Landlocked
Landlocked African Countries 2025
Landlocked
16 countries
Country | Landlocked↓ | Bordering Countries | # of Bordering Countries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Ethiopia | Yes | Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan | 6 |
 | Uganda | Yes | DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania | 5 |
 | Niger | Yes | Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Nigeria | 7 |
 | Mali | Yes | Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal | 7 |
 | Burkina Faso | Yes | Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo | 6 |
 | Malawi | Yes | Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia | 3 |
 | Zambia | Yes | Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, , Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe | 8 |
 | Chad | Yes | Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan | 6 |
 | Zimbabwe | Yes | Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia | 4 |
 | Rwanda | Yes | Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda | 4 |
 | Burundi | Yes | DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania | 3 |
 | South Sudan | Yes | Central African Republic, DR Congo, , Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda | 6 |
 | Central African Republic | Yes | Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, South Sudan, Sudan | 6 |
 | Botswana | Yes | Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe | 4 |
 | Lesotho | Yes | South Africa | 1 |
 | Eswatini | Yes | Mozambique, South Africa | 2 |
- Lesotho is located entirely within South Africa.
Africa has 55 countries, 16 of which are landlocked. Indeed, Africa has more landlocked countries than any other continent in the world. Landlocked countries are those without any territory connecting to an ocean or to a waterway that connects directly to an ocean.
The sixteen landlocked African countries are:
- Mali. Mali is in West Africa and has a population of about 24 million people.
- Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso borders Mali to the south. It also has a population of about 24 million.
- Niger. Niger borders Mali to the east. It has a 490,000-square-mile land area, making it the largest landlocked country in Africa. Its population is about 27 million.
- Chad. Chad borders Niger to the east and is in Central Africa. It has a population of about 18 million.
- The Central African Republic. The Central African Republic is on the southern border of Chad. It has a population of about 6 million.
- South Sudan. South Sudan borders the Central African Republic to the east and is in central-eastern Africa. It has a population of about 11 million.
- Ethiopia. Ethiopia is on South Sudan’s Eastern border and is in the Horn of Africa, a peninsula on the eastern part of the continent. It has a population of 127 million. Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world.
- Uganda. Uganda borders South Sudan on its Southern border and is in southeast Africa. It has a population of 49 million.
- Malawi. Malawi is in southeastern Africa. It borders Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia. It has a population of about 21 million.
- Burundi. Burundi is in East Africa, bordering Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Lake Tanganyika. Its population is about 13 million.
- Rwanda. Rwanda is in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa. Its population is about 14 million.
- Zambia. Zambia is Malawi’s southern neighbor and is in South-Central Africa. Its population is about 21 million.
- Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe borders Zambia to the south and is in Southern Africa. Its population is about 17 million.
- Botswana. Botswana borders Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. The Kalahari Desert represents most of its land. Its population is a little less than 3 million.
- Eswatini. Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, borders Mozambique and South Africa. Its population is a little more than 1 million.
- Lesotho. Lesotho is a sovereign enclave of South Africa. Its population is more than 2 million.
