Tips for Living Abroad

General Country Information

Germany
German flag

Population: 83,029,536 (July 2001 est.)
Land Area: 375,021 sq km (slightly smaller than Montana)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.936 trillion (2000 est.)
GDP per capita: $23,400 (2000 est.)
Economic Overview: Germany possesses the world's third most technologically powerful economy after the US and Japan, but its basic capitalistic economy has started to struggle under the burden of generous social benefits. Structural rigidities - like a high rate of social contributions of wages - have made unemployment a long-term, not just cyclical, problem, while Germany's aging population has pushed social security outlays to exceed contributions from workers. The integration and upgrading of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from the west amounting to roughly $100 billion. Growth slowed to 1.5% in 1999, largely dure to lower export demand and still-low business confidence. Recovering Asian demand, a push for fiscal consolidation, and newly proposed business and income tax cuts - if passed - are expected to boost growth back to trend rates around 2.5% in 2000 and beyond. The adoption of a common European currency will bring major changes to the German economy in the early 21st century.
Political Structure: This federal republic has both a president and a chancellor. The president is elected to a five-year term by a Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the Land Parliaments. The chancellor is elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly to a four-year term. This system is checked by a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag, the 656 representatives of which are elected by popular vote for four-year terms, and the Federal Council or Bundesrat, which are voted on through the state governments.

Argentina
Argentina Flag

Population: 37,384,816 (July 2001 est.)
Land Area: 2,766,890 sq km (slightly less than 3/10 the size of the US)
GDP: $476 billion (2000 est.)
GDP per capita: $12,900 (2000 est.)
Economic Overview: Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. In 1989, the country had piled up huge external debts, inflation had reached 200% per month, and output was plummeting. To combat the economic crisis, the government embarked on a path of trade liberation, deregulation, and privatization. In 1991, it implemented radical monetary reforms which pegged the peso to the U.S. dollar and limited the growth in the monetary base by law to the growth in reserves. Inflation fell sharply in subsequent years. A series of reforms to bolster the domestic banking system also helped real GDP growth recover strongly, reaching 8% in 1997. Since 1998, however, conditions have worsened with high domestic interest rates, slower growth rates and increased deficits. The recent economic crisis will require the government to develop a new economic plan that will stabilize the currency and solve the country's debt burden.
Political Structure: A strong presidential system is checked by a bicameral Congress comprising a 257-member Chamber of Deputies, representatives of which are elected for four-year terms, and a 72-member directly elected Senate. The president serves a four-year term.

Switzerland
Switzerland Flag

Popluation: 7,283,274 (July 2001 est.)
Land Area: 41,290 sq km (approximately two times the size of New Jersey)
GDP: $207 billion (2000 est.)
GDP per capita: $28,600 (2000 est.)
Economic Overview: Switzerland, a prosperous and stable modern market economy with a per capita GDP 20% above that of the big western European economies, experienced solid growth of 3% in 2000, but growth is expected to fall back to about 2% in 2001. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practies largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Although the Swiss are not pursuing full EU membership in the near term, in 1999 Bern and Brussels signed agreements to further liberalize trade ties, and the agreements should come into force in 2001. Switzerland is still considered a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value.
Political Structure:This presidential system is checked by a bicameral Federal Assembly consisting of the 46-seat Council of States, members of which serve four-year terms, and the National Council. In the National Council, members are elected to fill the 200 seats by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms. The president and vice-president are elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms.

Source: The CIA World Factbook, 2001.

General Country Information Websites:

  • CIA World Factbook - offers country profiles and reference maps.
  • Global Statistics - general data on selected countries of the world, including administrative divisions (provinces) and major cities of each country.
  • Nation by Nation - directory of the nations of the world including history, government, economic information, and links.
  • U.S. State Department: Country Profiles - provides statistics and history of geographic entities and international organizations.
  • Your Nation - compare countries of the world by selecting different characteristics.
  • Bubl World Area Studies - offers five relevant resources for any country of interest.
Travel and Hotel Websites:

Tourism Boards

Travel Sites

  • U.S. State Department Travel Warnings - official travel advisories.
  • Yahoo! Travel - destination guides, online ticketing, specials, travel community resources.
  • Let's Go Travel Guides - accurate, Let's Go brings you the world.
  • Eurotrip.com - guide to budget travel in Europe reviews, destinations, accommodations, packing and cheap flights.
  • Turkey Traveller - information for the traveller includes accommodation, travel routes and maps, reference and culture.
  • All Travel Germany - offers hotel booking and car rental. Also features currency converter, destination guides and route-mapper.
  • Maporama - provides maps, itineraries, and weather information.
  • MapQuest - explore interactive maps for cities worldwide, generate driving directions, and customize and save maps.
  • Maps and Driving Directions Yahoo provides detailed maps and directions to almost any destination you enter.
  • All the World's Maps Maps of the world.
  • City Guides Information on over 140 of the world's most popular cities. Hotel discounts, pictures, maps, travel tips, etc.
  • Yahoo Currency Exchange Quickly find out how much money you'll get when you exchange your home country's currency.

Airline and Other Transportation Sites

  • AESU - offers worldwide tours and discounted airfare.

  • Yahoo! List - lists airlines alphabetically.
  • Lufthansa USA - online resouce for world-class travel to Europe and beyond.
  • Hotwire - offers discount airline tickets, hotel reservations and car rentals, as well as last-minute travel discounts.
  • Orbitz - created by the world's leading airlines, offers most low fares and most web-only fares on the planet.
  • Priceline.com - buying service that lets consumers name their price for airfare, hotels, rental cars, and others.
  • Flight Arrivals.com - includes departure and arrival information for airlines.
  • Webflyer Dealwatch - Enter your city of departure and get a quick list of latest airfare, hotel and rental car bargains.
  • Subway Navigator - Lets you select the departure and arrival stations for subway systems in major cities around the world. Also provides links to cultural, diplomatic and governmental organizations near stations.
  • European Public Transport - Links for train, bus, and ferry companies and timetables for throughout Europe.
  • Eurail.com - The offical Eurorail website.
  • Eurail, Europass, BritRail, European Rail Passes - Links to train and travel throughout Europe.
  • Deutsche Bahn - Learn about train schedules throughout Germany.

Hotels and Accommodations Websites

  • Travel Online- Germany - book hotels online.
  • IHA German Hotel Guide - comprehensive listing of German hotels.
  • Hostelworld.com - information and booking at over 2,000 youth hostels and budget accommodation properties worldwide.
  • Hostels.com - includes a worldwide hostel database, a guide to budget travel, the backpacker news wire, and message boards.
  • SJH Youth Hostels Switzerland - features travel information and directory of member hostels across the country.
  • Hostels of Europe - network of independent hostels for backpackers, families, students, and budget travelers.
  • Gran Hotel America - affordable hotel rates for Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rooms are priced between $12 and $30 per night.
Apartment Searches and Other Resources to find Living Spaces Abroad
 
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