There are 44 landlocked countries and areas in the world, which can limit trade and affect GDP. Only a few landlocked countries have a higher GDP per capita than the world average of $15,000 USD. Africa has 15, Asia has 12, Europe has 15, and South America has 2 landlocked countries. Lichtenstein and Uzbekistan are the only countries surrounded by other landlocked countries. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country.
According to the CIA World Factbook, there are 44 countries and other landlocked areas. Put simply, this means that the country has no coast. This status is critical to many nations because it prevents unrestricted access to the open ocean which, in turn, allows trade with most countries in the world. Goods produced in a country with no access to the open sea, for example, must always be transported through another country before traveling to their destination.
Landlocked status does not appear to be just a superficial aspect of a country. For example, the average gross domestic product (GDP) per capita for the world is approximately $15,000 US Dollars (USD). Of the world’s landlocked countries, only a few, such as Switzerland and Austria, have higher GDP per capita than this average. The average of all landlocked countries is only about $13,000 USD, but this average is skewed by the inclusion of countries like Lichtenstein, which has a per capita GDP of $118,000 USD.
Two countries in the world are landlocked, meaning they are surrounded only by other landlocked countries: Lichtenstein and Uzbekistan. The largest landlocked country is Kazakhstan, which is the ninth largest country in the world, covering just over 1 million square miles (2.65 million square kilometers).
Africa comprises a total of 15 landlocked countries; Asia has 12; Europe has 15; and South America has 2. Here is a list of all of them, organized by continent:
Africa
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Central African Republic
Chad
Ethiopia
Lesotho
Malawi
Mali
Niger
Rwanda
Swaziland
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asia
Afghanistan
Azerbaijan
Bhutan
Kazakhistan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Mongolia
Nepal
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
west Bank
Europa
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Belarus
Czech Republic
Vatican City (Holy See)
Hungary
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Moldavia
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Swiss
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
South America
Paraguay
Bolivia
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