List of Landlocked Developing Countries

Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) do not have territorial access to the sea, which causes significant challenges in trade, transportation, and infrastructure. Low-income nations with low GDP and human development are all classified as LLDCs. The least developed countries dominate the 32 landlocked developing countries. Kazakhstan, with a land size of 2,724,900 km2 with borders with Russia, China, Kyrgystan, and the landlocked Caspian Sea, is the largest landlocked country with no border access to the open ocean.

What Are Landlocked Countries?

A landlocked country is one whose territory is not connected to the ocean and whose coastlines are located in endorheic basins. There are 44 largest landlocked countries and five partially recognised landlocked governments in the world right now. Landlocked countries have political and economic disadvantages that might be avoided if they had access to international waters. As a result, nations’ large and small governments have sought access to open waterways throughout history, even at considerable cost in the economy, violence, and political capital. Being landlocked has historically been detrimental to a country’s progress. It isolates a country from major sea resources like fisheries and restricts direct access to maritime trade, which is critical for economic and social progress. As a result, coastal regions, or inland regions with access to oceans, are in a better economic position and are more densely populated than inland regions without such access.

Important Facts About Landlocked Countries    

There are 44 officially and generally acknowledged the largest landlocked countries today and five partially recognised landlocked governments. As a result, 475.8 million people, or 6.9% of the world’s population, live in countries without access to seawater. These countries cover 11.4 % of the planet’s total land area.

Ethiopia is the world’s most populated landlocked country, with 101.8 million inhabitants. On the other hand, Vatican City is the world’s least populous landlocked country, with 820 people. In Europe and Africa, there are 16 landlocked countries, and in Asia, there are 15 landlocked countries, while in America, there are just two landlocked countries. The 49 countries having naval forces include the Central African Republic, Azerbaijan, Rwanda, and Turkmenistan. With watercraft and naval troops, they protect enormous inland water bodies such as seas, lakes, rivers, and other endorheic basins.

Population-Based Diversity

The largest landlocked countries’ populations are similarly diverse. Most highly populated landlocked countries are found in Asia and Africa, while Vatican City, the world’s least populous nation, is located in Europe.

However, being economically weak does not automatically imply a lack of direct access to the coast. Landlocked countries such as Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and others are among the richest in the world. 

Effective diplomatic relations with neighbouring countries, and good governance, are essential for these countries’ continued prosperity. The majority of these wealthy landlocked countries are European, while those with the highest poverty levels are not. Landlocked countries lack direct access to commercial routes, limiting their ability to trade freely. These landlocked nations rely on other countries to access and use maritime ports. As a result, compared to countries having access to open ocean bodies, they pay more to move merchandise.

Landlocked countries face economic and political challenges. An ocean or sea is vital to any country’s economy since it supports a variety of sectors such as fishing, tourism, and transportation. Nations have historically desired access to oceans or seas at all costs, including violence.

Triple Landlocked Countries

A landlocked state surrounded on three sides by three states from the nearest gulf, bay, or ocean is known as a triple landlocked country. There are three triple landlocked countries globally, each of which is surrounded by another country. The Vatican City and San Marino, for example, are both landlocked by Italy, and Lesotho, the third, is encircled by South Africa. The size of the Vatican City is 0.44 square kilometres, while San Marino is 61 square kilometres, and Lesotho is 30,000 square kilometres.

List of Landlocked Countries

There are 44 landlocked countries listed globally, with 16 of them being the least developed. The list of landlocked countries in Africa is Zambia, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Burundi, Malawi, Eswatini, and Lesotho.

Conclusion

There are 44 landlocked countries listed globally, with 16 of them being the least developed. Kazakhstan is the world’s most populous landlocked country. Landlocked countries with no access to seawater are home to 6.9% of the world’s population. Asia has the most populous landlocked countries, while Vatican City has the least. A landlocked country must maintain excellent political connections with coastal countries. Any diplomatic squabble or deterioration in relations might have a major impact on the landlocked country. A coastal country might deny landlocked country access to a maritime port, causing import and export activity to be hampered.