Which continent has the largest number of landlocked countries?
- A.Asia
- B.Europe
- C.Africa
- D.South America
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Africa. Of the forty-four landlocked countries in the world, sixteen are in Africa, among them Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi and Lesotho; the colonial boundaries drawn in the nineteenth century are the reason so many African states were left without a coast. Option B is wrong because Europe comes next with fourteen, including Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and the Vatican. Option A is wrong because Asia has twelve, from Afghanistan and Nepal to Mongolia and the Central Asian republics. Option D is wrong because South America has only two, Bolivia and Paraguay. North America, Australia and Oceania have none at all, since every country there reaches the sea. Africa's landlocked states are also among the poorest in the world, because their exports must cross one or two borders before they reach a port.
Read the full article: Landlocked Countries of the World: List, Facts and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allIn India, how many States are on the coastline?
- A.7
- B.8
- C.9
- D.10
Show answer
The coastal states of India, counted from the west coast round to the east, are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal; Gujarat has the longest coastline among them.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is a doubly landlocked country?
- A.Nepal
- B.Uzbekistan
- C.Mongolia
- D.Bolivia
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A doubly landlocked country is one that is surrounded only by landlocked countries, so at least two international borders must be crossed to reach the sea.
Read the full explanation →Which is the largest landlocked country in the world by area?
- A.Mongolia
- B.Kazakhstan
- C.Chad
- D.Bolivia
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Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and by far the largest with no sea coast. Its shore on the Caspian does not change this, because the Caspian is the world's largest lake and has no natural connection with the ocean, so Kazakhstan is counted as landlocked.
Read the full explanation →Bolivia and which other country are the only landlocked countries of South America?
- A.Ecuador
- B.Uruguay
- C.Paraguay
- D.Guyana
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Bolivia and Paraguay are the only two landlocked states in South America. Paraguay has no coast but reaches the Atlantic along the Paraguay and Parana rivers, which carry most of its trade; Bolivia lost its Pacific coast to Chile in the War of the Pacific of 1879 to 1883.
Read the full explanation →Ethiopia became a landlocked country in 1993 when which neighbouring country became independent?
- A.Somalia
- B.Djibouti
- C.Eritrea
- D.South Sudan
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Eritrea became independent of Ethiopia in 1993 after a long war and took with it the entire Red Sea coast, including the ports of Massawa and Assab, leaving Ethiopia landlocked; Ethiopia is today the most populous landlocked country in the world and routes most of its trade through Djibouti.
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