List of Landlocked Countries in the World (2025)
44 countries have no coastline — no direct access to any ocean or sea. They represent 22% of all sovereign nations and face unique geographic, economic, and political challenges. Here is the complete list, organized by continent, with facts, data, and the 2 extraordinary doubly landlocked countries.
Quick Answer: How Many Landlocked Countries Are There?
How many landlocked countries are there?
- · 22% of all 195 sovereign countries
- · Found on every continent except North America, Oceania, and Antarctica
- · Africa has the most: 16 landlocked countries
- · 2 doubly landlocked countries: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan
Africa 16 · Europe 14 · Asia 12 · South America 2 · North America 0 · Oceania 0
Complete List of All 44 Landlocked Countries
Every nation with no direct ocean access — searchable by country, capital, or neighboring country.
Showing 44 of 44 landlocked countries
🏛️ Gaborone · 🤝 4 neighbors: Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~900 km)
A landlocked African development success story built partly on diamond revenues.
582,000 km²
2.4M
🏛️ Ouagadougou · 🤝 6 neighbors: Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo
🌊 Nearest sea: Gulf of Guinea (~500 km)
Sahel nation whose trade depends on corridors to Gulf of Guinea ports.
272,967 km²
24.1M
🏛️ Gitega · 🤝 3 neighbors: DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~1,100 km)
Dense Great Lakes country bordering Lake Tanganyika.
27,834 km²
12.3M
🏛️ Bangui · 🤝 6 neighbors: Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan
🌊 Nearest sea: Gulf of Guinea (~1,000 km)
Resource-rich but one of the world’s least developed countries.
622,984 km²
6.5M
🏛️ N'Djamena · 🤝 6 neighbors: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan
🌊 Nearest sea: Gulf of Guinea (~1,000 km)
Large Sahel country; Lake Chad has shrunk dramatically since the 1960s.
1,284,000 km²
19.3M
🏛️ Mbabane · 🤝 2 neighbors: Mozambique, South Africa
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~200 km)
One of the world’s last absolute monarchies; renamed from Swaziland in 2018.
17,364 km²
1.2M
🏛️ Addis Ababa · 🤝 6 neighbors: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan
🌊 Nearest sea: Red Sea (~800 km)
Africa’s most populous landlocked country; lost Red Sea access when Eritrea became independent.
1,104,300 km²
126M
🏛️ Maseru · 🤝 1 neighbors: South Africa
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~400 km)
Entirely surrounded by South Africa and known as the Kingdom in the Sky.
30,355 km²
2.1M
🏛️ Lilongwe · 🤝 3 neighbors: Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~500 km)
Lake Malawi covers a large share of the country’s eastern side.
118,484 km²
20.7M
🏛️ Bamako · 🤝 7 neighbors: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal
🌊 Nearest sea: Atlantic Ocean (~1,200 km)
Home to Timbuktu; much of its north lies in the Sahara.
1,240,192 km²
22.4M
🏛️ Niamey · 🤝 7 neighbors: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Nigeria
🌊 Nearest sea: Gulf of Guinea (~800 km)
Large Sahara-Sahel country with one of the world’s fastest-growing populations.
1,267,000 km²
26.3M
🏛️ Kigali · 🤝 4 neighbors: Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~1,200 km)
Land of a Thousand Hills and a fast-growing African economy.
26,338 km²
14.1M
🏛️ Juba · 🤝 6 neighbors: Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~1,000 km)
World’s newest country and landlocked since independence in 2011.
619,745 km²
15.8M
🏛️ Kampala · 🤝 5 neighbors: DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~1,000 km)
Borders Lake Victoria and contains sources of the Nile system.
241,550 km²
45.9M
🏛️ Lusaka · 🤝 8 neighbors: Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~1,000 km)
Borders eight countries and contains Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe border.
752,612 km²
19.7M
🏛️ Harare · 🤝 4 neighbors: Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia
🌊 Nearest sea: Indian Ocean (~500 km)
Home to Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe ruins.
390,757 km²
17.1M
🏛️ Andorra la Vella · 🤝 2 neighbors: France, Spain
🌊 Nearest sea: Mediterranean Sea (~100 km)
Pyrenees micro-state and major ski tourism destination.
468 km²
77K
🏛️ Vienna · 🤝 8 neighbors: Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
🌊 Nearest sea: Adriatic Sea (~300 km)
Former center of the Habsburg Empire and a prosperous EU economy.
83,871 km²
9.2M
🏛️ Minsk · 🤝 5 neighbors: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
🌊 Nearest sea: Baltic Sea (~300 km)
Largest landlocked country in Europe if Russia is excluded.
207,600 km²
9.1M
🏛️ Prague · 🤝 4 neighbors: Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia
🌊 Nearest sea: North Sea (~600 km)
Prosperous Central European economy with strong manufacturing and EU access.
78,865 km²
10.9M
🏛️ Budapest · 🤝 7 neighbors: Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine
🌊 Nearest sea: Adriatic Sea (~300 km)
Danube country with Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake.
93,028 km²
9.5M
🏛️ Vaduz · 🤝 2 neighbors: Austria, Switzerland
🌊 Nearest sea: No direct route; doubly landlocked (2 borders minimum)
One of only two doubly landlocked countries; no standing army since 1868.
160 km²
~38K
🏛️ Luxembourg · 🤝 3 neighbors: Belgium, France, Germany
🌊 Nearest sea: North Sea (~300 km)
Tiny but wealthy EU financial center.
2,586 km²
682K
🏛️ Chișinău · 🤝 2 neighbors: Romania, Ukraine
🌊 Nearest sea: Black Sea (~100 km)
Small landlocked European state between Romania and Ukraine.
33,847 km²
2.7M
🏛️ Skopje · 🤝 5 neighbors: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Serbia
🌊 Nearest sea: Aegean Sea (~100 km)
Renamed North Macedonia in 2019 after agreement with Greece.
25,713 km²
1.8M
🏛️ City of San Marino · 🤝 1 neighbors: Italy
🌊 Nearest sea: Adriatic Sea (~20 km)
World’s oldest republic and entirely surrounded by Italy.
61 km²
34K
🏛️ Belgrade · 🤝 8 neighbors: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania
🌊 Nearest sea: Adriatic Sea (~200 km)
Became landlocked when Montenegro separated in 2006.
77,589 km²
6.6M
🏛️ Bratislava · 🤝 5 neighbors: Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine
🌊 Nearest sea: Adriatic Sea (~400 km)
Separated from the Czech Republic in the peaceful Velvet Divorce.
49,037 km²
5.4M
🏛️ Bern · 🤝 5 neighbors: Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany
🌊 Nearest sea: Mediterranean / North Sea via Rhine (~300 km)
Wealthy landlocked financial center with Rhine access to the North Sea.
41,284 km²
9.1M
🏛️ Vatican City · 🤝 1 neighbors: Italy
🌊 Nearest sea: Mediterranean Sea (~25 km)
World’s smallest country and a landlocked enclave within Rome, Italy.
0.44 km²
~800
🏛️ Kabul · 🤝 6 neighbors: Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China
🌊 Nearest sea: Arabian Sea (~500 km)
Strategic crossroads between Central and South Asia.
652,230 km²
43.8M
🏛️ Yerevan · 🤝 4 neighbors: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey
🌊 Nearest sea: Black Sea (~200 km)
Ancient Christian civilization with closed borders to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
29,743 km²
3.1M
🏛️ Baku · 🤝 5 neighbors: Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey
🌊 Nearest sea: Caspian Sea (landlocked lake) (0 km to Caspian)
Borders the Caspian Sea, a landlocked lake rather than an ocean.
86,600 km²
10.2M
🏛️ Thimphu · 🤝 2 neighbors: China, India
🌊 Nearest sea: Bay of Bengal (~500 km)
Carbon-negative Himalayan kingdom known for Gross National Happiness.
38,394 km²
784K
🏛️ Astana · 🤝 5 neighbors: China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
🌊 Nearest sea: Caspian Sea (landlocked lake) (0 km to Caspian)
World’s largest landlocked country and 9th largest country overall.
2,724,900 km²
19.2M
🏛️ Bishkek · 🤝 4 neighbors: China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
🌊 Nearest sea: Caspian Sea (~1,500 km)
Mountainous Central Asian state dominated by the Tian Shan.
199,951 km²
7.3M
🏛️ Vientiane · 🤝 5 neighbors: Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam
🌊 Nearest sea: South China Sea (~400 km)
Only landlocked country in Southeast Asia; the Mekong is its main trade artery.
236,800 km²
7.6M
🏛️ Ulan Bator · 🤝 2 neighbors: China, Russia
🌊 Nearest sea: Pacific Ocean (~1,500 km)
World’s most sparsely populated country; former center of the Mongol Empire.
1,564,116 km²
3.4M
🏛️ Kathmandu · 🤝 2 neighbors: China, India
🌊 Nearest sea: Bay of Bengal (~700 km)
Home to Mount Everest and many of the world’s highest peaks.
147,181 km²
29.9M
🏛️ Dushanbe · 🤝 4 neighbors: Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
🌊 Nearest sea: Caspian Sea (~1,500 km)
Mountainous Pamir country with difficult transit geography.
143,100 km²
10.5M
🏛️ Ashgabat · 🤝 4 neighbors: Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
🌊 Nearest sea: Caspian Sea (landlocked lake) (0 km to Caspian)
Gas-rich and isolated Central Asian state on the Caspian Sea.
488,100 km²
7.1M
🏛️ Tashkent · 🤝 5 neighbors: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
🌊 Nearest sea: No direct route; doubly landlocked (2 borders minimum)
One of only two doubly landlocked countries; historic Silk Road center.
447,400 km²
35.3M
🏛️ Sucre · 🤝 5 neighbors: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru
🌊 Nearest sea: Pacific Ocean (~400 km)
Lost Pacific coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific and still maintains a navy.
1,098,581 km²
11.4M
🏛️ Asunción · 🤝 3 neighbors: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil
🌊 Nearest sea: Atlantic Ocean (~1,000 km)
Paraguay River gives inland navigation despite no coastline.
406,752 km²
6.1M
Landlocked Countries by Continent
Africa dominates — with 16 of the world’s 44 landlocked nations. Here is how they break down by continent.
Africa
landlocked countries (29.6% of 54)
Africa has more landlocked countries than any other continent. Many depend on long transit corridors to Gulf of Guinea, Indian Ocean, or Red Sea ports.
Countries: Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Central African Republic · Chad · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Lesotho · Malawi · Mali · Niger · Rwanda · South Sudan · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Notable: Ethiopia is Africa’s most populous landlocked country; Zambia borders eight countries.
Europe
landlocked countries (31.8% of 44)
Europe’s landlocked countries often overcome geography through dense infrastructure, navigable rivers, and EU or Schengen integration.
Countries: Andorra · Austria · Belarus · Czech Republic · Hungary · Liechtenstein · Luxembourg · Moldova · North Macedonia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Switzerland · Vatican City
Notable: Liechtenstein is doubly landlocked; Switzerland and Luxembourg are wealthy despite no coastline.
Asia
landlocked countries (25.0% of 48)
Asia’s landlocked countries cluster in Central Asia and the Himalayan or mainland Southeast Asian interior.
Countries: Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bhutan · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Mongolia · Nepal · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan
Notable: Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country; Uzbekistan is doubly landlocked.
South America
landlocked countries (16.7% of 12)
South America has only two landlocked countries: Bolivia and Paraguay, both in the continental interior.
Countries: Bolivia · Paraguay
Notable: Bolivia lost its Pacific coast to Chile and still maintains a navy on inland waters.
North America
landlocked countries (0.0% of 23)
North America has no landlocked sovereign countries; every state has direct ocean access.
Countries: None
Notable: Even the smallest Caribbean nations are island states with coastlines.
Oceania
landlocked countries (0.0% of 14)
Oceania has no landlocked countries because its sovereign states are islands or island-continent states.
Countries: None
Notable: Every Oceanian country has a coastline by geography.
The 2 Doubly Landlocked Countries in the World
Most landlocked countries border at least one coastal nation. These two are surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries.
Area: 160 km² · Population: ~38K · Capital: Vaduz
Bordering countries: Austria · Switzerland. Every neighbor is landlocked, which makes Liechtenstein one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world.
Explore LiechtensteinArea: 447,400 km² · Population: 35.3M · Capital: Tashkent
Bordering countries: Afghanistan · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan. Every neighbor is landlocked, which makes Uzbekistan one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world.
Explore UzbekistanLandlocked🇦🇹 Austria
Landlocked
Must cross at least 2 borders to reach any ocean
Landlocked🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
Landlocked🇹🇯 Tajikistan
Landlocked🇦🇫 Afghanistan
Landlocked🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
Landlocked
Must cross at least 2 borders to reach any ocean
Largest and Smallest Landlocked Countries
The scale of landlocked nations ranges from Kazakhstan’s 2.7 million km² to Vatican City’s 0.44 km².
Top 5 Largest Landlocked Countries
Top 5 Smallest Landlocked Countries
Most Populous Landlocked Countries
Least Populous Landlocked Countries
Why Being Landlocked Matters — The Economic Impact
No coastline means no direct access to maritime trade — and maritime trade carries most global commerce by volume.
Being landlocked is one of the most significant geographic disadvantages a country can have in the modern global economy. Every import and export must travel overland through at least one neighboring country before reaching a port, adding cost, time, and political risk.
The United Nations recognizes this disadvantage through its work on landlocked developing countries. But landlocked status is not destiny: Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Czech Republic, and Botswana show that strong governance, infrastructure, high-value industries, and cooperative neighbors can overcome geography.
Higher Trade Costs
Without direct port access, landlocked developing countries rely on transit neighbors, border crossings, and inland transport corridors.
Lower Development Outcomes
The United Nations treats landlocked developing countries as a distinct group because high transport costs and isolation constrain development.
Infrastructure Dependence
A landlocked country’s access to markets depends not only on its own roads and railways, but also on the ports and border systems of neighboring countries.
The Wealthy Exceptions
Strong governance, high-value industries, rivers, rail, EU integration, and stable neighbors can overcome the lack of coastline.
6 Fascinating Landlocked Countries
Each landlocked country has a unique relationship with its geographic situation.
🇨🇭 Switzerland — The Landlocked Financial Giant
ExploreArea: 41,284 km² · Population: 9.1M · Capital: Bern
Switzerland is the classic example of a landlocked country that turned geography into strength. It has no coastline, yet it is a global financial center and a hub for pharmaceuticals, precision manufacturing, luxury goods, and international organizations. The Rhine River connects Basel to North Sea trade routes, while stable institutions and high-value exports reduce the disadvantage of being inland.
Key insight: Specialized in high-value products and services that do not depend on cheap bulk shipping.
🇧🇴 Bolivia — The Country That Lost Its Sea
ExploreArea: 1,098,581 km² · Population: 11.4M · Capital: Sucre
Bolivia was not always landlocked. It lost its Pacific coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific in the late 19th century. The loss remains central to Bolivian national identity: the country maintains a navy on Lake Titicaca and rivers, marks Day of the Sea, and continues to seek improved access to Pacific ports.
Key insight: Lost its coast in the War of the Pacific and still treats sea access as a national cause.
🇲🇳 Mongolia — The Vast Empty Steppe
ExploreArea: 1,564,116 km² · Population: 3.4M · Capital: Ulan Bator
Mongolia is wedged between Russia and China with no other neighbors. Its steppe and Gobi Desert make it extremely sparsely populated, while mining and herding shape the economy. Its historical contrast is extraordinary: a country with only a few million people was once the core of the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in history.
Key insight: Once the center of the largest contiguous land empire; now the world’s most sparsely populated country.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia — Africa’s Landlocked Giant
ExploreArea: 1,104,300 km² · Population: 126M · Capital: Addis Ababa
Ethiopia is Africa’s most populous landlocked country. It lost direct Red Sea access when Eritrea became independent, making port access through Djibouti strategically vital. Ethiopia’s case shows how a country can become landlocked through political change, not only through ancient geography.
Key insight: Became landlocked when Eritrea became independent in 1993.
🇳🇵 Nepal — Landlocked Between Giants
ExploreArea: 147,181 km² · Population: 29.9M · Capital: Kathmandu
Nepal has only two neighbors: India and China. This gives it limited transit options, while the Himalayas make infrastructure difficult and expensive. At the same time, the mountains create Nepal’s global identity through Everest, trekking, hydropower potential, and a tourism economy based on altitude and landscape.
Key insight: Sandwiched between India and China, with Everest and the Himalayas defining its geography.
🇧🇼 Botswana — The Landlocked Success Story
ExploreArea: 582,000 km² · Population: 2.4M · Capital: Gaborone
Botswana shows that landlocked status is not destiny. At independence it was extremely poor, but diamond revenues, stable democratic institutions, and investment in public goods helped create one of Africa’s most successful development stories. Its experience contrasts sharply with more fragile landlocked economies.
Key insight: Diamonds plus stable governance helped transform a poor inland country into an upper-middle-income economy.
Surprising Facts About Landlocked Countries
No ocean, but no shortage of extraordinary stories.
🇧🇴 Bolivia has a navy — on inland waters
Bolivia lost its Pacific coast in the 19th century but still maintains a navy on Lake Titicaca and river systems, keeping sea access central to national memory.
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein is doubly landlocked
To reach the ocean from Liechtenstein, you must first cross Switzerland or Austria, and then cross another country before reaching a coast.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan sits near the Aral Sea disaster
The Aral Sea, once one of the world’s largest lakes, shrank dramatically after Soviet-era irrigation diversions, leaving ships in desert sands.
🇱🇸 Lesotho is surrounded by one country
Lesotho is entirely surrounded by South Africa and is known as the Kingdom in the Sky because of its high elevation.
🇨🇭 Switzerland has ocean-going commerce without a coast
Swiss companies are central to commodity trading, and the Rhine gives inland water access from Basel toward the North Sea.
🇲🇳 Mongolia was once the center of a vast empire
Modern Mongolia is sparsely populated and landlocked, but the Mongol Empire once connected much of Eurasia by overland routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything about landlocked countries.
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Countries of the World
Complete list of all 195 countries with flags, capitals, and populations.
Island Countries
The opposite of landlocked — island nations surrounded by water.
Smallest Countries
Vatican City is both the world’s smallest country and landlocked.
Largest Countries
Kazakhstan, the largest landlocked country, ranks ninth by area globally.
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Random Country Quiz
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This list of landlocked countries uses the site’s 195-country education standard and treats Caspian-only states as landlocked because the Caspian has no natural ocean connection.