A landlocked country is a country that does not touch the ocean . As of 2026, there are 44 landlocked countries. Two of them are doubly landlocked because they are surrounded by other landlocked nations (Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan ). Three landlocked de facto states exist, South Ossetia , Kosovo and Transnistria . Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country, Kyrgyzstan is the farthest from any ocean, and Ethiopia has the most people.
Being landlocked can make things harder for a country. Nations have often wanted access to water for trade and other reasons.
Some landlocked countries are rich, like Andorra , Austria , Liechtenstein , Luxembourg , San Marino , Switzerland , and Vatican City . Many landlocked countries in Africa , Asia , and South America face challenges. The United Nations works to help these countries.
History
In 1990, there were 30 landlocked countries in the world. Changes such as the dissolutions of the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia , the breakup of Yugoslavia , and the independence of places like Eritrea and Montenegro created new landlocked countries. By April 2024, there were 44 landlocked countries and three landlocked areas recognized by some but not all countries: Kosovo , South Ossetia , and Transnistria .
In September 2023, Azerbaijan took control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, ending the existence of the Republic of Artsakh as a separate area.
Significance
Bolivia's loss of its coastline in the War of the Pacific (1879–1884) remains a major political issue Historically, being landlocked has been a challenge for countries. Without access to the sea, nations miss out on important resources like fishing . They also face difficulties in maritime trade , which is vital for growth. This often made coastal areas richer and more crowded than landlocked regions.
Some believe landlocked countries benefit from natural protection against cheap imports, helping local businesses. However, landlocked developing countries usually pay more for moving goods internationally. Travel between landlocked nations and others far away used to require passing through multiple borders, but air travel has made this easier today.
By degree
Landlocked countries can have one, two, or more countries around them. Some are surrounded by just one country. For example, Lesotho is surrounded by South Africa . San Marino and Vatican City are both surrounded by Italy .
Others are surrounded by two countries. Andorra lies between France and Spain . Bhutan is between China and India . There are also two "doubly landlocked" countries. This means they are surrounded only by other landlocked countries. These are Liechtenstein in Western Europe and Uzbekistan in Central Asia .
List of landlocked countries and landlocked de facto states
North America and Oceania have no landlocked countries. Landlocked countries and de facto states can be grouped into clusters based on where they are.
Some clusters include:
Eastern, Middle, and Western African cluster: Burkina Faso , Burundi , the Central African Republic , Chad , Ethiopia , Mali , Niger , Rwanda , South Sudan , and Uganda
Eastern, Southern, and Western European cluster: Austria , Czechia , Hungary , Kosovo , Liechtenstein , North Macedonia , Serbia , Slovakia , and Switzerland
Central and Southern Asian cluster: Afghanistan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , and Uzbekistan
"Single" landlocked countries are those that border no other landlocked country. These include:
Country Area (km 2 )Population UN region UN subregion Neighbouring country(ies) Count Neighbours with ocean access Afghanistan 652,230 33,369,945 Asia Southern Asia China , Iran , Pakistan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan ,[a] Uzbekistan [d] 6 3 Andorra 468 77,543 Europe Southern Europe France and Spain 2 2 Armenia 29,743 3,000,756 Asia Western Asia Azerbaijan ,[a] Georgia , Iran , and Turkey 4 3 Austria 83,871 9,027,999 Europe Western Europe Czech Republic , Germany , Hungary , Italy , Liechtenstein , Slovakia , Slovenia , Switzerland 8 3 Azerbaijan [a] 86,600 10,353,296 Asia Western Asia Armenia , Georgia , Iran , Russia , and Turkey 5 4 Belarus 207,600 9,255,524 Europe Eastern Europe Latvia , Lithuania , Poland , Russia , and Ukraine 5 5 Bhutan 38,394 691,141 Asia Southern Asia China and India 2 2 Bolivia 1,098,581 12,054,379 Americas South America Argentina , Brazil , Chile , Paraguay , and Peru 5 4 Botswana 582,000 2,384,246 Africa Southern Africa Namibia , South Africa , Zambia , and Zimbabwe 4 2 Burkina Faso 274,222 21,935,389 Africa Western Africa Benin , Côte d'Ivoire , Ghana , Mali , Niger , and Togo 6 4 Burundi 27,834 11,865,821 Africa Eastern Africa DR Congo , Rwanda , and Tanzania 3 2 Central African Republic 622,984 5,454,533 Africa Middle Africa Cameroon , Chad , the Congo , DR Congo , South Sudan , and Sudan 6 4 Chad 1,284,000 17,963,211 Africa Cameroon , the Central African Republic , Libya , Niger , Nigeria , and the Sudan 6 4 Czech Republic 78,867 10,516,707 Europe Eastern Europe Austria , Germany , Poland , and Slovakia 4 2 Eswatini 17,364 1,160,164 Africa Southern Africa Mozambique and South Africa 2 2 Ethiopia 1,104,300 113,656,596 Africa Eastern Africa Djibouti , Eritrea , Kenya , Somalia , Somaliland ,[b] South Sudan , and the Sudan 6/7 5/6 Hungary 93,028 9,689,010 Europe Eastern Europe Austria , Croatia , Romania , Serbia , Slovakia , Slovenia , and Ukraine 7 4 Kazakhstan [a] 2,724,900 19,644,100 Asia Central Asia China , Kyrgyzstan , Russia , Turkmenistan ,[a] and Uzbekistan [d] 5 2 Kosovo 10,908 1,806,279 Europe Southern Europe Albania , Montenegro , North Macedonia , and Serbia 4 2 Kyrgyzstan 199,951 6,071,750 Asia Central Asia China , Kazakhstan ,[a] Tajikistan , and Uzbekistan [d] 4 1 Laos 236,800 7,749,595 Asia South-eastern Asia Cambodia , China , Myanmar , Thailand , and Vietnam 5 5 Lesotho [c] 30,355 2,281,454 Africa Southern Africa South Africa 1 1 Liechtenstein [d] 160 35,789 Europe Western Europe Austria and Switzerland 2 0 Luxembourg 2,586 502,202 Europe Belgium , France , and Germany 3 3 Malawi 118,484 20,091,635 Africa Eastern Africa Mozambique , Tanzania , and Zambia 3 2 Mali 1,240,192 21,473,764 Africa Western Africa Algeria , Burkina Faso , Côte d'Ivoire , Guinea , Mauritania , Niger , and Senegal 7 5 Moldova 33,846 3,559,500 Europe Eastern Europe Romania , and Ukraine 2 2 Mongolia 1,566,500 3,227,863 Asia Eastern Asia China and Russia 2 2 Nepal 147,516 30,666,598 Asia Southern Asia China and India 2 2 Niger 1,267,000 24,484,587 Africa Western Africa Algeria , Benin , Burkina Faso , Chad , Libya , Mali , and Nigeria 7 4 North Macedonia 25,713 1,836,713 Europe Southern Europe Albania , Bulgaria , Greece , Kosovo ,[b] and Serbia 4/5 3 Paraguay 406,752 7,356,409 Americas South America Argentina , Bolivia , and Brazil 3 2 Transnistria [b] 4,163 505,153 Europe Eastern Europe Moldova and Ukraine 2 1 Rwanda 26,338 12,955,736 Africa Eastern Africa Burundi , DR Congo , Tanzania , and Uganda 4 2 San Marino [c] 61 31,716 Europe Southern Europe Italy 1 1 Serbia 88,361 6,690,887 Europe Southern Europe Albania (via Kosovo and Metohija ), Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia ,Hungary , Kosovo ,[b] Montenegro , North Macedonia , and Romania 8 5/6 Slovakia 49,035 5,460,185 Europe Eastern Europe Austria , Czech Republic , Hungary , Poland , and Ukraine 5 2 South Ossetia [b] 3,900 72,000 Asia Western Asia Georgia and Russia 2 2 South Sudan 644,329 11,544,905 Africa Eastern Africa The Central African Republic , DR Congo , Ethiopia , Kenya , the Sudan , and Uganda 6 3 Switzerland 41,284 8,636,896 Europe Western Europe Austria , France , Germany , Italy , and Liechtenstein 5 3 Tajikistan 143,100 9,119,347 Asia Central Asia Afghanistan , China , Kyrgyzstan , and Uzbekistan [d] 4 1 Turkmenistan [a] 488,100 5,636,011 Asia Afghanistan , Iran , Kazakhstan ,[a] and Uzbekistan [d] 4 1 Uganda 241,038 45,853,778 Africa Eastern Africa DR Congo , Kenya , Rwanda , South Sudan , and Tanzania 5 3 Uzbekistan [d] 449,100 36,001,262 Asia Central Asia Afghanistan , Kazakhstan ,[a] Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , and Turkmenistan [a] 5 0 Vatican City [c] 0.49 826 Europe Southern Europe Italy 1 1 Zambia 752,612 19,610,769 Africa Eastern Africa Angola , Botswana , DR Congo , Malawi , Mozambique , Namibia , Tanzania , and Zimbabwe 8 5 Zimbabwe 390,757 15,121,004 Africa Eastern Africa Botswana , Mozambique , South Africa , and Zambia 4 2 Total 14,776,228 475,818,737 N/A Percentage of the world 9.9% 5.9%
Landlocked countries by continent
According to the United Nations geoscheme , Africa has the most landlocked countries, followed by Europe , Asia , and South America . Australia , North America , Antarctica , and Oceania have no landlocked countries. Most landlocked countries are on the continental mainland of Afro-Eurasia , except for Bolivia and Paraguay .
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Landlocked country , available under CC BY-SA 4.0 .
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