Landlocked Countries: Complete Guide to Every Nation Without a Coastline
Landlocked Countries: Complete Guide to Every Nation Without a Coastline
Quick geography quiz: How many countries have no coastline?
The answer is 44 โ nearly a quarter of all nations on Earth. These landlocked countries face unique challenges: no direct access to international shipping lanes, dependence on neighbors for trade routes, and often, the economic disadvantages that come with geographic isolation.
But being landlocked doesn't mean being left behind. Switzerland and Luxembourg are among the world's wealthiest nations. Botswana transformed from one of Africa's poorest countries to a middle-income success story. And Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country, sits atop vast oil reserves.
Let's explore every landlocked nation on Earth โ from the doubly landlocked microstates to the vast Central Asian steppes.
๐ค What Does "Landlocked" Actually Mean?
A landlocked country is one that is entirely enclosed by land โ it has no coastline touching any ocean or sea. To access international waters, landlocked countries must pass through at least one other nation.
This creates real challenges:
- โขTrade costs: Shipping goods to port can be 50% more expensive than for coastal nations
- โขDependency: Landlocked countries rely on neighbors' infrastructure and political goodwill
- โขNaval power: Obviously, no navy (though some landlocked countries maintain river patrol boats!)
But there's an even more extreme category...
Doubly Landlocked Countries
A doubly landlocked country is surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries. To reach the sea, you must cross through at least two countries.
Only two nations on Earth are doubly landlocked:
| Country | Surrounded By |
|---------|---------------|
| ๐ฑ๐ฎ Liechtenstein | Switzerland and Austria |
| ๐บ๐ฟ Uzbekistan | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan |
Liechtenstein is tiny (160 kmยฒ), so crossing it takes minutes. Uzbekistan is vast (447,400 kmยฒ), making its double-landlocked status a significant economic challenge.
๐ Landlocked Countries by Continent
Let's break down all 44 landlocked countries by region.
๐ฆ Africa โ 16 Landlocked Countries
Africa has more landlocked countries than any other continent. The colonial "Scramble for Africa" carved borders with little regard for geography, leaving many nations without sea access.
| Country | Capital | Area (kmยฒ) | Population | Nearest Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ง๐ผ Botswana | Gaborone | 581,730 | 2.4M | Indian Ocean (via Mozambique/South Africa) |
| ๐ง๐ซ Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou | 274,200 | 22M | Atlantic (via Ghana/Cรดte d'Ivoire) |
| ๐ง๐ฎ Burundi | Gitega | 27,834 | 12M | Indian Ocean (via Tanzania) |
| ๐จ๐ซ Central African Republic | Bangui | 622,984 | 5M | Atlantic (via Cameroon/Congo) |
| ๐น๐ฉ Chad | N'Djamena | 1,284,000 | 17M | Atlantic (via Cameroon/Nigeria) |
| ๐ธ๐ฟ Eswatini (Swaziland) | Mbabane | 17,364 | 1.2M | Indian Ocean (via Mozambique) |
| ๐ช๐น Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | 1,104,300 | 120M | Red Sea (via Djibouti/Eritrea) |
| ๐ฑ๐ธ Lesotho | Maseru | 30,355 | 2.1M | Indian Ocean (via South Africa) |
| ๐ฒ๐ผ Malawi | Lilongwe | 118,484 | 20M | Indian Ocean (via Mozambique) |
| ๐ฒ๐ฑ Mali | Bamako | 1,240,192 | 22M | Atlantic (via Senegal) |
| ๐ณ๐ช Niger | Niamey | 1,267,000 | 26M | Atlantic (via Benin/Nigeria) |
| ๐ท๐ผ Rwanda | Kigali | 26,338 | 13M | Indian Ocean (via Tanzania) |
| ๐ธ๐ธ South Sudan | Juba | 644,329 | 11M | Red Sea (via Sudan) / Indian Ocean (via Kenya) |
| ๐บ๐ฌ Uganda | Kampala | 241,038 | 47M | Indian Ocean (via Kenya/Tanzania) |
| ๐ฟ๐ฒ Zambia | Lusaka | 752,618 | 20M | Indian Ocean (via Mozambique/Tanzania) |
| ๐ฟ๐ผ Zimbabwe | Harare | 390,757 | 16M | Indian Ocean (via Mozambique) |
Notable African Landlocked Nations
Ethiopia โ Africa's second-most populous country (120 million people) became landlocked in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence, taking the entire Red Sea coastline. Ethiopia now relies heavily on Djibouti's port, paying an estimated $1.5 billion annually in port fees.
Lesotho โ The only country in the world entirely surrounded by a single country (South Africa). It's also one of only three countries completely enclosed by another (the others are San Marino and Vatican City within Italy).
Botswana โ A landlocked success story. At independence in 1966, it was one of the world's poorest countries. Diamond discoveries and good governance transformed it into Africa's longest-running democracy and a middle-income nation.
๐ฐ Europe โ 15 Landlocked Countries
Europe's landlocked nations include some of the world's wealthiest countries. Central location and EU membership mitigate most disadvantages.
| Country | Capital | Area (kmยฒ) | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ฆ๐ฉ Andorra | Andorra la Vella | 468 | 80K | Pyrenees microstate |
| ๐ฆ๐น Austria | Vienna | 83,879 | 9M | Former Habsburg Empire |
| ๐ง๐พ Belarus | Minsk | 207,600 | 9.3M | Between Russia and EU |
| ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia | Prague | 78,867 | 10.7M | Central Europe |
| ๐ญ๐บ Hungary | Budapest | 93,028 | 9.7M | Danube access |
| ๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo | Pristina | 10,887 | 1.8M | Partially recognized |
| ๐ฑ๐ฎ Liechtenstein | Vaduz | 160 | 39K | Doubly landlocked microstate |
| ๐ฑ๐บ Luxembourg | Luxembourg City | 2,586 | 660K | EU institutions headquarters |
| ๐ฒ๐ฐ North Macedonia | Skopje | 25,713 | 2.1M | Balkans |
| ๐ฒ๐ฉ Moldova | Chiศinฤu | 33,851 | 2.6M | Between Romania and Ukraine |
| ๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino | San Marino | 61 | 34K | Oldest republic, within Italy |
| ๐ท๐ธ Serbia | Belgrade | 88,361 | 6.7M | Former Yugoslavia |
| ๐ธ๐ฐ Slovakia | Bratislava | 49,035 | 5.4M | Danube access |
| ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland | Bern | 41,285 | 8.7M | Alpine banking hub |
| ๐ป๐ฆ Vatican City | Vatican City | 0.44 | 800 | World's smallest country |
Notable European Landlocked Nations
Switzerland โ Proof that landlocked doesn't mean poor. Switzerland has the world's second-highest GDP per capita and hosts countless multinational corporations. Its central Alpine location made it a natural trading crossroads, and neutrality kept it out of devastating wars.
Liechtenstein โ One of only two doubly landlocked countries on Earth. This tiny principality (smaller than Washington D.C.) has more registered companies than citizens and is one of the world's wealthiest nations per capita.
Austria-Hungary flashback โ Before World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had coastline along the Adriatic (modern-day Croatia and Slovenia). Defeat in WWI stripped Austria of sea access, transforming it into a landlocked state.
๐๏ธ Asia โ 12 Landlocked Countries
Asia's landlocked nations include the vast Central Asian steppes (former Soviet republics) and the Himalayan kingdoms.
| Country | Capital | Area (kmยฒ) | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ฆ๐ซ Afghanistan | Kabul | 652,230 | 40M | Mountainous, conflict-affected |
| ๐ฆ๐ฒ Armenia | Yerevan | 29,743 | 3M | Caucasus, bordered by closed borders |
| ๐ฆ๐ฟ Azerbaijan | Baku | 86,600 | 10M | Caspian Sea (enclosed) |
| ๐ง๐น Bhutan | Thimphu | 38,394 | 780K | Himalayan Buddhist kingdom |
| ๐ฐ๐ฟ Kazakhstan | Astana | 2,724,900 | 19M | World's largest landlocked country |
| ๐ฐ๐ฌ Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek | 199,951 | 6.7M | Mountainous Central Asia |
| ๐ฑ๐ฆ Laos | Vientiane | 236,800 | 7.4M | Southeast Asia, Mekong River |
| ๐ฒ๐ณ Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | 1,564,116 | 3.4M | Between Russia and China |
| ๐ณ๐ต Nepal | Kathmandu | 147,181 | 30M | Himalayan, between China and India |
| ๐น๐ฏ Tajikistan | Dushanbe | 143,100 | 10M | Mountainous, poorest Central Asian state |
| ๐น๐ฒ Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | 488,100 | 6M | Caspian Sea, natural gas reserves |
| ๐บ๐ฟ Uzbekistan | Tashkent | 447,400 | 35M | Doubly landlocked, cotton & gold |
Notable Asian Landlocked Nations
Kazakhstan โ The world's largest landlocked country at 2.7 million kmยฒ (larger than Western Europe combined). It's also the world's largest country without an ocean coastline. Despite this, Kazakhstan is an oil powerhouse โ it pipes crude through Russia and across the Caspian to reach global markets.
Uzbekistan โ The world's only doubly landlocked country with a large population (35 million). To reach any ocean, goods must pass through at least two countries. This isolation has shaped Uzbek history for millennia โ the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara thrived precisely because overland trade was the only option.
Nepal โ Squeezed between giants India and China, Nepal relies almost entirely on India for trade access. In 2015, an unofficial Indian blockade (during a political dispute) caused severe fuel and medicine shortages, highlighting the vulnerability of landlocked nations.
Azerbaijan and the Caspian โ Is Azerbaijan actually landlocked? It borders the Caspian Sea, but the Caspian is an enclosed sea with no natural connection to oceans. Geographers typically count Caspian-only nations as landlocked. (The same applies to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.)
๐ South America โ 2 Landlocked Countries
South America has only two landlocked nations โ both in the continent's interior.
| Country | Capital | Area (kmยฒ) | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ง๐ด Bolivia | La Paz / Sucre | 1,098,581 | 12M | Lost coastline in war |
| ๐ต๐พ Paraguay | Asunciรณn | 406,752 | 7M | River access to Atlantic |
Bolivia โ The Coastline That Was Stolen
Bolivia is landlocked today, but it wasn't always. Before the War of the Pacific (1879โ1884), Bolivia controlled the Atacama Desert coastline.
Chile won the war and annexed Bolivia's entire coastal territory, including the port of Antofagasta. The loss was devastating โ the Atacama contains some of the world's richest copper and lithium deposits.
Bolivia has never accepted this loss:
- โขThe Bolivian constitution still claims the right to a sovereign coast
- โขBolivia maintains a navy (on Lake Titicaca and rivers) called the Armada Boliviana
- โข"Day of the Sea" is a national holiday mourning the lost coastline
- โขIn 2013, Bolivia sued Chile at the International Court of Justice, which ruled in 2018 that Chile has no obligation to negotiate sea access
Fun fact: Bolivia's navy has about 5,000 personnel and patrols Lake Titicaca, rivers, and conducts exercises. Naval officers reportedly repeat the slogan: "El mar es nuestro por derecho, recuperarlo es un deber" (The sea is ours by right; recovering it is our duty).
Paraguay โ The River Connection
Unlike Bolivia, Paraguay has robust river access to the Atlantic via the Paraguay and Paranรก rivers. The rivers connect to the Rรญo de la Plata estuary, and ocean-going ships can navigate upstream to Asunciรณn.
This river system made Paraguay a major soybean exporter โ barges carry grain to Argentine ports for transshipment.
๐ Countries That LOST Their Coastlines
Several modern countries were once coastal but became landlocked through war, politics, or newly drawn borders:
| Country | Lost Coast | When | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ง๐ด Bolivia | Pacific (Atacama) | 1884 | War of the Pacific (Chile) |
| ๐ช๐น Ethiopia | Red Sea (Eritrea) | 1993 | Eritrean independence |
| ๐ท๐ธ Serbia | Adriatic | 2006 | Montenegro independence |
| ๐ฆ๐น Austria | Adriatic | 1918 | WWI defeat (lost Trieste) |
| ๐ญ๐บ Hungary | Adriatic | 1920 | Treaty of Trianon |
Ethiopia's case is particularly striking โ 120 million people now depend on tiny Djibouti (population 1 million) for most of their trade.
๐ฐ The Economic Impact of Being Landlocked
Studies consistently show that landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) face significant economic headwinds:
The Numbers
- โขTrade costs: Shipping from a landlocked African country costs 50-100% more than from a coastal one
- โขGDP: Landlocked developing countries have, on average, 20% lower per capita GDP than coastal developing nations
- โขGrowth: LLDCs grew 1.5% slower annually than coastal countries from 1960-2000
Why It Matters
- 1Infrastructure dependency โ You need neighbors to maintain roads, rails, and ports
- 2Transit fees โ Every border crossing adds costs and delays
- 3Political risk โ Disputes can close trade routes (Nepal/India 2015, Ethiopia/Eritrea)
- 4No fishing industry โ Coastal nations get protein and export income from the sea
Exceptions That Prove the Rule
Not all landlocked countries are poor:
| Country | GDP per Capita (2024) | Why It Works |
|---------|----------------------|--------------|
| ๐ฑ๐ฎ Liechtenstein | ~$180,000 | Financial services, tiny size |
| ๐ฑ๐บ Luxembourg | ~$130,000 | EU institutions, banking |
| ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland | ~$100,000 | Banking, pharma, central location |
| ๐ฆ๐น Austria | ~$55,000 | EU member, Danube trade route |
| ๐ง๐ผ Botswana | ~$8,000 | Diamonds, good governance |
The pattern: location and governance matter more than coastlines for wealthy landlocked nations. Being in Central Europe with EU access is very different from being in Central Africa.
๐ How Landlocked Countries Access the Sea
Landlocked nations use several strategies to reach international waters:
1. Transit Agreements
Most landlocked countries have treaties guaranteeing trade access through neighbors. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) actually gives landlocked states the right to access the sea through transit countries.
2. Corridor Development
Example: The Central Corridor connects landlocked Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda to Tanzania's port of Dar es Salaam.
3. Own the Infrastructure
Ethiopia is building a railway to Djibouti's port, partly financed by China. Mongolia is developing rail links to Russian Pacific ports.
4. River Access
Paraguay, Laos, and several European countries use navigable rivers connected to the sea.
5. Free Ports
Some landlocked countries negotiate "free zone" access at coastal ports:
- โขBolivia has free port privileges at Chilean and Peruvian ports
- โขAustria and Switzerland historically used free port zones at Hamburg and Genoa
๐ฏ Geography Quiz: Test Yourself!
How well do you know landlocked countries? Try these questions:
- 1How many countries are doubly landlocked? (Answer: 2 โ Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan)
- 1What's the largest landlocked country by area? (Answer: Kazakhstan, 2.7 million kmยฒ)
- 1Which African country is entirely surrounded by South Africa? (Answer: Lesotho)
- 1Which South American country lost its coast in a war? (Answer: Bolivia)
- 1Is Azerbaijan landlocked? (Answer: Technically yes โ the Caspian Sea is enclosed)
- 1How many European countries are landlocked? (Answer: 15, if including Kosovo and Vatican City)
- 1Which landlocked country is also the world's smallest? (Answer: Vatican City, 0.44 kmยฒ)
Want to test your complete geography knowledge? Try our Name the Country Quiz and see if you can find all 44 landlocked nations on the map!
๐ Fun Facts About Landlocked Countries
- โขThe Vatican has a navy โ sort of. The Pontifical Swiss Guard has a ceremonial boat for papal travel on lakes and rivers.
- โขMongolia has 0.02% water coverage โ one of the driest landlocked nations.
- โขBhutan measures Gross National Happiness instead of GDP โ perhaps being isolated isn't all bad.
- โขSan Marino claims to be the world's oldest republic โ founded in AD 301.
- โขBolivia's navy celebrates "Day of the Sea" every March 23, mourning their lost Pacific coastline.
- โขEthiopia was coastal until 1993 โ Eritrean independence made 80 million people (now 120 million) landlocked overnight.
- โขThe Caspian Sea is shrinking โ climate change is lowering water levels, affecting Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan.
Key Takeaways
- โข44 countries are landlocked (no ocean coastline)
- โขOnly 2 are doubly landlocked (Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan)
- โขAfrica has the most landlocked countries (16)
- โขKazakhstan is the largest landlocked country (2.7 million kmยฒ)
- โขBeing landlocked correlates with lower development โ but wealthy exceptions exist (Switzerland, Luxembourg)
- โขBolivia lost its coastline in 1884 and still demands it back
- โขEthiopia became landlocked in 1993 when Eritrea gained independence
The world's landlocked nations demonstrate how geography shapes destiny โ but also how smart policy, regional cooperation, and economic diversification can overcome the challenges of having no sea.
Think you can identify all 44 landlocked countries on a map? [Test your geography skills](/play/country-quiz) with our interactive quiz!