Landlocked Countries Quiz

Identify the world's landlocked nations.

Identify the world's landlocked nations — the countries with no coastline at all, and two that are surrounded entirely by other landlocked countries.

What counts as landlocked

A landlocked country has no direct access to an ocean or open sea. There are more than forty, and they cluster in three places: central Europe, central Asia and central Africa.

The classification has real consequences — landlocked countries depend on neighbours for port access, which shapes their trade, their infrastructure and often their politics. That is why the category appears so often in quizzes: it is a geographic fact with visible effects.

The doubly landlocked pair

Two countries are landlocked and every country they border is also landlocked, so reaching the sea means crossing at least two international borders:

Liechtenstein — bordered by Switzerland and Austria, both landlocked.
Uzbekistan — bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, all landlocked.

These are the only two in the world, and they are among the most reliably asked questions in this whole category.

Note that Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan border the Caspian Sea — but the Caspian is an enclosed body of water with no ocean outlet, which is why they still count as landlocked.

Europe's landlocked states

Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova, Belarus, Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City.

Andorra, San Marino and Vatican City are easy to forget because they are so small. Vatican City and San Marino are both entirely surrounded by Italy, which is a separate and equally quiz-friendly fact.

Africa's landlocked states

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Niger.

Ethiopia is the one people miss most. It had a coastline until Eritrea became independent in 1993, and older maps and older memories still place it on the sea.

Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa — one of only three countries in the world entirely enclosed by a single other country, along with San Marino and Vatican City.

Asia's landlocked states

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Laos, Armenia, Azerbaijan.

Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Mongolia is the second-largest landlocked country in the world after Kazakhstan.

South America's two

Bolivia and Paraguay. Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile in the nineteenth-century War of the Pacific and has never accepted the loss — it still maintains a navy, which operates on Lake Titicaca and the rivers. That is exactly the kind of detail that makes a fact stick.

The opposite category

Island Nations is the mirror image, and worth doing alongside this one. Together they cover the two ends of the coastline spectrum and reinforce the same underlying map.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries are doubly landlocked?

Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan — the only two. Both are landlocked and every country they border is also landlocked, so reaching an ocean requires crossing at least two international borders.

How many landlocked countries are there?

More than forty, concentrated in central Europe, central Asia and central Africa. The exact count varies slightly depending on how partially recognised states are treated.

Is Ethiopia landlocked?

Yes, since 1993, when Eritrea became independent and took the coastline with it. Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world, and it is frequently missed because older maps and memories still place it on the Red Sea.

Which country is completely surrounded by one other country?

Three are: Lesotho, entirely within South Africa, and San Marino and Vatican City, both entirely within Italy. They are called enclaved countries and are distinct from the doubly landlocked pair.

Does Bolivia have a navy?

Yes, despite being landlocked. Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific in the 1880s and has never accepted the loss. Its navy operates on Lake Titicaca and the country's river system.

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