CI framework MySQL query

I am using CI framework for the first time, and I need some help.

I am migrating an existing website over to the CI framework and have followed CI's tutorials step-by-step without much trouble, but there are a few roadblocks I can't seem to get past...

My database table has 2 columns - "country" and "city" - and I want to return a result in the view file that groups all rows by country, prints that country as a header, and then prints all corresponding cities as a list beneath the relevant country.

Ie.

<h1>England</h1>
<ul>
<li>Liverpool</li>
<li>London</li>
<li>Sheffield</li>
</ul>

Whereas before without CI framework, I could just write a query, return a result, redefine a variable and throw in a few if statements to achieve the desired result - the mvc structure of CI prevents me from doing so...

I gather the key to this mystery lies in the controller and creating some sort of array to manage the data and use in the view file - can somebody please help me with an example?

My existing controller is:

<?php
class Home extends CI_Controller {

    public function index()
    {
        $this->load->model('Default_model');
        $data['query'] = $this->Default_model->getResults();
        $this->load->view('page_view', $data);
    }
}

Existing view file is:

<?php if (isset($query)):?>
<?php foreach ($query as $row):?>
<h1><?=$row->country?></h1>
<ul>
<li><?=$row->city?></li>
</ul>
<?php endforeach;?>
<?php endif;?>

And model:

function getResults()
{
    $query = $this->db->query('SELECT * FROM events GROUP BY country, city ORDER BY country, city');
    return $query->result();
}

Can anybody help me with an example, just to show me how this type of query is handled within the CI mvc structure?

Currently, the returned result of the above code is:

<h1>England</h1>
<ul>
<li>Liverpool</li>
</ul>
<h1>England</h1>
<ul>
<li>London</li>
</ul>
<h1>England</h1>
<ul>
<li>Sheffield</li>
</ul>

Thanks!

Give it a try

<?php 
$country =$query[0]->country;
$index=1;
if (isset($query)):?>
<?php foreach ($query as $row):?>

<?php if($country==$row->country){ 

if($index==1){ ?> 
<h1><?=$row->country?></h1>
  <?php }
  $index++;
 }else{  
  $country=$row->country; 
 $index++;
 ?>
 <h1><?=$row->country?></h1>
<?php } ?>

<ul>
<li><?=$row->city?></li>
</ul>
<?php endforeach;?>
<?php endif;?>