A.- ECONOMIC ANALYIS 1. Introduction

2. Population

a. Total, growth rates

3. Distribution of population

a. Age and sex (percentages)

b. Geographic areas (main concentrations of urban, suburban, and rural population)

4. Economic statistics and activity

a. Official currency

b. Exchange rate with US dollars (current single or multiple rates, trends)

c. Gross national product (GNP or GDP)

i. Total (real or inflation-adjusted), rate of growth

ii. Per Capita, rate of growth

d. Average income

i. Personal income

ii. Family income

e. Distribution of wealth (in the population), including Gini coefficient

f. Employment and working conditions

i. Labor force size and unemployment rates

ii. Employer-employee relations

iii. Salaries and benefits

g. Inflation rates

h. Competitiveness rankings

i. WEF's Global Competitiveness index/score^ with brief index explanation

ii. Index of Economic Freedom index/score^ with brief index explanation

iii. Ease of Doing Business index/score^ with brief index explanation

iv. Country Risk Rating index/score^ with brief index explanation

i. Minerals and natural resources

j. Transportation (modes, availability)

i. Main surface systems (highways, railroads)

ii. Major sea and/or river ports

iii. Major airports

iv. Major ports of entry by land (borders)

k. Communication systems (Internet, telephone, etc.)

l. Principal industries (proportion of the GNP for industries)

m. Foreign investment

n. International trade statistics

i. Participation in regional economic/trade blocs

ii. Major exports (dollar value)

iii. Major imports (dollar value)

iv. Balance-of-payments situation (surplus or deficit?)

o. Trade restrictions

i. Embargoes, quotas, import taxes and tariffs, customs duties, licensing, etc.

5. Overview of science and technology

a. Current technology available (computers, machinery, tools, etc.)

b. Percentage of GNP invested in research and development

c. Technological skills of the labor force and general population

6. Channels of distribution (macro analysis) This section is an overall report of the distribution channels available in the country. Later, you will select a specific channel as part of the distribution strategy for your product.

a. Retailers

i. Approximate number of retailers, main goods or services sold, typical location and size of outlets, customary markup for various classes of goods, methods (cash/credit) and scale (large/small) of operations

ii. Major chain stores, department stores, specialty shops, etc.

b. Wholesalers and distributors

i. Approximate number and size, customary markup for various classes of goods, methods (cash/credit) of operations

c. Import/export agents

7. Media This section is an overall report on all media available in the country. Later, you will select specific media as part of the promotional mix and strategy for your product.

a. Availability and coverage (of major media enterprises, systems, and networks)

i. Television

ii. Radio

iii. Print

iv. Internet

v. Other media (cinema, outdoor, etc.)

b. Major advertising agencies

8. Executive summary After completing all of the sections above, prepare a one-page (maximum length) summary of the major insights derived from your research, as a way to give the reader a synthesis of the critical aspects of the economy that are important to know to do business in the country.

B.- REFERENCES Cite the sources you use and include them in a list of references

You must use and cite reliable information sources available through the library (available in the "Databases" section at the TAMUCC Library's website) such as: Global Market Information Database, IBIS World, or Economist Intelligence Unit. There are other databases such as Global EDGE, and several secondary sources you can consult, including the countries' official census bureaus (some of those with English-language versions), The World Bank, United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) World Factbook, Heritage Foundation, Freedom House, Transparency International, LexisNexis, Wharton Research Services, etc. When reporting economic data and figures, include the corresponding US dollar amounts in parenthesis (make sure to use the same unit/base for exchange rate for all the data). For country ratings/indexes (marked below with ^) produced by non-governmental organizations, universities, and/or research centers, you can use and cite the information obtained directly form the respective organizations' websites or the textbook so DO NOT cite Wikipedia, blogs, student content sharing sites, etc