Rankings: 10 Largest Landlocked Countries In the World

By Frank Kamuntu

A landlocked country is an independent sovereign state that does not have direct access to the Sea. There are 200 countries in the world and most of them have direct access to water except 44 of these countries. These are landlocked countries that rely upon the neighboring coastal state as a transit state to carry out their international trade across the sea. By area, Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world and Vatican City is the smallest landlocked country in the world. Further, Ethiopia is the largest populous landlocked country.

There are types of landlocked countries: single and double landlocked countries. A singly landlocked country is surrounded by only one country such as San Marino by Italy. A double landlocked country is not only landlocked but also surrounded by another landlocked country, making it harder to access the sea such as Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein. However, here are the 10 largest landlocked countries in the world.

List Of 10 Largest Landlocked Countries In The World

1) Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and is the largest landlocked country. It is the largest country in Central Asia and the ninth-largest country in the world. It covers an area of 2,724,900 square kilometers with a population of 19 million. Kazakhstan took independence from Russia in 1991. It borders five countries: east by China, north and northwest by Russia, south by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Aral Sea (saltwater lake of central Asia), and Turkmenistan. Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. It consists of hilly plateaus, plains, lowlands, and low mountainous regions. Almaty is its largest metropolis and trading hub. Further, the artifacts of Kazakhstan’s history have been displayed in a tsarist-era Russian Orthodox church, Ascensia Cathedral, and the Central State Museum.

2) Mongolia
Mongolia is located in Northern Asia and is the second-largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 1,564,241 square kilometers with a population of 3.348 million. Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia and centers around Genghis Khan Square. It borders China and Russia. Mongolian is famous for its vast, nomadic, and rugged expanses of culture. Mongolia has had a multiparty parliamentary democracy since the revolution of government in 1990. The National Museum of Mongolian has restored and displayed the historic artifact of Gandantegchinlen Monastery 1830.

3) Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is located in Central Africa and is the third largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 1,284,000 square kilometers with a population of 17.18 million. It is the largest landlocked country in Africa. N’Djamena is the capital of Chad. It borders Sudan to the East, Libya to the North, Cameroon to the Southwest, Central African Republic to the South, Niger to the West, and Nigeria to the Southwest. It consists of a large Basin surrounded by mountains on the north, south, and east. These mountains include the Tibesti Massif and crystalline rocks mountains. However, the region of Chad has experienced a long religious war between Christians and Muslims and the country gained independence in 1960. Since 1996, it has been a democratic country.

4) Niger
The Republic of Niger is located in West Africa and is the fourth largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 1,267,000 square kilometers with a population of 25.25 million. Niamey is the capital of Niger and one of the largest cities in the Western Africa. It borders Chad to the east, Libya to the northeast, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Nigeria to the south, Algeria to the northwest, and Mali to the West. It consists of highlands, Plateaus, and large valleys filled with sand. Further, a Presidential democracy is established in Niger with a new constitution which was approved in 2010.

5) Mali
Mali is located in western Africa and is the fifth largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 1,241,238 square kilometers with a population of 21.9 million. Bamako is the capital of Mali. It borders Niger to the east, Algeria to the north, Mauritania to the northwest, Guinea and Senegal to the west, and Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso to the south. There are 13 official languages of Mali, out of which the most commonly spoken is the Bambara. Mali is flat and arid, and the river Niger flows through it, providing fertile agricultural soil and the main trading artery in the country. There is a multiparty Presidential system in the Republic of Mali.

6) Ethiopia
Ethiopia is located in Eastern Africa and is the sixth-largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 1,120,000 square kilometers with a population of 120.3 million. Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia. It borders Djibouti to the northeast, Eritrea to the north, Somalia to the east and southeast, Sudan to the northwest, and South Sudan to the west. It is the second most populous country in Africa following Nigeria. It is a place of ancient culture with archaeological finds dating back 3 million years. It consists of the Western Lowlands, the Western Highlands, the Eastern Lowlands, the Eastern Highlands, and the Rift Valley. The most rugged and extensive topographic component of Ethiopia is the Western Highlands.

7) Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is located in South America and is the seventh-largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 1,098,581 square kilometers with a population of 12.08 million. La Paz is the capital of Bolivia. It borders Argentina to the South, Brazil to the North and East, Paraguay to the Southeast, Peru to the West, and Chile to the Southwest. It is a Unitary Presidential constitutional republic where the vote of the people elects the President, Vice President, and the members of parliament. It consists of varied terrain extending the Andes Mountains, the Amazon Basin rainforest, and the Atacama Desert. The continent’s largest lake, Titicaca Lake passes near La Paz, the capital city and straddling the border with Peru.

8) Zambia
Zambia is located in Eastern Africa and is the eighth-largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 752,612 square kilometers with a population of 19.47 million. Lusaka is the capital city of the Republic of Zambia. Zambia gained independence in 1964 after the fall of the Federation of Nyasaland and Rhodesia. It borders Malawi to the east, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Mozambique to the southeast, Tanzania to the northeast, Angola to the West, and Namibia to the Southwest. It consists of diverse wildlife, rugged terrains, safari areas, and many parks. The Smoke That Thunder or Victoria Falls is on its border with Zimbabwe providing a spectacular viewpoint.

9) Afghanistan
Afghanistan is located in Southern Asia and is the ninth-largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 652,864 square kilometers with a population of 40.1 million. Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic with the capital city, Kabul. It borders Pakistan to the south and east, Uzbekistan to the north, Iran to the west, Tajikistan to the northeast, Turkmenistan to the northwest, and China to the east and northeast. The landscape of Afghanistan is mostly covered by the tall mountains and the deserts. These mountains provided the route to the traders and merchants under the section of Silk Road who traveled between Europe, China, and India for over 20 Centuries.

10) Central African Republic
The Central African Republic is located in Central Africa and is the tenth-largest landlocked country in the world. It covers an area of 622,436 square kilometers with a population of 5.457 million. Bangui is the capital city of the Central African Republic. It borders South Sudan to the east, Sudan to the northeast, the Republic of the Congo to the Southwest, Chad to the north, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the south, and Cameroon to the west. It has vast central plains, rolling plateaus, waterways, wooded hills, and grassy meadows.

The world is full of diverse countries with different geographical patterns and strategic significance. Some countries are rich in natural resources and some are rich in technological or manmade resources. Some are coastal states and some are not. Every state has unique geographical features and characteristics. This article provides the largest landlocked countries in the world and has described their geographical positions and significance.

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