Determining the Middle Eastern country most similar to Latin America requires considering various social, cultural, economic, and political factors.
One way to answer this complex question is by analyzing the data from the Country Similarity Index. The index attempts to quantify how similar countries are to each other relative to other countries, using a variety of statistics from five broad categories: demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography.
The data suggests that Tunisia is the most similar country in the Middle East and North Africa to Latin America. On the other end of the spectrum, the data suggests that Sudan is the least similar.
(Latin American countries defined as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela)
Tunisia has some interesting parallels with Latin America. They share a history of European colonization. Most of Latin America was colonized by the Spanish, while Tunisia was colonized by the French. Tunisia’s government and infrastructure also has more in common with Latin America than most countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Government
Tunisia underwent a significant political transition in 2011 during the Arab Spring. This led to the establishment of a more democratic political system. The transition parallels movements in Latin American countries that transitioned from authoritarian rule to more democratic forms of government. Many Middle Eastern countries are still under authoritarian rule.
Furthermore, unlike most Middle Eastern countries, Tunisia has a history of secular governance. Therefore it has more liberal laws that are not tied to Islamic principles. Like many Latin America countries, its government is lenient on gambling and prostitution. The death penalty is rarely used in these nations as well.
Infrastructure
In the recent decades, Tunisia has experienced economic development and urbanization . Similar economic development trends can be observed in many Latin American nations. Some Middle Eastern nations, like Qatar, Kuwait, and UAE are far wealthier and more developed than Latin America. On the other hand, Sudan and Yemen are significantly less developed.
Tunisia has made efforts to improve its transportation networks. Similar efforts can be observed in certain Latin American countries. This process often involves the development of transportation networks, modern buildings, and other aspects of infrastructure. These investments, including roads and ports, have helped economic development.
The Most Similar Latin American Country to Tunisia
The Country Similarity Index suggests that Argentina is the most similar Latin American country to Tunisia. Parts of Argentina, particularly in the west, have climates that share some similarities with Tunisia’s Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Both Argentina and Tunisia have experienced periods of political instability, but are now democracies. These countries are neither especially wealthy nor poor, and their infrastructure is still developing.
