The Country Similarity Index groups the countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia into the North Eurasian Region. It is one of the 27 world sub-regions identified by the Index. Here are some of the traits most of these countries share:
GEOGRAPHY
Countries in this region are located in somewhere between Europe and Asia. Their climates are all relatively cold, in part since they are located at high latitudes and do not have a lot of warm water to moderate their climate. The majority of the land in these countries is either forested or agricultural land. Wheat is the most common crop grown in North Eurasia. Its native vegetation is from the Holarctic Kingdom.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Most people in this region have Caucasian ancestry. Its population is much older than the world average. Birth rates are low, but life expectancy is above average. This region has significantly more women than men. It is also one of the most highly educated regions of the world. A large percentage of people there have completed college. Despite their education, the people there are neither extremely rich or poor, compared to the rest of the world. Most people work in the service sector.
CULTURE
Except for Georgians, most people speak Indo-European languages in North Eurasia. Unlike most of Europe, its countries do not commonly use the Latin script. Since all of these countries were once part of the Soviet Union, Russian is a widespread language in this region. They all have Women’s Day, Victory Day, and Labor Day as national holidays as well. Most people are Orthodox Christians, but many are atheists. Chicken, pork, and eggs are the major sources of protein in the regional diet. Wheat and potatoes are a huge part of the diet as well. Spirits are the most consumed type of alcohol in the region. Their cigarette consumption is among the highest in the region. Wrestling is one sport that these countries regularly succeed at in the Olympics. Soccer is the most popular team sport.
GOVERNMENT
All these countries were once part of the Soviet Union and many still have close ties with Russia. All countries except for Ukraine even have Russian military bases within them. Their judicial branches all have a constitutional court based on the European model. Their legal systems all use Civil Law. Most countries in the region do not impose the death penalty. Their laws are also quite similar. Neither same sex marriage nor polygamy are allowed. All forms of prostitution are not allowed. However, abortion is unrestricted. Furthermore, their governments tend to provide many benefits to their citizens. Universities are largely tuition free throughout the region. They have generous unemployment benefits as well. Except for Ukraine, pensions are given to the elderly even if they did not work. Their workers also have more days off than in most regions.
Infrastructure
These countries are relatively well developed. Access to drinking water and the electrical grid is near universal. All the countries in the region drive on the right and use the Russian railroad track gauge. They also use Type C, F electrical outlets. The electrical voltage is between 220 and 240 volts and the frequency is 50 hertz. All countries except Armenia are still part of the IPS/UPS electrical grid. DVBT is the standard television broadcasting standard. These countries tend to have a high number of doctors per capita, but their medical infrastructure is mediocre. Much of military equipment in the region is Russian-made. Natural gas and nuclear power are two of the most common sources of energy to create electricity.
North Eurasia‘s Most Representative Country: Belarus (74.4 regional average)
Most Similar Region to North Eurasia: European Region (1-B)
(Statistics as of 2020)
There’s no Russian military bases in Georgia. There’s only Russian military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia which are independent countries but who most of the world doesn’t recognise and sees as just regions of Georgia. It’s similar to Taiwan and Kosovo, except in this case it’s backed by Russia and not the West. Besides, the Georgian government doesn’t want these bases and believes they’re illegal occupation bases violating their sovereignty. Meanwhile, the government of these breakaway countries believes they’re there for protection purposes. In reality, it’s somewhere in the middle. There’s legitimate conflicts involved between the three populations, but it’s also true that Russia meddles in outside politics to get their advantage.