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 Colorado than the US
Colorado is quite unique. The countries that resemble Colorado more than the United States overall tend to have a lower population density and are landlocked. Interestingly enough, the top five are located on four different continents.
- Mongolia and Colorado are both rugged, mountainous, and sparsely populated. They have cultures that are highly engaged with outdoor life, including horseback riding and hunting. As a result, their people tend to be relatively skinny. Furthermore, both places have a dry continental climate. They also have a high average altitude.
- Niger is located between the Sahara Desert and Sub-Saharan Africa. Niger and Colorado share a surprising number of similarities. Both have an arid climate and have strong rural traditions, with farming and livestock playing an economic role. However, Colorado has much more liberal laws and is more urbanized.
- Moldova is a small landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It shares a number of traits with Colorado. Both have an abundance of farmland. They also both have a high percentage of their populations with higher education. In addition, their people tend to drink a relatively high amount of alcohol per person.
- Bolivia shares Colorado’s mountainous geography, with much of its population living at high altitudes. Both were once colonized by Spain as well. A large part of their territory is protected as natural parks. Colorado and Bolivia have also banned smoking in public places, but do not criminalize the possession of marijuana.
- Botswana is in Southern Africa. Botswana and Colorado are both mineral-rich regions that benefit economically from natural resource extraction. Botswana’s low population density and open spaces echo Colorado’s sprawling plains and wilderness. Both have a strong emphasis on wildlife conservation and environmental protection.
- Turkmenistan, 7. Iceland, 8. Mozambique, 9. Lithuania, 10. Mali
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Colorado than the US
The five countries with the fewest similarities to Colorado tend to be countries with a lot of coastlines. Three of the five are located in Asia. They are also significantly more densely populated than Colorado.
- Japan is densely populated country with a large amount of technologically advanced infrastructure, ways that differ from Colorado’s spacious, slower-paced lifestyle. Japan’s aging population and rigid social structure also diverge from Colorado’s relatively youthful residents.
- Trinidad & Tobago is another nation located on a group of islands on this list. Its culture is a unique blend of African, Indian, and other influences. This contrasts sharply with Colorado’s economy and its predominantly white and Hispanic population.
- Greece is the only European country on this list. has a huge amount of coastline and has a climate that is warmer than Colorado’s. In addition, Colorado’s cities are relatively new, while many of Greece’s cities are ancient.
- United Arab Emirates is flat and extremely wealthy. Its economic focus on oil and gas in contrast to Colorado. Furthermore, the UAE has a majority expatriate population, while Colorado’s demographics are far more rooted.
- Turkey is another predominately Muslim country on this list. Its coastal geography makes it quite different from Colorado. Turkey’s laws are much more conservative than Colorado’s, since it is more religious.
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Colorado than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.