Have you ever wondered which U.S. states resemble countries more closely than others? The Country – US State Comparisons are designed to quantify just that — measuring how similar each U.S. state is to different countries around the world relative to the United States. This index provides a data-driven way to make those comparisons. It equally weights five major factors: demographics, culture, politics, technology, and geography. Over 1,000 different data points are used to generate the results.
Top 10 Countries More Similar to Alaska than the US
Alaska is a very unique state. Few countries are more similar to it than the United States. This is because it is much more sparsely populated and colder than most countries. Four of the five countries that resemble Alaska the most are European nations.
- Iceland and Alaska both sit at high latitudes, with cold temperatures and limited daylight in winter. They are volcanically active and have many glaciers. Both economies historically rely heavily on fishing, natural resources, and tourism. Their populations tend to be relatively wealthy, but their infrastructure is not as well developed.
- Latvia is located between the Baltic Sea and Russia. As a result, the sparsely populated nation has a cold, snowy climate, much like some parts of Alaska. Both have many athletes that have won gold medals at the Winter Olympics. They also have a unique mix of Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians.
- Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world, while Alaska is the least densely populated state. Large areas have no paved roads. Electricity, internet, and plumbing can be inconsistent outside main cities. In addition, Mongolians and Inuit peoples share ancestry with ancient Siberian hunter-gatherer populations.
- Russia once owned Alaska, but was acquired by the United States in 1867. In fact, Russian Orthodox churches still dot parts of Alaska. Much of Alaska’s climate and landscape is very similar to the Siberian portion of Russia. Oil, gas, fishing, mining, and timber are big parts of their economies as well.
- Finland is another Nordic country on this list. Both Alaskans and Finnish people tend to like ice hockey, due in part to their similar cold subarctic climates. In addition, their people tend to drink a lot of alcohol too. They also do not criminalize the possession of marijuana and also do not allow gambling.
- Lithuania, 7. Samoa, 8. Turkmenistan, 9. Bolivia, 10. Djibouti
(Note: if Greenland was an independent country it would have ranked as number 1 on this list)
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Alaska than the US
The top 5 countries with less traits in common with Alaska than the United States overall are located in either East Asia or Southern Europe. They tend to be much more densely populated and have a longer history of permanent settlements.
- Italy is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. It is a highly urbanized nation with a long history of human settlement and developed infrastructure stretching back to the Roman Empire. Furthermore, its climate tends to be significantly hotter than Alaska’s as well. It also has a higher percentage of agricultural land than Alaska.
- China is one of the cradles of civilization, with thousands of years of human occupation. China’s economy relies on manufacturing, while Alaska has one of the lowest manufacturing outputs of any state. In addition, China has built an extensive networks of high-speed rail, modern highways, and sophisticated ports, in contrast to Alaska.
- Portugal is another country in Southern Europe on this list. It it lacks the vast, uninhabited wilderness and tundra that characterize much of Alaska. Both do not allow the death penalty or even life in prison without the possibility of parole. In addition, Portugal has not yet won any medal at the Winter Olympics.
- Japan is much more developed and densely populated than Alaska. Its cities tend to have many skyscrapers, unlike Alaska. While Alaskan is characterized by rugged individualism, Japanese people are well known for their collective spirit. Furthermore, Japan has the oldest average population of any nation, while Alaska has of America’s youngest.
- Spain is another Mediterranean country on this list. Its hot and relatively dry climate make it far different from Alaska’s. Furthermore, Alaska has relatively few Latinos, so a low percentage of its people speak Spanish, compared to the rest of the United States. Another big difference is that Spain’s population is highly urbanized, unlike Alaska’s.
- United Kingdom, 7. Eswatini, 8. Chile, 9. Taiwan, 10. Lebanon
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Alaska than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.