Have you ever wondered how similar or different two countries are? The Country Similarity Index attempts to quantify how similar countries are to each other relative to other countries. The index is a statistically-based way to measure this. It weighs equally five major aspects of countries: their demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography. The methodology is exactly the same for each country. The research combines 1,000 different data points to arrive at the conclusions.
Top 5 Countries Most Similar to Greenland
Greenland is located in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe. The three of five most similar countries to Greenland are in Scandinavia, although they have significant differences as well. Furthermore, most people in all five of the most similar nations natively speak Germanic languages. They all border the Atlantic Ocean as well. Moreover, the average temperatures of these countries are some of the lowest in the world.
- Iceland is another island that borders the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Norse settlers from Scandinavia reached both Iceland and Greenland over a thousand years ago. Both are sparsely populated. Their terrains tend to be mountainous and barren. Fishing is a big part of the economy in these nations as well.
- Norway is the most similar country to Iceland, so it is no surprise it is on this list. In fact, Greenland was colonized by settlers from Norway, although most of the people that live there today are indigenous. Both are part of the Arctic region and experience cold climates with long, dark winters and short, cool summers. They also have many glaciers.
- Denmark rules over Greenland, so it has many similarities as well. In fact, Greenlanders are Danish citizens and can freely move, vote, and work in Denmark. It also uses the Danish krone as its currency. However, Denmark is much more densely populated. It is also less mountainous and has a much higher percentage of farmland.
- Sweden is another Scandinavian country on this list. Both regions are sparsely populated and have communities that depend on nature and local resources for survival. Both nations have cold winters and short summers, due to their high latitude. However, Sweden is much more densely forested.
- Canada and Greenland are only 25 km apart at the narrowest point. They are considered to be part of North America. Both are home to Inuit populations, although Greenland has a much higher percentage. In fact, these nations are rich in natural resources, such as rare earth minerals and oil.
Top 5 Countries Least Similar to Greenland
Interestingly enough, the five least similar countries to Greenland border the Indian Ocean. They are also all located closer to the equator. Most are significantly more densely populated than Greenland as well. Four of the five are predominately Muslin countries.
- Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries on Earth. Unlike Greenland, the country is not especially mountainous, since it is located within a large river delta. A high percentage of its people are Muslim, but it also has many Hindus as well. In contrast to Greenlandic, the Bengali writing system does not use the Latin alphabet.
- Somalia is an anarchic, war-torn, Muslim country in stark contrast to Greenland. Many people in the country herd livestock, while Greenland as no pastures and is reliant on fishing. Furthermore, Greenland tends to have a higher standard of living than Somalia. The country’s climate is significantly hotter and its terrain is relatively flat.
- Sudan is located in the Sahara Desert. Its climate is much hotter and drier than Greenland’s. It is another Muslim country in Africa with a low standard of living. The country has recently experienced internal conflicts. As a result, it lost some territory to the newly formed country of South Sudan.
- Eritrea is located on the Red Sea, next to Sudan. It is the only country on this list with a majority Christian population. However, they are mostly Oriental Orthodox. In addition, Eritrea is extremely poor and its government has been a dictatorship for almost 20 years. Still, most of the land in both countries is fairly mountainous, with little vegetation.
- Yemen is on the Arabian Peninsula, across the Red Sea from Eritrea. Unlike other countries on the peninsula it is far less wealthy and its infrastructure is less developed. It currently has an on-going civil war. This Arab country has much stricter laws than Greenland, since it is based on Shari’a law.
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories Most Similar to Greenland
All data accurate as of 2020.
Country Comparison
Most Similar Demographics: Peru
Most Similar Culture: Denmark
Most Similar Government: Denmark
Most Similar Infrastructure: Iceland
Most Similar Geography: Iceland
Least Similar Demographics: Somalia
Least Similar Culture: North Korea
Least Similar Government: Yemen
Least Similar Infrastructure: Tanzania
Least Similar Geography: Singapore