Why Are Some Countries Landlocked? Explained
Landlocked countries have no coastline on the open ocean. There are 44 sovereign states without a sea coast. Some are enclaves inside one neighbor; two are “doubly landlocked,” surrounded only by other landlocked states. Geography, colonial borders, and political breakups are the main reasons this happens.
What “landlocked” means (and how many there are)
“Landlocked” means a country has no direct coastline on the global ocean. Lakes and inland seas do not change that definition. For example, Kazakhstan has long shores on the Caspian Sea, but the Caspian is an endorheic (landlocked) basin, not connected to the world ocean. In simple terms: if ships cannot sail from your coast to the ocean, you are still landlocked.
As of 2025 there are 44 landlocked countries worldwide, a figure recognized by Encyclopædia Britannica. That list spans every continent except Oceania. The group ranges from microstates such as Vatican City to giants like Kazakhstan, and from high-income economies (e.g., Switzerland, Luxembourg) to low-income nations, especially in Africa and Asia.
Special cases: doubly landlocked, enclaves, and inland seas
Only two countries are doubly landlocked—Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan—meaning each is surrounded entirely by landlocked neighbors (confirmed by the CIA World Factbook). Enclave countries sit wholly within one other country: Lesotho (within South Africa), and San Marino and Vatican City (within Italy). And as noted, a shoreline on an inland sea (e.g., the Caspian) does not grant ocean access.
Landlocked vs. Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)
“Landlocked developing countries” are a United Nations grouping of 32 states facing particular structural constraints from geography. LLDCs collectively account for about 7% of world population but only ~1.2% of global trade, and their shipments tend to cost more and take longer to move. See UNCTAD’s LLDC brief (2025) for headline figures and policy context.
| Metric | Value (as of 2025) |
|---|---|
| Total landlocked sovereign countries | 44 (Britannica) |
| UN-designated LLDCs | 32 (UN/OHRLLS & UNCTAD) |
| Doubly landlocked countries | 2 — Liechtenstein, Uzbekistan (CIA) |
| Largest landlocked country (area) | Kazakhstan — 1,052,100 sq mi (2,724,900 km²) |
| Smallest landlocked country (area) | Vatican City — 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km²) |
| Most populous landlocked country | Ethiopia — ~132 million (2024, World Bank) |
How countries became landlocked: geography, history, and borders
Many landlocked states lie deep in continental interiors or behind natural barriers like mountain ranges and deserts. The Himalayas wall off Nepal and Bhutan; the Sahara isolates Niger and Chad. Rivers may point toward the ocean, but terrains and neighbors control whether a practicable corridor exists.
History matters just as much. Colonial and imperial borders often prioritized strategic lines over maritime access. Later, political change reshaped maps again. In 1993, Eritrea’s independence left Ethiopia without a coast for the first time in modern history. In 2006, Montenegro’s independence gave it the Adriatic—while Serbia became landlocked. Older wars mattered too: Bolivia lost its Pacific coastline to Chile in the 19th-century War of the Pacific and has since sought negotiated solutions and special port rights.
Colonial/imperial borders and natural barriers
Arbitrary lines across Sahelian plains, or ridgelines in the Alps and Himalaya, created countries whose gateways to the sea depended on others’ cooperation. Even where rivers flow seaward (like the Niger or Mekong), riparian laws, dams, and jurisdictional issues can limit effective access.
Secession and state succession
Two often-cited turning points are notable. Eritrea’s 1993 independence (via UN-supervised referendum) removed Ethiopia’s Red Sea coast. And when Montenegro declared independence in 2006, the former state union dissolved, leaving Serbia without Adriatic frontage. These cases show how political change, even peaceful, can produce fresh landlocked realities.
Treaties and international law
International law acknowledges the challenges of landlocked geography. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 125 recognizes a right of access to and from the sea for landlocked states (subject to transit-state agreements). Historic disputes over sea access—like Bolivia v. Chile at the International Court of Justice (2018)—underscore how access questions blend law, history, and diplomacy.
Economic impacts of being landlocked
Without ports, most imports and exports must cross at least one foreign border by road or rail before reaching a ship. That adds checkpoints, fees, and handoffs. According to UNCTAD (2025), LLDCs face transport costs about 50% above the global average and wait roughly twice as long for goods to clear and move. As a result, LLDCs’ share of world trade (~1.2%) lags far behind their share of population (~7%).
The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement tackles some of these frictions by streamlining border procedures and setting rules for transit. Where countries reform customs, digitalize paperwork, and cooperate on “single-window” systems, dwell times and costs fall—helping landlocked exporters compete in global value chains.
Costs and delays
Extra time and touches raise prices. A landlocked shipper may pay multiple trucking fees, storage, and informal charges at intermediate borders. Longer logistics chains also increase risk (spoilage, damage) and working-capital needs. That is why trade policy and infrastructure upgrades are central to LLDC development strategies.
Development profile of LLDCs
Of the 44 landlocked states, 32 are LLDCs. Many depend on a few commodities and a small set of corridors to reach foreign markets. Diversifying exports, building dry ports, and cutting red tape on both sides of borders are recurring goals in regional programs from Africa’s Great Lakes to Central Asia’s steppes.
Solutions and workarounds: law, corridors, and waterways
Landlocked does not mean cut off. Countries combine legal rights, infrastructure, and regional diplomacy to reach the sea efficiently. Three building blocks matter most: transit rights in law, high-capacity corridors on land, and navigable waterways.
Legal rights: UNCLOS and WTO TFA
UNCLOS Article 125 establishes a framework for access to and from the sea through neighbors, implemented via bilateral and regional agreements (rail slots, customs guarantees, port access). The WTO TFA, especially Article 11 on transit, commits members to transparent, predictable transit rules—vital to LLDCs.
Overland corridors and modern rail
Strategic transport corridors concentrate investment and simplify crossing multiple borders. East Africa’s Northern Corridor links inland states to Mombasa. For Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway provides an electrified spine of roughly 750 km (about 465 miles) from the capital to the Port of Djibouti, cutting transit times and creating reliable capacity for bulk cargo.
Rivers and canals: turning inland into seaward
Historic waterways remain powerful. In Europe, the Rhine–Main–Danube waterway links the North Sea to the Black Sea across ~3,500 km (≈2,175 miles), letting landlocked states such as Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary barge goods to deep-sea ports. In South America, Paraguay and Bolivia use the Paraguay–Paraná system to reach the Atlantic, illustrating how river treaties can mitigate landlocked geography.
Notable superlatives and facts
Largest landlocked country: Kazakhstan, at about 1,052,100 sq mi (2,724,900 km²). Its Caspian shoreline does not change its oceanless status. Most populous: Ethiopia, with ~132 million (2024). Smallest: Vatican City, only 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km²). Doubly landlocked: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan. Enclave states: Lesotho, San Marino, Vatican City.
These contrasts show that being landlocked is not destiny. Switzerland and Luxembourg thrive with high-value services and seamless EU market access; others rely on corridor diplomacy, river systems, and logistics reforms to unlock growth.
FAQ
How many landlocked countries are there?
There are 44 sovereign landlocked countries as of 2025 (widely cited by Encyclopædia Britannica). This count can shift only if borders change or recognition statuses do.
Which countries are “doubly landlocked”?
Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan. Each is entirely surrounded by landlocked neighbors, as noted in the CIA World Factbook’s geography notes.
Do inland seas (like the Caspian) make a country “not landlocked”?
No. The Caspian is an endorheic sea without a natural outlet to the ocean. Countries on its shores still lack direct access to the world ocean, so they remain landlocked.
What reduces trade costs for landlocked countries?
Enforcing transit rights (UNCLOS, WTO TFA), digitizing customs, investing in rail and dry ports, and running coordinated corridor authorities. These steps cut time, fees, and uncertainty.
What Did We Learn Today?
- There are 44 landlocked countries; 32 are UN-designated LLDCs.
- Only two are doubly landlocked: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan.
- LLDC shipments face ~50% higher transport costs and often double the wait times (UNCTAD, 2025).
- Law (UNCLOS, WTO TFA), corridors (e.g., Addis–Djibouti ~750 km/465 miles), and rivers (Rhine–Main–Danube; Paraguay–Paraná) are key workarounds.
- Being landlocked is a challenge, not a fate—policy and partnerships make the difference.
