A landlocked country is a nation entirely surrounded by land, with no direct coastline on an ocean or a sea connected freely to one. There are 44 of them today, including Switzerland, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, and together they hold roughly 7% of the world's land area and population.
Most became landlocked through the ordinary drift of history: colonial borders drawn without regard for coastal access, empires that broke apart into interior successor states, or peace treaties after a war that stripped a defeated country of its coastal territory, as happened to Bolivia after it lost its Pacific coast to Chile in 1884.
How a Country Ends Up With No Coastline
Double-Landlocked Nations and the Cost of No Port
A small handful of countries are "doubly landlocked," meaning every neighboring country is also landlocked, so reaching the sea requires crossing at least two international borders. Only Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan hold that status today, sandwiched between other landlocked states in central Europe and central Asia respectively.
Being landlocked carries a real economic cost, since goods have to move by rail, road, or river through a neighboring country to reach a port, adding time, transit fees, and political risk to every shipment. Landlocked developing countries on average face notably higher trade costs than their coastal neighbors, which is why many negotiate transit treaties guaranteeing access to a neighbor's ports.
Sources
- Wikipedia — list and overview of landlocked countries worldwide
- United Nations OHRLLS — UN data on the economic challenges facing landlocked developing countries
- Britannica — reference on the definition and history of landlocked states
FAQ
Which countries are "doubly landlocked"?
Only Liechtenstein, surrounded by Switzerland and Austria, and Uzbekistan, surrounded entirely by other landlocked Central Asian states, hold this rare status today.
Can a landlocked country still have a navy?
Yes — several landlocked countries maintain small naval or riverine forces for use on large lakes or rivers, even without any ocean coastline.
How do landlocked countries access international shipping?
Most rely on transit agreements with coastal neighbors, moving goods overland by rail or truck to a foreign port, sometimes under treaties that guarantee reduced fees or dedicated corridors.
About the Author
We reference Wikipedia, United Nations OHRLLS, and Britannica to explain the background and current understanding of this topic.
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