foolish, etc? Explain your answer.

4. For EGYPT:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) List the attacks made by Islamist militants/terrorists in Egypt over the past week.