Culture Smart

There is a good reason why Uganda is called "the Pearl of Africa." Beyond the ideal climate, abundant wildlife, and spectacular natural beauty, the friendly and good-humored Ugandan people make this country different. Drawn from more than twenty tribes, they represent a tapestry of traditions, ethnicities, and cultures. As a society they are devoutly religious and conservative; as individuals they are surprisingly laid back. English is widely spoken but there are many cultural pitfalls to be aware of—differences in expectations, customs, and ways of behaving.

Once notorious for the tyranny of Idi Amin, immortalized in the film The Last King of Scotland, Uganda has, for the last twenty-six years or so, struggled to overcome its negative image. It has largely been successful. Rated the best country to visit in 2012, it was one named of the best tourist destinations of 2013 by National Geographic magazine.

Colombia has a spectacular and variant landscape, embracing tropical beaches, highland plateaus, the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Andes, arid deserts, and dense Amazonian jungle. Colombian society is equally diverse. Stylish, cosmopolitan cities coexist with poverty in the beautiful countryside. As a result of the 16th-century Spanish conquest, modern Colombia's multiethnic society is a synthesis of Spanish, indigenous, and African traditions—evident in the music, in the food, and in Barranquilla's famous Carnival.

Mention Denmark and some people will think of marauding Vikings with horned helmets or one of Denmark's more famous exports—Carlsberg beer—or the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. But of the Danes themselves they may know very little. The Danes tend to be more relaxed and less formal than their fellow Scandinavians—and more independently minded. In fact, Denmark used to be referred to by its puritanical northern neighbors as "the loose woman to the south."