www.irlgov.ie/iveagh

One year in primary school we were given a project to do on a foreign country of our choice - how much easier such exercises must be with the Internet. Because its job is to promote and protect the interests of Ireland and its citizens abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs website is a good place to start: if you want to travel, do business or work and live abroad, what you need to know is likely to be here.

www.swedishembassy.ie

If a woman with a Canadian accent reading a news report on Sweden's first case of mad cow disease is your thing, this site is for you. Population figures, biggest mountain and longest river are all here, but the link to the Young Sweden section was not working when last checked. Also down was the one for info on government and politics, foreign policy and defence, the economy etc. Could be better.

australianembassy.ie

If, like me and tens of thousands of other young Irish people, you fancy the idea of a year in the land of Home and Away, then www.australianembassy.ie is the place to start. An application form for a working-holiday visa can be downloaded from here, as can all the details you need on eligibility. The comprehensive links section is particularly good for details on the environment and Australian history.

www.denmark.ie

The Danish embassy, in better English than found on many websites from countries where it is the first language, makes the : "Just as a person can be characterised by key figures such as height, weight, blood-type etc, a portrait of a country can be painted with a range of key figures." This fine palette includes population, government, education and standard of living. A fine site.

www.usembassy.ie

The US embassy's homepage has a far more serious aspect than most such sites. The first thing that catches your eye, after the Ambassador's welcome, is a list of current issues. This include links to information and press releases on the Middle East peace process, Iraq, and the US's Missile Defence System. The "List of Acronyms of Government Agencies" is vast - see how many you know.