public static function constructCountries( $postId = '', $useDefault = true ) {
			$eventCountries = tribe_get_option( 'tribeEventsCountries' );

			if ( $eventCountries != '' ) {
				$countries = array();

				$country_rows = explode( "\n", $eventCountries );
				foreach ( $country_rows as $crow ) {
					$country = explode( ',', $crow );
					if ( isset( $country[0] ) && isset( $country[1] ) ) {
						$country[0] = trim( $country[0] );
						$country[1] = trim( $country[1] );

						if ( $country[0] && $country[1] ) {
							$countries[ $country[0] ] = $country[1];
						}
					}
				}
			}

			if ( ! isset( $countries ) || ! is_array( $countries ) || count( $countries ) < 1 ) {
				$countries = tribe( 'languages.locations' )->get_countries();
			}

			// Perform a natural sort: this maintains the key -> index associations but ensures the countries
			// are in the expected order, even once translated
			natsort( $countries );

			// Placeholder option ('Select a Country') first by default
			$select_country = array( '' => esc_html__( 'Select a Country:', 'tribe-common' ) );
			$countries = $select_country + $countries;

			if ( ( $postId || $useDefault ) ) {
				$countryValue = get_post_meta( $postId, '_EventCountry', true );
				if ( $countryValue ) {
					$defaultCountry = array( array_search( $countryValue, $countries ), $countryValue );
				} else {
					$defaultCountry = tribe_get_default_value( 'country' );
				}
				if ( $defaultCountry && $defaultCountry[0] != '' ) {
					$selectCountry = array_shift( $countries );
					asort( $countries );
					$countries = array( $defaultCountry[0] => $defaultCountry[1] ) + $countries;
					$countries = array( '' => $selectCountry ) + $countries;
					array_unique( $countries );
				}

				return $countries;
			} else {
				return $countries;
			}
		}