One way to prepare for your study-abroad experience is to learn something about the country, city, or county where you'll be living. The resources below will give basic information about the demographics, geography, and history of many different countries. Which one will be yours?
Statistics are great, but you're probably also curious about what the people will be like in your study-abroad country. Here are some resources for finding out about the cultures of various countries. Some may be similar to the US and others will be very different!
The Encyclopedia of World Cultures by 
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life by 
They Do What? by 
