Have you ever wondered which countries are the most similar to each other? According to the Country Similarity Index, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are the most similar countries in the world. Their demographics, culture, governments, infrastructure, and geography are extremely similar. Bahrain and Kuwait are also quite similar to these countries. Two other pairs of countries that are extremely close in comparison to each other are Burundi & Rwanda and Czechia & Slovakia. Keep in mind, the index does not include micro-states, like Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Barbados. For a list of least similar countries please see this article.
This following article focuses on the reasons why these countries are so similar to each other and the reasons why they are not part of a united country.
Both Qatar and United Arab Emirates are located in the Persian Gulf and border Saudi Arabia. Their landscapes are both almost entirely barren desert, except for their bustling cities that feature many modern skyscrapers. Because of their hot, dry climate, these countries don’t grow many crops, except for dates. Most of their land is close to the coast and their terrain is fairly flat.