UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

As the world's biggest economy by a huge margin, almost everyone on the planet knows something about the USA, even if they've never been. The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State, the Hollywood sign, Las Vegas neon, Golden Gate and the White House have long been global icons, and American brands and images are familiar everywhere, from Apple computers and Levi's to Coca-Cola and hot dogs. Yet first-time visitors should expect some surprises. Though its cities draw the most tourists - New York, New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco are all incredible destinations in their own right - America is above all a land of stunningly diverse and achingly beautiful landscapes. In one nation you have the mighty Rockies and spectacular Cascades, the vast, mythic desert landscapes of the Southwest, the endless, rolling plains of Texas and Kansas, the tropical beaches and Everglades of Florida, the giant redwoods of California and the sleepy, pristine villages of New England. You can soak up the mesmerizing vistas in Crater Lake, Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks, stand in awe at the Grand Canyon, hike the Black Hills, cruise the Great Lakes, paddle in the Mississippi, surf the gnarly breaks of Oahu and get lost in the vast wilderness of Alaska. Or you could easily plan a trip that focuses on the out-of-the-way hamlets, remote prairies, eerie ghost towns and forgotten byways that are every bit as "American" as its showpiece icons and monuments.

CANADA

The home of ice hockey, lumberjacks, beavers, Mounties and maple syrup, right? Well, yes - but that's just scratching the surface of Canada. In reality, it's one of the world's most awe-inspiring countries, a mixture of raw beauty and more complex, unexpected places to visit including desert, temperate rainforest and lush orchards. Add the Rockies' glittering lakes and majestic peaks, spectacular fjord-slashed coastlines and the rippling prairie expanse with all the sky for a ceiling and you've got more than enough room to truly lose yourself (and the crowds). As a bonus, Canada's cities - enchanting Quebec, trendy Vancouver, cosmopolitan Toronto and stylish Montreal among them - are rich with historical and cultural treasures.

BRAZIL

Brazilians often say they live in a continent rather than a country. It's an excusable exaggeration. The landmass is bigger than the United States if you exclude Alaska; the journey from Recife in the east to the western border with Peru is longer than that from London to Moscow, and the distance between the northern and southern borders is about the same as that between New York and Los Angeles. Brazil has no mountains to compare with its Andean neigh bours, but in every other respect it has all the scenic - and cultural - variety you would expect from so vast a country.

MEXICO

One of the world's great civilizations, Mexico is a melange of Mesoamerican cultures and modern indigenous tribes, Spanish traditions and a vibrant modern economy, the biggest in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico's landscapes are just as diverse, from the shimmering blue coastline of Baja California and the iconic cactus-strewn deserts of the north, to the Mayan villages and gorgeous palm-smothered beaches of the south. You can climb volcanoes, watch whales, swim underground and tour tequila farms. And sprinkled throughout you'll find richly adorned colonial churches, giant ancient pyramids and a sophisticated cuisine that has little in common with the world of nachos and burritos.

PUERTO RICO

It's graced by fabulous beaches, year-round sun and numerous opportunities for deep-sea fishing, diving and surfing, but there's far more to Puerto Rico than suntans and snorkelling. Beyond the glitzy veneer of San Juan the coast remains incredibly raw and unspoiled, lined with miles of glittering white sands. Dig deeper and you'll see the influence of the island's rich stew of cultures - African, European and Taino - in an exuberant array of festivals, tantalizing criollo food, gracious colonial towns, world-class rum and a dynamic musical tradition that gave birth to salsa. The scenery is similar but this is not the West Indies (think baseball not cricket), and despite its links with the US, Puerto Rican identity - like Cuba - remains proudly Latino.