ADJ

beautiful, fascinating, great
this great country of ours
hot, tropical
temperate
cold
foreign, overseas, strange
It's difficult to live in a foreign country when you don't speak the language. students from overseas countries What must it be like, to grow old in a strange country?
home, native
adopted
Many refugee servicemen gave their lives for their adopted country
host
The refugees do jobs that workers in the host country refuse to do
neighbouring
distant, far, faraway
independent
occupied
free
' It's a free country! 'he shouted.' I can do what I like. '
enemy, friendly
neutral, non-aligned
Arab, African, etc.
Eastern, Western, etc.
Anglophone, English-speaking, etc.
EU, NATO, etc.
member, non-member
OECD member countries
developed, industrial/ industrialized
developing, Thirld World, underdeveloped
industrially backward countries
advanced
economically advanced countries
backward
low-income, poor
affluent, rich
capitalist, communist, democratic, socialist
Catholic, Muslim, etc.
oil-exporting, oil-producing

VERB + COUNTRY

govern, rule, run
The country was ruled by a brutal dictatorship. the politicians who run the country
lead
He accused the government of leading the country to disaster
divide, split
The issue of the single currency has divided the country
flee, leave
The former president has been forced to flee the country
serve
love
He loved his country deeply
betray
play for, represent
She represented her country at the Sydney Olympics
tour, travel, visit
He travelled the country on his motorbike

COUNTRY + VERB

border sth
countries bordering the Black Sea
export sth, import sth
The country exports around 80% of its output
agree sth, sign sth
The two countries signed a basic treaty of cooperation

PREP

across a/the ~
travelling across the country
all over a/the ~
They are holding special events all over the country
around/round a/the ~
This is just one of 30 sites around the country
in a/the ~
people who live in this country
throughout a/the ~
New schools are being built throughout the country

PHRASES

country of origin
All goods must be clearly labelled with their country of origin
a part of a country
There will be rain in many parts of the country tomorrow
the country as a whole
The rich benefited from the reforms, not the country as a whole

ADJ

desert, hill/hilly, mountain/mountainous, open, wooded
The village is surrounded by miles and miles of open country
rough, wild
farming
This part of Africa is rich farming country
hunting, walking
superb walking country

QUANT

stretch, tract
a beautiful stretch of country Whole tracts of country, once fertile, have become arid

COUNTRY + NOUN

life
air
lane, road
area, district
town, village
cottage, estate, home, house, mansion, residence, retreat, seat
park
walk
boy, girl
gentleman, squire
dweller, folk, people

PREP

across ~
riding across country
in the ~
She lives in the country