Every Landlocked Country in the World: The Complete Guide to 44 Nations Without a Coastline
Every Landlocked Country in the World: The Complete Guide to 44 Nations Without a Coastline
Here's something most people never think about: 44 countries on Earth have zero access to the ocean.
No beaches. No ports. No maritime trade routes. Every import that arrives by ship must first cross through a neighbor's territory. These landlocked nations — scattered across every inhabited continent except Australia — face unique economic, political, and geographic challenges that coastal countries never have to consider.
Being landlocked isn't just a geographic curiosity. It's an economic handicap so significant that the United Nations has an entire program dedicated to it. Landlocked developing countries pay, on average, twice the transport costs of their coastal neighbors. Their goods travel farther, cross more borders, and face more bureaucratic hurdles to reach global markets.
Yet some landlocked countries thrive. Switzerland is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth. Luxembourg has the highest GDP per capita in Europe. Botswana turned diamonds into one of Africa's greatest success stories. Being landlocked is a challenge — not a sentence.
This is the complete guide to every landlocked country on the planet, organized by continent, loaded with surprising facts, and designed to make you the landlocked geography expert nobody asked for (but everyone needs).
🌍 What Does "Landlocked" Actually Mean?
A landlocked country is a sovereign state entirely enclosed by land — or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas (though by strict definition, countries bordering the Caspian Sea like Kazakhstan are still considered landlocked since the Caspian has no natural connection to the ocean).
There are also special categories:
- •Doubly landlocked — Surrounded entirely by OTHER landlocked countries. You'd need to cross at least two borders to reach the ocean. Only two countries qualify.
- •Formerly landlocked — Countries that gained coastline through territorial changes (like Ethiopia losing its coast when Eritrea became independent in 1993, making Ethiopia landlocked).
- •Nearly landlocked — Countries with a tiny sliver of coastline (like the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 37 km coast) that barely count.
With that framework, let's explore all 44 landlocked nations.
🌍 Africa — 16 Landlocked Countries
Africa has the most landlocked countries of any continent — a direct consequence of colonial borders drawn with zero regard for geographic access. Many of Africa's landlocked nations rank among the world's poorest, and that's not a coincidence.
1. Ethiopia 🇪🇹
- •Capital: Addis Ababa
- •Area: 1,104,300 km² (the largest landlocked country in Africa)
- •Population: ~126 million
- •Neighbors: Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan
Ethiopia wasn't always landlocked. When Eritrea gained independence in 1993, Ethiopia lost its entire Red Sea coastline overnight. For a country of 126 million people — Africa's second most populous nation — this was a seismic shift. Ethiopia now depends heavily on Djibouti's port for over 90% of its trade, connected by a Chinese-built railway.
Despite being landlocked, Ethiopia has one of Africa's fastest-growing economies. Addis Ababa hosts the African Union headquarters and is one of the continent's most important diplomatic cities.
2. Chad 🇹🇩
- •Capital: N'Djamena
- •Area: 1,284,000 km²
- •Population: ~18 million
Chad is one of the most remote countries on Earth. Its nearest seaport is Douala, Cameroon — over 1,700 km away. The country is dominated by the Sahara in the north and Lake Chad in the west, which has shrunk by roughly 90% since the 1960s due to climate change and irrigation.
3. Niger 🇳🇪
- •Capital: Niamey
- •Area: 1,267,000 km²
- •Population: ~27 million
Not to be confused with Nigeria (its coastal neighbor to the south), Niger is a vast Saharan country with one of the highest population growth rates on Earth. Most of the population lives in a narrow band along the southern border near the Niger River.
4. Mali 🇲🇱
- •Capital: Bamako
- •Area: 1,240,192 km²
- •Population: ~22 million
Home to the legendary Timbuktu, once one of the world's great centers of learning and trade. Mali's northern half is Saharan desert; the southern half follows the Niger River. The country has been plagued by insurgency and political instability since 2012.
5. Burkina Faso 🇧🇫
- •Capital: Ouagadougou
- •Area: 274,200 km²
- •Population: ~23 million
The name means "Land of Honest People" — changed from the colonial name Upper Volta in 1984 by revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara. Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest countries despite significant gold mining.
6. South Sudan 🇸🇸
- •Capital: Juba
- •Area: 619,745 km²
- •Population: ~11 million
The world's youngest country (independent 2011) is also landlocked. South Sudan has massive oil reserves but must pipe them through Sudan to reach export terminals — a dependency that has fueled ongoing tensions with its northern neighbor.
7. Central African Republic 🇨🇫
- •Capital: Bangui
- •Area: 622,984 km²
- •Population: ~5.5 million
One of the least-developed countries on Earth, the CAR sits at the geographic heart of Africa. Its nearest seaport is over 1,500 km away. Despite vast mineral wealth (diamonds, gold, uranium), ongoing conflict has kept the country in crisis.
8. Uganda 🇺🇬
- •Capital: Kampala
- •Area: 241,038 km²
- •Population: ~48 million
Winston Churchill called Uganda the "Pearl of Africa" for its stunning natural beauty. It borders Lake Victoria — Africa's largest lake — and is home to roughly half the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Uganda relies on Mombasa, Kenya (over 1,000 km away) as its primary seaport.
9. Zambia 🇿🇲
- •Capital: Lusaka
- •Area: 752,618 km²
- •Population: ~20 million
Home to the Zambian side of Victoria Falls (locally called Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The Smoke That Thunders"). Zambia is Africa's second-largest copper producer and one of the most politically stable landlocked nations on the continent.
10. Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
- •Capital: Harare
- •Area: 390,757 km²
- •Population: ~16 million
Named after the Great Zimbabwe ruins — a medieval stone city that's one of Africa's most impressive archaeological sites. Zimbabwe once experienced the second-worst hyperinflation in history: prices doubled every 24 hours at the peak in November 2008.
11. Malawi 🇲🇼
- •Capital: Lilongwe
- •Area: 118,484 km²
- •Population: ~20 million
The "Warm Heart of Africa" — one of the friendliest countries on Earth, according to visitors. Lake Malawi covers nearly a third of the country's area and contains more fish species than any other lake on the planet.
12. Botswana 🇧🇼
- •Capital: Gaborone
- •Area: 581,730 km²
- •Population: ~2.6 million
Africa's greatest landlocked success story. When Botswana gained independence in 1966, it was one of the poorest countries in the world. Smart management of diamond resources (25% of the world's supply) turned it into an upper-middle-income country. It's also one of Africa's most stable democracies and home to the world's largest elephant population.
13. Rwanda 🇷🇼
- •Capital: Kigali
- •Area: 26,338 km²
- •Population: ~14 million
Known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," Rwanda has undergone one of the most remarkable transformations on the continent since the devastating 1994 genocide. Kigali is regularly cited as one of Africa's cleanest cities, and the country has become a tech hub dubbed "the Singapore of Africa."
14. Burundi 🇧🇮
- •Capital: Gitega
- •Area: 27,834 km²
- •Population: ~13 million
One of the smallest and most densely populated countries in Africa. Burundi and Rwanda are often discussed together — they're geographic twins stacked vertically, with Rwanda on top.
15. Lesotho 🇱🇸
- •Capital: Maseru
- •Area: 30,355 km²
- •Population: ~2.3 million
Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa — the only country in Africa that's an enclave of another. It's also the country with the highest low point in the world: its lowest elevation is 1,400 meters above sea level, making it the only country entirely above 1,000 meters.
16. Eswatini 🇸🇿
- •Capital: Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (legislative)
- •Area: 17,364 km²
- •Population: ~1.2 million
Africa's last absolute monarchy, renamed from Swaziland in 2018. The king chooses a new wife at an annual Reed Dance ceremony. Eswatini is nearly surrounded by South Africa, with a short border with Mozambique to the east.
🌏 Asia — 12 Landlocked Countries
Asia's landlocked countries include the world's largest landlocked nation and the "-stan" cluster of Central Asia that confuses almost everyone.
17. Kazakhstan 🇰🇿
- •Capital: Astana
- •Area: 2,724,900 km² (the world's largest landlocked country)
- •Population: ~20 million
Kazakhstan is so big it could swallow Western Europe. It borders the Caspian Sea, but since the Caspian has no outlet to the ocean, Kazakhstan still counts as landlocked. The country has the ninth-largest territory on Earth and enormous oil and mineral reserves. Its former capital, Almaty, sits dramatically at the foot of the snow-capped Tian Shan mountains.
18. Mongolia 🇲🇳
- •Capital: Ulaanbaatar
- •Area: 1,564,116 km²
- •Population: ~3.4 million
The most sparsely populated sovereign nation on Earth. Mongolia's vast steppe grasslands are home to more horses than people. The country is sandwiched between Russia and China with no way to reach any ocean without crossing one of these giants. Genghis Khan's 13th-century empire was, ironically, one of the largest in history — built by a landlocked people.
19. Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
- •Capital: Tashkent
- •Area: 449,009 km²
- •Population: ~35 million
One of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world (along with Liechtenstein). Every country bordering Uzbekistan is also landlocked, meaning you must cross at least two borders to reach the sea. Uzbekistan is home to the ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva — some of the most stunning Islamic architecture on Earth.
20. Turkmenistan 🇹🇲
- •Capital: Ashgabat
- •Area: 488,100 km²
- •Population: ~6.5 million
One of the world's most isolated and authoritarian countries. Ashgabat holds the Guinness World Record for the most white marble-clad buildings. The Darvaza Gas Crater — a burning natural gas field known as the "Door to Hell" — has been on fire since 1971.
21. Afghanistan 🇦🇫
- •Capital: Kabul
- •Area: 652,230 km²
- •Population: ~42 million
The Wakhan Corridor — a narrow panhandle of Afghan territory — stretches east to touch China, making Afghanistan one of the few landlocked countries that borders a country with Pacific access. Afghanistan's landlocked position between Central and South Asia has made it a crossroads (and battleground) for empires throughout history.
22. Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬
- •Capital: Bishkek
- •Area: 199,951 km²
- •Population: ~7 million
Over 90% mountains, Kyrgyzstan is one of the most dramatically vertical countries on Earth. Lake Issyk-Kul, the world's second-largest alpine lake, never freezes despite being surrounded by snow-capped peaks — its name means "Warm Lake."
23. Tajikistan 🇹🇯
- •Capital: Dushanbe
- •Area: 143,100 km²
- •Population: ~10 million
The poorest of the former Soviet republics. Over 90% of Tajikistan is mountainous, including the Pamir Mountains (the "Roof of the World"). The Pamir Highway is one of the world's most epic road trips — and one of the highest paved roads on Earth.
24. Nepal 🇳🇵
- •Capital: Kathmandu
- •Area: 147,181 km²
- •Population: ~30 million
Home to eight of the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, including Mount Everest. Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag — its pennant-shaped flag represents the Himalayan mountains. Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal depends entirely on Indian ports for maritime trade.
25. Bhutan 🇧🇹
- •Capital: Thimphu
- •Area: 38,394 km²
- •Population: ~780,000
The only country that measures Gross National Happiness instead of GDP. Bhutan is carbon-negative (it absorbs more CO2 than it produces), bans tobacco sales, and didn't introduce television until 1999. Tourism is controlled through a daily fee to prevent mass tourism.
26. Laos 🇱🇦
- •Capital: Vientiane
- •Area: 236,800 km²
- •Population: ~7.5 million
The most heavily bombed country in history, per capita. During the Vietnam War, the US dropped over 2 million tons of ordnance on Laos — more than was dropped on all of Europe in WWII. About 30% of the bombs didn't explode and still litter the countryside. Despite this, Laos is stunningly beautiful, with the Mekong River forming much of its western border.
27. Armenia 🇦🇲
- •Capital: Yerevan
- •Area: 29,743 km²
- •Population: ~3 million
The first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion (301 AD). Armenia is bordered by Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran — two of which (Turkey and Azerbaijan) have closed borders with Armenia due to ongoing disputes. Mount Ararat, Armenia's national symbol, is actually in Turkey — visible from Yerevan but across the border.
28. Azerbaijan 🇦🇿
- •Capital: Baku
- •Area: 86,600 km²
- •Population: ~10 million
Wait — is Azerbaijan landlocked? Technically yes, despite bordering the Caspian Sea. The Caspian has no natural connection to the world's oceans, making it a closed body of water. Azerbaijan's capital Baku sits on the Caspian coast and is one of the windiest cities on Earth. The country is known as the "Land of Fire" for its natural gas seeps that spontaneously ignite.
🌍 Europe — 14 Landlocked Countries
Europe has the most landlocked countries relative to its size, mostly clustered in the center of the continent and the Balkans.
29. Switzerland 🇨🇭
- •Capital: Bern
- •Area: 41,285 km²
- •Population: ~8.8 million
The poster child for landlocked prosperity. Switzerland is one of the wealthiest countries on Earth, a global financial hub, and famously neutral. It even has a navy — lake patrol boats on Lake Geneva and other border lakes. Swiss chocolate, watches, and banking prove you don't need a coastline to dominate global trade.
30. Austria 🇦🇹
- •Capital: Vienna
- •Area: 83,879 km²
- •Population: ~9.1 million
The former heart of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which once had extensive coastlines. After WWI, Austria lost its coastal territory and became landlocked. Vienna, once the capital of a maritime empire, is now one of the world's most livable cities — ocean or not.
31. Czech Republic (Czechia) 🇨🇿
- •Capital: Prague
- •Area: 78,867 km²
- •Population: ~10.5 million
Prague is consistently rated one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Czech Republic has more castles per capita than any other country. Fun fact: Czechia consumes more beer per capita than any other nation — about 140 liters per person per year.
32. Hungary 🇭🇺
- •Capital: Budapest
- •Area: 93,028 km²
- •Population: ~10 million
Budapest is actually two cities — Buda and Pest — divided by the Danube River. Hungary is famous for its thermal baths (Budapest alone has over 120 natural hot springs), goulash, and the Hungarian language, which is unrelated to any of its neighbors' languages.
33. Slovakia 🇸🇰
- •Capital: Bratislava
- •Area: 49,035 km²
- •Population: ~5.4 million
The only capital in the world that borders two other countries (Austria and Hungary). Bratislava and Vienna are only 60 km apart — the closest pair of national capitals in Europe.
34. Serbia 🇷🇸
- •Capital: Belgrade
- •Area: 77,474 km²
- •Population: ~6.6 million
Serbia became landlocked after Montenegro's independence in 2006. Belgrade ("White City") sits at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe.
35. Belarus 🇧🇾
- •Capital: Minsk
- •Area: 207,600 km²
- •Population: ~9.4 million
Often called "Europe's last dictatorship" under President Lukashenko (in power since 1994). Belarus has Europe's largest remaining primeval forest — Białowieża Forest — home to the European bison, the continent's heaviest land animal.
36. Luxembourg 🇱🇺
- •Capital: Luxembourg City
- •Area: 2,586 km²
- •Population: ~660,000
Don't let the tiny size fool you — Luxembourg has the highest GDP per capita in Europe and one of the highest in the world. It's a founding member of the EU, NATO, and the United Nations. Nearly half its workforce commutes from neighboring France, Germany, and Belgium daily.
37. Moldova 🇲🇩
- •Capital: Chișinău
- •Area: 33,846 km²
- •Population: ~2.6 million
Europe's least-visited country and one of its poorest. Moldova is famous for its wine — the Mileștii Mici wine cellar holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wine collection (over 2 million bottles) in tunnels stretching 200 km underground.
38. North Macedonia 🇲🇰
- •Capital: Skopje
- •Area: 25,713 km²
- •Population: ~1.8 million
Changed its name from "Macedonia" to "North Macedonia" in 2019 to resolve a 27-year dispute with Greece (which has its own region called Macedonia). Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, and the city has erected an enormous statue and museum in her honor.
39. Kosovo 🇽🇰
- •Capital: Pristina
- •Area: 10,887 km²
- •Population: ~1.8 million
Europe's newest country (declared independence 2008, partially recognized). Kosovo is recognized by over 100 UN member states but not by Serbia, Russia, or China. It's one of the youngest populations in Europe, with an average age under 30.
40. Andorra 🇦🇩
- •Capital: Andorra la Vella
- •Area: 468 km²
- •Population: ~80,000
A tiny co-principality in the Pyrenees ruled jointly by the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell (Spain) — the only country with two foreign heads of state. Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe at 1,023 meters. The country has no airport, no railway, and no military.
41. Liechtenstein 🇱🇮
- •Capital: Vaduz
- •Area: 160 km²
- •Population: ~39,000
One of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world (along with Uzbekistan). Liechtenstein is surrounded by Switzerland and Austria — both landlocked themselves. Despite its tiny size, Liechtenstein is one of the wealthiest countries per capita, with more registered companies than citizens. It's also the world's largest producer of false teeth.
42. San Marino 🇸🇲
- •Capital: San Marino
- •Area: 61 km²
- •Population: ~33,000
Claims to be the world's oldest republic (founded 301 AD) and oldest surviving sovereign state. San Marino is an enclave entirely surrounded by Italy, perched on Mount Titano. It has more cars than people.
🌎 South America — 2 Landlocked Countries
South America has just two landlocked nations, both in the continent's interior.
43. Bolivia 🇧🇴
- •Capital: Sucre (constitutional), La Paz (seat of government)
- •Area: 1,098,581 km²
- •Population: ~12 million
Bolivia lost its Pacific coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) and has never gotten over it. Bolivia still maintains a navy (on Lake Titicaca and rivers), celebrates "Day of the Sea" every March 23rd, and periodically sues Chile at international courts to regain ocean access.
La Paz, the seat of government, sits at 3,640 meters — making it the highest administrative capital in the world. Bolivia also has the world's largest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni, which is so flat and reflective it's used to calibrate satellites.
44. Paraguay 🇵🇾
- •Capital: Asunción
- •Area: 406,752 km²
- •Population: ~7 million
One of South America's least-known countries. Paraguay has two official languages — Spanish and Guaraní — making it one of the few countries where an indigenous language has equal official status. The Itaipu Dam on the Paraguay-Brazil border was the world's largest hydroelectric dam until China's Three Gorges Dam surpassed it. It still generates more electricity annually than Three Gorges in most years.
🏆 Landlocked Country Records
Here are the ultimate landlocked superlatives:
Biggest and Smallest
- •Largest by area: Kazakhstan (2,724,900 km²)
- •Smallest by area: Vatican City... wait. Vatican City is technically landlocked but usually classified as a city-state. Among standard countries: San Marino (61 km²)
- •Most populous: Ethiopia (~126 million)
- •Least populous: San Marino (~33,000)
Most Extreme
- •Highest capital: La Paz, Bolivia (3,640 m)
- •Highest low point: Lesotho (1,400 m)
- •Most doubly landlocked: Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein (the only two)
- •Wealthiest: Luxembourg or Switzerland (depending on the measure)
- •Most remote from ocean: Kyrgyzstan's border with China is over 2,500 km from the nearest coastline
🤔 The Doubly Landlocked Mystery
Only two countries are doubly landlocked — entirely surrounded by landlocked countries, meaning you must cross a minimum of two borders to reach the sea:
Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
Surrounded by: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan — all landlocked.
Liechtenstein 🇱🇮
Surrounded by: Switzerland and Austria — both landlocked.
These are the two most "ocean-deprived" countries on Earth. For Uzbekistan in particular, reaching the nearest seaport involves crossing multiple countries and thousands of kilometers. It's the geographic equivalent of being stuck in the middle seat on a very long flight.
💰 Does Being Landlocked Make You Poor?
The data is striking: landlocked developing countries have, on average, 20% less trade than their coastal neighbors, and their citizens earn about 40% less.
But it's not destiny. Consider:
- •Switzerland — One of the richest countries on Earth
- •Luxembourg — Highest GDP per capita in Europe
- •Austria — Wealthy EU member with world-class quality of life
- •Botswana — Africa's great success story
- •Czech Republic — Thriving EU economy
The common thread? Good governance, strategic investments, and strong relationships with coastal neighbors. Landlocked countries that invest in infrastructure (roads, railways), maintain stable borders, and integrate into regional trade networks can overcome the geographic handicap.
The countries that struggle most are landlocked AND face additional challenges: conflict, poor governance, harsh climate, or hostile neighbors who control their trade routes.
🧠 How to Master Landlocked Country Geography
Step 1: Learn the Clusters
Landlocked countries tend to group together:
- •Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
- •Southern Africa — Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi
- •Central Europe — Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Luxembourg
- •Balkans — Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo
- •West/Central Africa — Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, CAR, South Sudan
Step 2: Remember the Anchors
Start with the ones you already know: Switzerland, Austria, Mongolia, Nepal. Then add the big Central Asian countries. Then tackle Africa.
Step 3: Use the "No Blue" Rule
On a color-coded map, landlocked countries have no blue border (no coastline). Scan the map for countries completely surrounded by other countries. This visual pattern helps enormously.
Step 4: Practice with Map Quizzes
The fastest way to learn is to test yourself. Head to geoguesser.in and practice identifying countries on the map. Pay special attention to the interior of continents where landlocked nations cluster.
Step 5: Learn the Stories
Bolivia's lost coastline, Lesotho trapped inside South Africa, Liechtenstein's double landlocked status — stories make countries memorable. When a country has a story, it sticks in your brain.
🌊 Landlocked Countries That Want the Sea
Several landlocked nations actively campaign for ocean access:
Bolivia has an annual "Day of the Sea" and maintains a navy without a sea. They've taken Chile to the International Court of Justice (and lost, in 2018) over their former coastline.
Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Recently, Ethiopia signed a memorandum with Somaliland for potential sea access — a move that stirred regional controversy.
Serbia lost its coastline when Montenegro became independent in 2006. It now depends on the Danube River and neighboring countries' ports.
The desire for ocean access drives real geopolitics. Wars have been fought over it. Alliances are shaped by it. The sea isn't just water — it's economic lifeline.
Conclusion
The 44 landlocked countries of the world face a geographic challenge that most of us never think about. Every product that arrives by ship, every export heading overseas, every container of goods must first travel overland across at least one international border before reaching the sea.
Yet these countries are home to ancient civilizations (Ethiopia, Armenia), stunning landscapes (Nepal, Kyrgyzstan), economic powerhouses (Switzerland, Luxembourg), and some of the most fascinating cultures on Earth (Mongolia, Bhutan, Laos).
Understanding which countries are landlocked — and why it matters — gives you a deeper appreciation for how geography shapes economics, politics, and daily life. The next time you look at a map, notice which countries touch the ocean and which don't. That single detail explains more about the world than most people realize.
Ready to test your landlocked country knowledge? Head to geoguesser.in and see how many of the 44 landlocked nations you can find on the map. Start with the continents you know best, then push into Central Asia and Africa. If you can identify all 44 from memory, you're in elite geography territory.
Happy exploring! 🌍