Landlocked Countries - Geography of Nations Without Coastlines

What Is a Landlocked Country?

A landlocked country has no coastline and shares all its borders with other countries' land territory. Counting UN member states plus Vatican City in the coastline data of the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook, there are 44 landlocked countries: 16 in Africa, 14 in Europe, 12 in Asia, and 2 in South America. North America and Oceania have no landlocked nations.

Doubly Landlocked Countries

A doubly landlocked country is surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries, meaning you must cross at least two borders to reach the sea. Only two such countries exist: Liechtenstein (surrounded by Switzerland and Austria) and Uzbekistan (surrounded by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan).

Africa's Landlocked Belt

Central Africa contains a continuous belt of landlocked nations: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Ethiopia. This concentration stems from colonial-era border drawing and remains a significant barrier to economic development due to limited sea access.

Using This Knowledge in Quizzes

Knowing that a country has no coastline narrows the candidates to 44. Combined with a regional clue, this substantially reduces possibilities. European landlocked countries (Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia) are well-known, but African landlocked nations are easily confused, so reviewing their positions on a map gives you an advantage.

The Economic Weight of Having No Coast

Having no coastline places a distinctive constraint on a country's economy. Every import and export has to pass through a neighbor's port or territory, which drives up both the time and the cost of transport. And if relations with that neighbor deteriorate, the trade route itself is at risk. It is no coincidence that so many of the world's poorest countries are landlocked; the lack of sea access has been a persistent drag on development. It is a clear example of how terrain shapes an economy.

How Landlocked Countries Connect to the Sea

Countries without a coast have still found ways to reach the sea. Some borrow part of a neighbor's port; others move goods to the coast along rivers and canals. International law recognizes a landlocked country's right of transit to the sea. Paraguay reaches the Atlantic via the Parana River, and Ethiopia relies on a neighbor's port. These arrangements show the resourcefulness with which the disadvantage of an inland position can be overcome.

Where Landlocked Countries Cluster

Landlocked countries are not spread evenly around the world; they cluster in particular regions. Central Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central Asia have the most. In these regions, the way borders were drawn historically, combined with the sheer bulk of the continent, produced countries far from any coast. The Americas and Oceania, by contrast, have few. Read in reverse, the uneven distribution of landlocked countries is itself a clue to each continent's history and terrain.

How to Spot a Landlocked Country

The quickest route to identifying landlocked countries in a quiz is to learn them continent by continent. Europe's landlocked states include relatively familiar names like Switzerland and Austria. In Central Asia, the countries ending in -stan are mostly landlocked, apart from those touching the Caspian Sea. Africa's landlocked countries are numerous and easy to mix up, so it is worth checking how they sit relative to one another on a map. When a clue tells you a country has no coastline, identify the continent first and then narrow the field; that order works best.

An Inland Position Is Not All Disadvantage

Being landlocked is not purely a handicap. Countries without a coast are less exposed to threats from the sea, and overland trade with neighbors can nurture a distinctive culture. Switzerland turned its inland position to advantage, prospering through neutrality and finance. Rather than treating the inland condition as a simple disadvantage, ask how each country adapted and what it managed to turn into a strength; the answers make for a much richer understanding. Terrain does not decide a country's destiny. What matters is how people respond to it.