(South Pacific countries defined as East Timor, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu)
Determining the countries most similar to Southeast Asia requires considering various social, cultural, economic, and political factors. One way to answer this complex question is by analyzing the data from the Country Similarity Index. The index attempts to quantify how similar countries are to each other relative to other countries, using a variety of statistics from five broad categories: demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography.
The Index suggests that Vanuatu is the most average country in the South Pacific region. It is a group of mountainous tropical islands in the South Pacific Ocean, like most countries in its region. The country was jointly administered by both the United Kingdom and France, the two biggest colonial powers in the region, so it has English and French as its official languages. Its people are mostly Christian and they natively speak Austronesian languages, as is typical for the South Pacific. Furthermore, the country is a democracy, like all other nations in the region.
The Philippines has a lot in common with countries in the South Pacific, despite being part of Southeast Asia. It is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean with a tropical climate. Like many countries in the South Pacific, English is one of the official languages. Furthermore, their native languages are related since most people in the Philippines and countries in the South Pacific speak Austronesian languages. In addition, its people are mostly Christian, unlike other countries in Southeast Asia.
Saudi Arabia and South Pacific countries are vastly different in several aspects. Located in the Middle East, it is predominantly desert with vast expanses of arid land, unlike the heavily forested South Pacific. The culture is deeply rooted in Islamic traditions and Arabic heritage. Saudi Arabia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and has developed infrastructure, in contrast to countries in the South Pacific region. It is an absolute monarchy, with the king holding extensive powers, while most South Pacific countries are democracies.
