MOD-Rewrite .htaccess rule help needed

I'm looking for a developer who can create a RewriteRule in .htaccess on a Linux server. Pretty straightforward, redirection from a static url to a dynamic php url similar to the example below.

My current urls are similar to http://www.example.com/maps/country.php?country=acountry

Single url parameter needs to be substituted into rewritten url like this to create SEO friendly site:

http://www.example.com/maps/country/acountry

May be some further urls also. Very straightforward for someone with the knowledge, but can't get it working myself. May be some issues with my shared hosting a/c, but everything I've read suggests it is possible and should work.