Determining the Central Asian country most similar to Middle East and North Africa region 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 Index suggests that Turkey is the most similar Central Asian country to the Middle East. This is not surprising since most geographers classify Turkey as being in the Middle East, however the Index suggests that Turkey has more in common with Central Asia. On the other end of the spectrum, Mongolia has the least amount of traits in common with the Middle East.
(Middle Eastern countries are defined as Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen)
The Ottoman Empire controlled much of the Middle East and North Africa region for centuries. Now let’s show how Turkey’s demographics, infrastructure, and geography are clearly closer to the Middle East than other countries in the Central Asian region.
Demographics
Central Asians tend to have a mix of Caucasian and East Asian traits. Turkish people and Middle Eastern people do not nearly have as much East Asian ancestry. Another difference is that a lower percentage of women in Turkey and the Middle East have jobs than in Central Asia. Since they were part of the Soviet Union for many years, Central Asian countries tend to have more gender equality.
Infrastructure
Central Asian countries are landlocked, so they do not have large seaports like many Middle Eastern countries. Furthermore, since Central Asia was once part of the Soviet Union, their infrastructure has some unique characteristics. Their railroads use the Russian broad gauge, unlike Turkey and the Middle East, which tend to use the standard railroad gauge.
Geography
Turkey is the only country within the Central Asian region that is not landlocked. It borders the Mediterranean Sea, like many other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Furthermore, Turkey is further to the west than other Central Asian countries, so it is closer in proximity to most Middle Eastern countries.
The Most Similar Middle Eastern Country to Turkey
The Country Similarity Index suggests that Iran is the most similar Middle Eastern country to Turkey. Both countries have a long history of cultural exchange and interaction dating back centuries. They are also neighboring countries and they share many geographic features such as mountainous terrain and a relatively dry climate. They have comparable economic structures, with both countries having diverse economies that include agriculture, industry, and services sectors.
