The world is often split into different regions. An analysis of the Country Similarity Index suggests that there are nine unique regions of the world. However, the lines between these regions can sometimes be somewhat blurry. Some nations exhibit traits of more than one region.
South Asia / Middle East Regions
Pakistan has a unique blend of both Middle Eastern and South Asian traits. The majority of its people are Muslim. It is mostly desert. Furthermore, Urdu uses the Arabic script, not Indic scripts like in South Asian countries.
The South Asian Country Most Similar to the Middle East: Pakistan (61.3)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to Southeast Asia: Sri Lanka (57.7)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to Central Asia: Pakistan (54.9)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to the South Pacific: Sri Lanka (54.1)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to Latin America: Sri Lanka (51.0)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to Sub-Saharan Africa: Pakistan (50.5)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to East Asia: Bhutan (47.6)
The South Asian Country Most Similar to the West: Sri Lanka (46.0)
Central Asia / Middle East Regions
Most geographers classify Turkey as being in the Middle East, however the Index suggests that Turkey has more in common with Central Asia. Turkish is similar to many languages spoken in Central Asia. Furthermore, its laws are less conservative than most Middle Eastern nations.
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to the Middle East: Turkey (59.5)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to the West: Turkey (58.8)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to Latin America: Turkey (54.4)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to South Asia: Tajikistan / Kyrgyzstan (51.3)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to East Asia: Mongolia (50.2)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to Southeast Asia: Turkey (50.1)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to Sub-Saharan Africa: Tajikistan (49.3)
The Central Asian Country Most Similar to the South Pacific: Kyrgyzstan (45.9)
East Asia / Southeast Asia Regions
Many Southeast Asian countries, like Indonesia and the Philippines, share linguistic ties with Taiwan’s indigenous groups. However, the biggest reason that Taiwan is the most similar country in East Asia to Southeast Asia is its geography, since it is tropical.
The East Asian Country Most Similar to Southeast Asia: Taiwan (56.0)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to the West: South Korea (54.1)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to Central Asia: China (53.9)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to Latin America: Taiwan (47.7)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to South Asia: China (47.3)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to the Middle East: China (45.9)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to the South Pacific: Taiwan (45.6)
The East Asian Country Most Similar to Sub-Saharan Africa: North Korea (41.6)
Southeast Asia / South Pacific Regions
Although the Philippines is part of the Southeast Asia region, it has many attributes in common with countries in the South Pacific. This is especially true in terms of culture, but also government and geography as well.
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to the South Pacific: Philippines (61.6)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to East Asia: Vietnam (60.0)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to Latin America: Philippines (58.6)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to South Asia: Myanmar (58.3)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to Sub-Saharan Africa: Philippines (52.9)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to Central Asia: Vietnam (52.2)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to the Middle East: Brunei (51.9)
The Southeast Asian Country Most Similar to the West: Philippines (47.5)
South Pacific / Sub-Saharan Africa Regions
In terms of government, infrastructure, and geography Vanuatu has many traits in common with Sub-Saharan Africa. The country’s infrastructure is not well developed and it was colonized by both France and Britain.
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to Sub-Saharan Africa: Vanuatu (54.7)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to Southeast Asia: Samoa (54.6)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to Latin America: Fiji (54.0)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to South Asia: Fiji (53.5)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to the West: Fiji (47.0)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to Central Asia: Fiji (44.7)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to the Middle East: Fiji (44.4)
The South Pacific Country Most Similar to East Asia: Samoa (44.0)
Please see part one at this link!
