Top 10 Countries in the world by coastline – Canada sits at top
Top 10 Countries By Coastline: Earth, an ocean world where life took shape in various ways hosts 70.8% water on its surface. The rest is land that evolved in million of years in the form of various landscapes like countries, continents and mountains. Despite having more than 70% of its surface covered with water, the geographical shaping made few countries having large access to the Earth’s huge oceans via massive coastline while some eventually became a landlocked nation. Geopolitics and war are equally to blame. Countries like Ethiopia, Bolivia, Serbia and South America lost their coastline following several wars and changing of political landscape.
A country with a coastline means they’ve open access to oceans, if not then it’s called a landlocked nation. Coastline is a great contributor in country’s economy. It facilitates trading/shipping while simultaneously developing fishing industry and tourism as well. In this article we’ll talk about the world’s top 10 Countries with the largest coastline.
Canada – The country with world’s largest coastline
The first spot here is taken by Canada. The country has the world’s longest coastline of 2,43,042 km. No other country comes even close. On this massive coastline the country operates 18 major ports keeping international trade in mind. The largest port of Canada is The Port of Vancouver which acts as a gateway to the trade of Asia.
Norway (Coastline – 83,281 Km)
The second country in the list is Norway. Nicknamed “The Land of Midnight Sun” this country’s coastline faces the North Sea, Skagerrak Strait, Barents Sea and Norwegian sea. This allows Norway to have an export oriented economy spanning $300 billion annually. The country is net exporter and it exports primarily crude and petroleum gas which are considered as the pillars of the country’s economy.
Indonesia (Coastline – 54,716 Km)
The 3rd spot here is occupied by Indonesia which has a coastline of 54,716 km. This allows the country to be blessed with mangrove forests and huge coral reefs (the world’s largest coral reef is in Australia). The 54,716 km of coastline length is spread primarily across the 5 main islands of the country – Papua, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Jawa & Bali. Indonesia has close to 17,000 small islands and that’s why it’s the world’s largest archipelagic state.
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Greenland (Coastline – 53,563 Km)
Greenland is a country but not an independent one. It is a self governing territory that falls under The Kingdom of Denmark. Its currency, foreign policy and defence rights are reserved by Denmark while taxation, education, healthcare are governed by the country itself. It has a coastline of 44,087 km. Greenland is known as the world’s largest island and home to the world’s second largest ice sheet known as the “Greenland Ice sheet”.
Russia (Coastline – 37,653 Km)
The largest country in the world by area has a Coastline of 37,563 km. This coastline serves as a lifeline for Russian economy as the country depends primarily on energy exports like petroleum, gas and coal. Russia holds third spot in the world in natural gas exports and second in natural gas and oil. The country’s coastline touches Caspian Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean. This helps Russia to effortlessly cash on international trade whch is $400 billion annually.
We’ve discussed the coastline of top 5 countries in list of ten, now let’s go for another five.
Philippines (Coastline – 36,289 Km)
The sixth spot here is of Philippines. Just like Indonesia, Philippines too is an island country which consists of 7,641 islands. The country has a coastline of 36,289 km . Considering the fact that 60% of the country’s population resides along the coastal areas shows how important coastline of this very particular country is to its population. The 7,641 km length coastyis spread across Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas, the three main islands/geographical divisions of the country.
Australia (Coastline – 35,877 km)
The world’s sixth largest country is Australia which holds a coastline length of 35,877 km (mainland). It goes past 59,000 km when the coastal length of its small 10,000 islands are taken into consideration. The coastline of Australia is blessed by “The Great Barrier Reef” the world’s largest coral reef system. The country has more than 10,500 beaches that will take close to 29 years if you visit each one of them everyday.
Japan (Coastline – 29,751 Km)
“The Land of Rising Sun” Japan has a coastline of 29,751 km which is seventh largest in the world. This coastline is spread across 4 major islands and 14,121 small islands. Japan is the world’s fourth largest exporter which primarily exports automobiles and parts, iron, steel and semiconductors. The country’s exports are close to $800 Billion annually.
USA (Coastline – 19,929 km)
The general coastal length of USA is 19,929 km, but when it comes to total tidal shoreline it stands at 142,641 km. Among all the states in terms of coastal length Alaska sits at top with length of tidal shoreline of 54,563 km. Around 40% of USA population resides in coastal areas. USA is considered as the world’s second largest exporter which stands at more than $300 billion annually.
New Zealand (Coastline – 15,134 Km)
The last country in the list is New Zealand. It has a coastline of 15,134 km primarily spread across North island and South island and 700 small islands. Its coastline touches the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. You can visit any location in New Zealand at a distance of 130 km from sea.
Top 10 Countries Coastline at glance
| Country | Coastline |
| Canada | 243,042 km |
| Norway | 83,281 km |
| Indonesia | 54,716 km |
| Greenland | 53,563 km |
| Russia | 37,653 km |
| Philippines | 36,289 km |
| Australia | 35,877 km |
| Japan | 29,751 km |
| USA (mainland) | 19,929 km |
| New Zealand | 15,134 km |
So these were the list of top 10 Countries in the world by coastline. If you find this informative then please share. THANK YOU!
