Which is the smallest landlocked country in the world?
- A.San Marino
- B.Vatican City
- C.Liechtenstein
- D.Andorra
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Vatican City. The Vatican, about 0.44 square kilometres inside Rome, is both the smallest country in the world and the smallest landlocked country; it is the seat of the Pope and the smallest member of the family of sovereign states. Option A is wrong because San Marino, also inside Italy, is the third smallest country in the world and claims to be the oldest surviving republic, but it is larger than the Vatican. Option C is wrong because Liechtenstein, between Switzerland and Austria, is larger still and is famous as one of the only two doubly landlocked countries. Option D is wrong because Andorra, in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is the largest of these four. Note the related fact that the Vatican and San Marino are two of only three countries in the world surrounded by a single neighbour, the third being Lesotho.
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
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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 →Which continent has the largest number of landlocked countries?
- A.Asia
- B.Europe
- C.Africa
- D.South America
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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.
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.
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