diff --git a/edc_sites/get_countries.py b/edc_sites/get_countries.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b996a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/edc_sites/get_countries.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
+
+
+def get_countries() -> list[str]:
+    """Returns the countries"""
+    countries = set(s.siteprofile.country for s in Site.objects.all())
+    return sorted(list(countries))
diff --git a/edc_sites/get_sites_by_country.py b/edc_sites/get_sites_by_country.py
index 8152931..4da372d 100644
--- a/edc_sites/get_sites_by_country.py
+++ b/edc_sites/get_sites_by_country.py
@@ -1,13 +1,22 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
 from django_extensions.management.color import color_style
 
 from .get_all_sites import get_all_sites
 from .get_country import get_current_country
 from .get_sites_module import get_sites_module
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from .single_site import SingleSite
+
 style = color_style()
 
 
-def get_sites_by_country(country=None, all_sites=None, sites_module_name=None):
+def get_sites_by_country(
+    country: str = None, all_sites: dict[str, list[SingleSite]] | None = None
+) -> list[SingleSite]:
     """Returns a sites tuple for the country."""
     if not all_sites or get_all_sites():
         all_sites = get_sites_module().all_sites
diff --git a/edc_sites/sites.py b/edc_sites/sites.py
index 8d98392..06e74d7 100644
--- a/edc_sites/sites.py
+++ b/edc_sites/sites.py
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 
 from edc_sites.single_site import SingleSite
 
-default_country = getattr(settings, "EDC_SITES_DEFAULT_COUNTRY", "botswana")
-default_country_code = getattr(settings, "EDC_SITES_DEFAULT_COUNTRY_CODE", "bw")
-default_domain = getattr(settings, "EDC_SITES_DEFAULT_DOMAIN", "localhost")
+default_country: str = getattr(settings, "EDC_SITES_DEFAULT_COUNTRY", "botswana")
+default_country_code: str = getattr(settings, "EDC_SITES_DEFAULT_COUNTRY_CODE", "bw")
+default_domain: str = getattr(settings, "EDC_SITES_DEFAULT_DOMAIN", "localhost")
 
-all_sites = {
+all_sites: dict[str, list[SingleSite]] = {
     default_country
     or "site": [
         SingleSite(