I find the main usefulness of general queries like 'Egypt' or 'Syria' is in current events. I don't know what's happening in a country or about a specific subject/object (i.e. 'Xbox') and a general query gives me a wide variety of information about that subject, after which I can be more specific.

Google has become my gateway into current events. I don't read news or blog sites often so I'm not sure of what's going on, by querying a general topic I am instantly presented with a multitude of topics from a variety of sources that I can then follow up on with specific results.

Google's cookies and data about me help it select subtopics I'd be interested in. I.e. I don't care that Kuwait has offered Egypt an aid package (found on DDG) but I do care about the new protests.