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 Montana than the US
The countries that resemble Montana more than the United States overall tend to have a low population density. Four of the five are landlocked. Most of these nations were once part of the Soviet Union as well.
- Mongolia and Montana are both rugged, mountainous, and sparsely populated. They have cultures that are highly engaged with outdoor life, including horseback riding and hunting. Furthermore, both places have a dry continental climate and lots of pasture land. They also have a high average altitude.
- Moldova is a small landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It shares a number of traits with Montana. Both have an abundance of farmland. In addition, the vast majority of people in Moldova and Montana have Caucasian ancestry. Both have many laws that protect the rights of workers. However, it is more densely populated than Moldova.
- Tajikistan is another former Soviet nation on this list. Like Montana, Tajikistan is quite mountainous. They have relatively low taxes. In addition, both have significant coal reserves. Montana and Tajikistan tend to use a lot of water to irrigate their farmlands.
- Niger is located between the Sahara Desert and Sub-Saharan Africa. Niger and Montana share a surprising number of similarities. Both have an arid climate and lots of pasture land, so farming and livestock playing an economic role. They also have low rates of homicide. Interestingly enough, both were once the territories of France.
- Latvia and Montana have a tradition of having many successful athletes at the winter Olympics. They both are mostly Protestant but have many Catholics as well. However, they are not particularly religious. Their governments and laws are neither particularly conservative nor liberal. Their farmers tend to grow a lot of wheat.
- Mali 7. Afghanistan, 8. Turkmenistan, 9. Kazakhstan, 10. Kyrgyzstan
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Montana than the US
The five countries with the fewest similarities to Montana tend to be countries with a lot of coastlines. Four of the five are located in Asia. They are also significantly more densely populated and urbanized than Montana.
- Singapore is a tiny island nation with a population of over 5 million people, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. This is the polar opposite of Montana’s vast, empty spaces. It gets far more rainfall as well.
- Qatar is a wealthy nation in the Persian Gulf. Its desert climate and barren landscapes differ sharply from Montana pasture lands. Furthermore, Qatar has far more immigrants than Montana and is more urbanized.
- Malaysia is a predominately Muslim country in Southeast Asia with a tropical climate. Much of its land is forested unlike Montana. Malaysia is also significantly more densely populated. Furthermore, it has more conservative laws.
- United Arab Emirates is an extremely wealthy country in the Middle East. Its economic focus on oil and gas in contrast to Montana. Furthermore, the UAE has a majority expatriate population, while Montana’s demographics are far more rooted.
- Chile contrasts with Montana in many ways. It is a long, coastal nation with diverse geography, including deserts, mountains, and ocean coastline. Chile is also more urbanized and less socially conservative than Montana.
- Trinidad & Tobago, 7. New Zealand, 8. Bahamas, 9. Japan, 10. Mexico
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Montana than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.