Landlocked Countries 2024

A landlocked country is defined as entirely surrounded by land. Some of these nations may have coastlines, but these are only on closed seas. Rivers might run through a portion of the region, and there can be bodies of water within the country's borders, but every border is land-based, rather than water like an ocean shore. Of all the countries in the world, forty-nine of them are landlocked. This number is equivalent to one-fifth, or twenty percent, of all countries in the world.

As a landlocked country, these nations are actually at quite a disadvantage. While it might not seem unfortunate at first glance, landlocked countries are cut off from seaports and trading points that are often situated along the water. Since many trades happen by way of water transportation, landlocked countries cannot participate in as many trading opportunities as countries with access to major bodies of water.

Additionally, double landlocked countries are landlocked and surrounded by other landlocked countries. This means that residents of double landlocked countries need to cross two country's borders to reach a coastline. There are only two double landlocked countries: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan.

Along with the lack of access to seaborne trade, landlocked countries also miss out on valuable resources, such as fishing, which contributes to the economy of many countries with water access. Without fishing as a major resource and income stream, landlocked countries have to turn to other prosperity sources. Many landlocked countries are abundant in agriculture and intra-continental commerce.

All of that said, some nations have overcome the challenges that landlocked borders create, and they have even become quite wealthy, too. Two landlocked countries that manage to sustain success despite their lack of water borders are Austria and Switzerland. Even so, Austria and Switzerland have advantages that make their flourishing economies possible. The most apparent advantage is its location.

As part of Europe, Austria and Switzerland are situated on one of the most affluent and well-developed continents globally. Most landlocked nations are landlocked developing countries. Most landlocked nations are less wealthy and less populated than coastal nations.

The largest landlocked country by area is Kazakhstan. The smallest by area is Vatican City. The largest landlocked country by population is Ethiopia, which has a population of over 101 million people. Vatican City is the smallest by population, with a total population of fewer than 1,000 people.

These landlocked nations make up over 11% of the world's total area and are home to nearly 7% of the world's total population.