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Neighbor Count Patterns - Deducing Countries from Border Numbers

(Updated: 2025-05-15)

World Rankings by Neighbor Count

China and Russia share the record for most land borders at 14 countries each. China borders India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Nepal. Third is Brazil with 10 (bordering every South American country except Ecuador and Chile), followed by DR Congo and Germany with 9 each.

Countries with Only One Neighbor

Surprisingly many countries border only one other nation: Portugal (Spain only), Canada (USA only), Denmark (Germany only), Monaco (France only), Vatican City (Italy only), San Marino (Italy only), Lesotho (South Africa only), Gambia (Senegal only), Brunei (Malaysia only), and East Timor (Indonesia only).

Enclaved and Peninsula Nations

Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, making it an enclave state. Similarly, San Marino and Vatican City are entirely enclosed by Italy. Peninsula nations tend to have few land borders: South Korea (only North Korea) and Qatar (only Saudi Arabia) are typical examples. Spain has an unusual pattern, bordering France, Portugal, Andorra, UK (Gibraltar), and Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla).

Using Neighbor Count Hints

When GeoHint hints '14 land borders,' it's either China or Russia. '10 borders' means Brazil. 'Only 1 land border' narrows to about 10 countries listed above. 'Completely surrounded by another country' means Lesotho, San Marino, or Vatican City (3 options). Neighbor count combines very effectively with other hints for rapid narrowing.

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