Overview
The Bahamas gets its name from the Spanish, baja mar, meaning ’shallow sea’. The turquoise waters that lap this land are as calm and warm as its people. Throughout the 700-plus islands that constitute The Bahamas, residents tend to abide by ’island time’, an affectionate term used to describe the Bahamians’ laid-back demeanour and their slow-moving way of life. It isn’t too hard to fall into this habit: many of islands are either uninhabited or sparsely populated, and from beaches strewn with beautiful seashells to homes painted in soft pastel shades, serenity is easy to find.

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Overview
It does not take a wizard with words to realise that Aruba’s capital, Oranjestad, is so-named because it is in some way connected to the colour orange. Disembarking from the nearby port or airport, it is difficult for any visitor to the town not to be dazzled by the row of orange facades that brightly array the architecture. Of course, the colour indicates Aruba’s historical ties with The Netherlands: although seceded from The Netherlands in 1986, its head of state is still the Dutch ruling monarch.

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‘A country straight out of the movies!’

Mickey Mouse, Miami Vice, Sleepless in Seattle… thanks to cinema and TV we all have impressions of the United States of America. Yet nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of Manhattan’s unforgettable skyline, your first ride in a yellow cab, the ubiquitous hamburger joints, the vast expanses of prairie, the sweet strains of New Orleans jazz or the neon-lit excesses of Las Vegas.

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Country Overview
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of England (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The British landscape can be divided roughly into two kinds of terrain – highland and lowland. The highland area comprises the mountainous regions of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north Wales. Sandstone and limestone hills, long valleys and basins such as the Wash break up the lowland area on the east coast. Despite its small size, England is a country of much diversity.

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Overview
Straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, and bordering the volatile Middle East, Turkey has an unrivalled history stretching back thousands of years. From the ancient Hittites to the Ottomans, dozens of civilisations have made Turkey their home, leaving behind them a dazzling historical and archaeological heritage.

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Overview
Small, mountainous and wealthy, with a population of just seven million, Switzerland is renowned for its enviable quality of life in a country that ticks along like clockwork. Its products are sought after the world over, from dangerously delicious cheese and chocolate to luxurious watches whose timekeeping is as sharp as a Swiss army knife, another popular export from this clever little nation in the Alps.

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Overview
Mediterranean beaches, sangria in the sun and paella by the plateful. Southern Spain has long been a popular holiday destnation, but tourists are increasingly turning to the fascinations of another Spain, far removed from the high-rise developments lining the Costa del Sol.

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Overview
The history of the Russian Federation is overwhelming. It is apparent on every corner of the country’s staggeringly awesome cities, such as Moscow and St Petersburg, with their architectural marvels. But it also dwells in huge and remote expanses such as Siberia, filled with ancient forests and the world’s deepest lake. Everything exists here on a mammoth level. Since the 15th century, when the Grand Prince of Moscow, Ivan III (the Great), annexed the rival principalities of Russia, Russia’s ambitions have been as great as this first national sovereign’s appellation.

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Overview
Once maligned as ‘The sick man of Europe’, modern Portugal, one of Europe’s unspoilt tourism jewels, is booming. Portugal’s rich and turbulent history shaped the country, from the 15th- and 16th-century days of discovery, to the autocratic leadership of Estado Novo (New State) from 1932 to 1974.

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Overview
The Netherlands, is a lively mix of tradition, in the form of windmills and tulips, and fast-paced modern European life.

The Dutch are generally an affable race, with a good sense of humour and a keen sense of how to enjoy themselves, whether it be relaxing in the countryside or partying hard in the big cities. Despite their country’s puritan past, they are known for tolerance, or at least turning a blind eye.

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