There are 44 countries on Earth that don't touch the ocean. Not a single metre of coastline. No beach holidays without a passport stamp. If you live in one of these places and want to see the sea, you're driving through at least one other country first — and in two very special cases, you're driving through two.
Being landlocked is one of those things most people don't think about until someone points it out. Then suddenly you're staring at a map going "wait, how does Bolivia get its stuff?" Great question. Let's get into it.
What Does "Landlocked" Actually Mean?
A landlocked country is entirely surrounded by land — no direct access to any ocean or sea. This sounds simple enough, but the implications are enormous. International trade relies heavily on shipping. About 80% of global trade by volume moves by sea. If you don't have a port, you're dependent on your neighbours to let your goods pass through theirs. That's a lot of trust and a lot of customs paperwork.
The United Nations actually recognises this as such a significant disadvantage that landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) get their own special category in international development programs. There are 32 of them, and they face higher transport costs, longer delivery times, and more bureaucratic hurdles than their coastal neighbours.
The Full List
Here are all 44 landlocked countries, grouped by continent:
Africa (16)
Africa has the most landlocked countries of any continent: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Many of these were created during the colonial "Scramble for Africa" when European powers drew borders with very little regard for geography, trade routes, or — well — anything the people who actually lived there might have wanted.
Europe (14)
Europe is second: Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic (Czechia), Hungary, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Europe's landlocked countries generally do fine economically — Switzerland and Luxembourg are two of the richest countries on Earth. Turns out being landlocked matters a lot less when you have excellent rail networks, cooperative neighbours, and a banking sector that makes the ocean irrelevant.
Asia (12)
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Central Asia is basically one giant landlocked region. Kazakhstan alone is the world's largest landlocked country — it's bigger than Western Europe combined, and not a single wave in sight. Mongolia is the second largest, which is fitting for a country that once conquered half of Eurasia and still didn't keep a coastline.
South America (2)
Bolivia and Paraguay. Bolivia is famously bitter about this — they lost their coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879–1884) and have never quite gotten over it. They still have a navy. It patrols Lake Titicaca. They celebrate "Day of the Sea" every year. It's equal parts heartbreaking and admirable.
Double-Landlocked Countries
Here's where it gets properly weird. Two countries are double-landlocked — meaning they're landlocked and entirely surrounded by other landlocked countries. To reach the ocean, you have to cross at least two international borders.
Those two countries are Liechtenstein (surrounded by Switzerland and Austria, both landlocked) and Uzbekistan (surrounded by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan — all landlocked). Uzbekistan is the only double-landlocked country that borders five other landlocked countries. That's impressively inconvenient.
Why It Matters More Than You'd Think
Landlocked countries in the developing world face some serious structural disadvantages:
- Trade costs are 50% higher on average compared to coastal countries
- Transit dependence means political disputes with neighbours can literally stop your economy
- Infrastructure gaps — building roads through mountains to reach a distant port isn't cheap
- Slower economic growth — the World Bank estimates landlocked developing countries grow about 1.5% slower annually
Ethiopia is a good example. It's the most populous landlocked country (over 120 million people) and relies almost entirely on Djibouti's port for international trade. That single corridor handles about 95% of Ethiopia's imports and exports. One dispute, one natural disaster, one infrastructure failure — and the supply chain for 120 million people gets disrupted.
The Countries That Lost Their Coastline
Not all landlocked countries started that way. Some had coastlines and lost them — usually through war or the breakup of larger states.
Bolivia lost its coast to Chile. Ethiopia had a coast when Eritrea was part of it, but lost access when Eritrea became independent in 1993. Serbia had a coastline when it was part of Yugoslavia, then Montenegro's independence in 2006 made it landlocked. History giveth, history taketh away.
The Workarounds
Landlocked countries have developed creative solutions over the centuries:
- Transit agreements — most landlocked countries have treaties guaranteeing them access to their neighbours' ports
- Free trade zones — special economic areas near borders to reduce friction
- River navigation — Paraguay uses the Paraguay and Paraná rivers extensively for trade
- Air freight — expensive but no borders to cross
- Economic diversification — Switzerland pivoted to banking and services; you don't need a port to wire money
Test Your Knowledge
Think you can locate all 44 landlocked countries on a map? That's harder than it sounds — especially the African ones, which trip up even geography enthusiasts. Give it a go: