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.]

2. For VENEZUELA:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) How close was Mr. Maduro's victory?
c) Henrique Capriles, challenger to Nicolas Maduro for the presidency, is calling for a recount, as are his supporters. Mr. Maduro said he would accept a full recount, although he insisted his victory was clean and dedicated it to Chavez. "I won ... we've had a fair, legal and constitutional triumph," Maduro told his victory rally on Sunday night, saying he would also be vigilant against destabilization. "We will know what to do if someone raises their insolent voice against the people." If you were a Venezuelan citizen, how would you take Mr. Maduro's statement?
d) The election board said Mr. Maduro's win was "irreversible" and gave no indication of when it might carry out an audit. Critics say four of its five members are openly pro-Maduro. Do you think there will be a fair and accurate recount? Explain your answer.

3. For FRANCE:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) A member of the Louve staff said: “The children are tough and very well organized. They stop at nothing to get what they want, and work in gangs. We can only do so much, but arrests are usually impossible because of their young age. If they are kicked out, they return the next day. They are very aggressive towards staff, putting people in danger of attack.”
Union rep Christelle Guyader said: "Sometimes [staff members] come to work afraid because they find themselves confronted with organized groups of pickpockets who are increasingly aggressive and which include children, who get into the museum free and even when taken in for questioning by police, come back a few days later."
Numerous staff had reported "spitting, insults, threats and being struck," by the pickpockets and had repeatedly reported the incidents, Guyader said.
More than eight million people a year visit the Louvre. How do you view these helpless officials?
How should museum officials and the police solve these attacks immediately? Be specific.

4. For GREAT BRITAIN:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Mrs. Thatcher was the first and only woman to be elected prime minister of Great Britain; she was also Britain's longest serving prime minister of the 20th century. People who did not like her personally and/or opposed her policies do not want this sign of respect granted. Big Ben normally chimes every quarter hour and has done so since 1859, except for the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965. What do you think? Should the bells of Big Ben be silenced for Mrs. Thatcher's funeral? Why or why not?