Difficult Question!!! A country chosen for it's shear beauty or for it's human rights and politics?
Let's not open that kettle of fish as beauty and atrocities can be found within any border.
In spite of my name, I was born in Canada of Latvian parents, both war refugees entering separately through Pier 21 in Halifax. I may have been a proud American as many of you are, however for some obscure bureaucratic reason my dad could not get in through Ellis Island and planted his new roots here in Canada.
I got even with the U.S. bureaucracy as while on a high school trip to Quebec City in May of 1971 I met and eventually married a wonderful girl from Boston Massachusetts.
http://ca.geocities.com/amatniek@rog.../ourstory.html
Sadly, some Canadians (separatists from the province of Quebec) want to separate from the rest of Canada as they already view Quebec as a distinct nation. To me it is analagous to acquiring the 'Mona Lisa' but using an x-acto knife to cut out the 'smile' as it is what is the most important part of the masterpiece. They'll keep all the assets but the remainder of Canada can keep the debt.
If I were so inclined, I would see the norhern or arctic expanse of Canada as it's own land. Nothing can equal that desolation, that ruggedness, that beauty! Unforgiving nature! If I were young and single, that is where I would be - poking around Baffin or Elsemere Islands in some capacity.
Getting around to the question, if not Canada, then the U.S. Other than those nations I would probably gravitate to one of the Scandinavian countries.
Although I love Lightfoot, I listen to 'Mozart' to 'The Subways'. Likewise, I could list off many more countries that I would love to experience "first hand" and my life would be just that much less rich by omitting them as possibilities.
Finally, those of you who have managed to survive reading my posts now must know that I am damn #@&^^$ opinionated about everything so never confuse me by asking a simple question or requesting a "yes or no"!
Met many a Corfidian from various countries and I am richer for having known all of them.
Yuri