Why should you be surprised to know this?

Approximately one-fifth of the world's countries are landlocked, which means they have no access to the oceans. 44 landlocked countries do not have direct access to an ocean or sea access to the ocean (such as the Mediterranean Sea).

Why is the lack of access to the sea a problem?

While a country like Switzerland has prospered despite its lack of access to the world's oceans, being landlocked has many disadvantages. Some landlocked countries are among the poorest in the world. Some of the problems of being landlocked include:

Ø Lack of access to oceanic fisheries and food sources.

Ø High transportation and transit costs due to lack of access to ports and global shipping operations.

Ø Geopolitical vulnerabilities stem from the reliance on neighboring countries for access to world markets and natural resources.

Ø Military limitations due to lack of naval options.

What continents do not have landlocked countries?

North America has no landlocked countries, and Australia is landlocked. Within the United States, more than half of the 50 states are landlocked and do not have direct access to the world's oceans. Many states, however, have access to ocean water through the Hudson Bay, the Chesapeake Bay, or the Mississippi River.

Landlocked countries in South America.

There are only two landlocked countries in South America: Paraguay and Bolivia.

Landlocked countries in Europe.

Europe has 14 landlocked countries: Andorra, Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

Landlocked countries in Africa.

Africa has 16 landlocked countries: Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, South Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Lesotho is unusual in that it is landlocked by only one country (South Africa).

Landlocked countries in Asia.

Asia has 12 landlocked countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Several West Asian countries border the Caspian Sea, which is landlocked, a feature that opens up some trade and transit opportunities.

Disputed landlocked regions.

Four regions that are not fully recognized as independent countries are landlocked: Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Transnistria.

What are the two doubly landlocked countries?

There are two special landlocked countries which are known as doubly landlocked countries, surrounded by other landlocked countries. The two doubly landlocked countries are Uzbekistan (surrounded by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) and Liechtenstein (surrounded by Austria and Switzerland).

What is the largest landlocked country?

Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, but it is the largest landlocked country in the world. It is 1.03 million square miles (2.67 million km2) and is bordered by Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the landlocked Caspian Sea.

What are the most recently added landlocked countries?

The most recent addition to the list of landlocked countries is South Sudan, which gained its independence in 2011.

Serbia is also a recent addition to the list of landlocked countries. Previously, the country had access to the Adriatic Sea, but when Montenegro became an independent country in 2006, Serbia lost its access to the sea.