Last updated: 1/2009

and ways of life of people in other countries. In today's increasingly smaller world, understanding the ways of the world's other peoples is an essential skill. And the Geotravel Research Center's Culture Briefings will help you develop that expertise.
Culture Briefings help you figure out the natives by penetrating below a society’s surface to reveal the customs and established ways of life in a particular country.
Culture Briefings show the enduring qualities of a people as well as their present preoccupations. They analyze a country's culture and show why things are the way they are. They delve into a people’s character, values, beliefs and customs. You discover the people’s home, family and religious life as well as how they make a living, educate their children and spend their leisure time. You find out about the culture’s artistic endeavors and its political ways. And you learn of the problems the people face and how they handle them.
No other single publication gives you the information found in a Culture Briefing. Published by the Geotravel Research Center for a growing list of nations, these briefings are essential tools for leisure and business travelers, researchers, teachers and students, providing current, in-depth information that helps to understand the customs and ways of people in the world's cultures

Travelers get to know the people
If you're traveling abroad, a Culture Briefing lets you enrich your trip, gaining more knowledge, enjoyment and insight — and more financial success when traveling on business.
By giving you knowledge of the local people’s customary ways, a Culture Briefing helps you feel comfortable in what might otherwise be a strange environment. You gain the wisdom necessary to talk intelligently with people in a foreign culture, discussing the life they live, deciphering and interpreting how they think and behave. No longer will you run the risk of embarrassment when talking because you brought up a taboo subject, couldn’t comment on an aspect of local life or knew nothing of the local form of government. And if you're a business traveler, you'll get tips on conducting business.

Frequent updates assure current information
Research is ongoing and the Culture Briefings are frequently updated, assuring you they contain current information.

Special features improve usefulness
Culture Briefings offer special features that increase their usefulness.
Culture Briefings cover the world's cultures in depth, ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 words each.

A complete table of contents, linked to the text, allows you to quickly find specific information.

A list of “Do's and Don’ts” helps keep you on the right foot.

A “Fast Facts” box gives you quick reference to the names of the country’s current head of government and head of state as well as quality-of-life statistics such as: life expectancy, infant mortality, gross domestic product per capita and rates of literacy, unemployment and inflation.

Two maps show: 1) the country’s position on its continent, 2) the country’s major features, regions, rivers and cities.

Each country’s briefing and map pages depicts its national flag.

Countries Available
Culture Briefings are currently available for the following countries:
Belgium
China
England
France
Germany
Hungary
India — NEW
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Malaysia
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
Spain
Vietnam

Forthcoming Culture Briefings include:

Peru
Ireland
Russia

Experts prepare each Culture Briefing
Culture Briefings offer solid, authoritative information on world cultures. They are produced by a team that brings together backgrounds in cultural geography and cultural anthropology as well as extensive experience living for extended periods in a variety of foreign cultures and writing about travel, geography and culture for both the popular press and college-level textbooks.

Order your Culture Briefing now
To order individual Culture Briefings or to obtain more information and details, click here. For information on subscribing to the Culture Briefings database, click here.
Before leaving us, be sure to read the articles we've posted on the site.
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Here's what the reviewers say

“(Culture Briefings) are sufficiently useful that travelers will want to be able to rely on them for all their global sojourns. (They are) authoritative....well written, thorough, and current, and the Web site is easy to navigate....a very useful source for travelers and businesspeople. Recommended for public and special libraries with a focus on international travel.”
— Library Journal

“The merit of Culture Briefings lies in the quality of their content.... Culture Briefings provide the kind of information needed before attempting a project in a foreign country, both in terms of substantive background on the history and culture of the people and practical advice on culturally proscribed behavior....(they offer) authoritative and sympathetic guidance for behavior in dealing with residents of a country....(Culture Briefings) are clearly written and present a fair and objective picture....Culture Briefings stand out in quality and price.”
— The Chraleston Advisor

“This series of in-depth data on countries gives insight into the character, values, and customs of a nation....Culture Briefings are accurate and current. The writing is clear and lively.”
— American Library Association's Reference Book Bulletin
“I am extremely impressed with the information for each country.”

— An Academic Librarian

(The Chicago Tribune selected Culture Briefing: Japan as its travel resource Pick of the Week.) “Culture Briefing: Japan provides the least expensive trip to Japan you’ll ever take. Not in photographs; there aren’t any. But in the customs and pastimes of the populace....(Culture Briefing: Japan) gives you the insight to appreciate the Japanese people.”
— Chicago Tribune
“Culture Briefing: Vietnam is one of those jewels that you run into by chance and then wonder how you have gotten so far without it....It is an easy read as well as a great tool for travelers, journalists and business people alike.”
— Destination: Vietnam magazine
“Culture Briefing: Kenya provides helpful information on the country’s major subcultures.”
— American Library Association's Reference Book Bulletin
“Culture Briefing: Morocco was instrumental in my daughter's school report on Morocco. Of more than a dozen resources, including books, CD-ROM encyclopedias and Web sites on the Internet, Culture Briefing: Morocco was by far the most useful! I want to thank you for providing such a valuable resource.”
— R. L., Frankfort, KY

“…immensely useful and well-written.”
— Eco-Source Web site
"I want to thank you for such a great book with excellent information. (Culture Briefing: Netherlands) is a great tool for my assignment."
— H. S., Ohio
“Culture Briefings...provide crucial information for travelers interested in other ways of life.”
— EcoTraveler magazine
“(Culture Briefings) are great for reading on the plane so you can hit the ground running.”
— European Visits newsletter

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“Knowledge of (another) culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize, to appreciate more lovingly, our own.”
— Margaret Mead (1928)

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