Can you find the sum of the second column?

Can you find the hidden country in the following paragraph:

After many years studying in the field of astrophysics, the boffin landed a plum job with the National Space Agency, where they became a leading figure in the area of quasars.

Which one of these letters is the odd one out?

Which of the four black shapes is identical to the red one?

There may be more than one which is exactly the same.