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List of countries by length of coastline facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This article lists countries based on how long their coastlines are, measured in kilometers. A coastline is where the land meets the sea. You might think measuring a coastline is simple, but it's actually a bit of a puzzle! Some countries, called landlocked countries, have no coastlines at all.

Understanding Coastlines

An example of the coastline paradox. If measured using an interval of 125 mi (200 km), the coast of Great Britain has a length of about 1,500 mi (2,400 km). Using an interval of 30 mi (50 km), the length is about 2,100 mi (3,400 km).

The Coastline Puzzle

Imagine trying to measure the edge of a cookie with a ruler. If you use a big ruler, you get one number. But if you use a tiny ruler and measure every tiny crumb and bump, the edge seems much longer! This is like the coastline paradox. The length of a coastline changes depending on how closely you measure it. The more detailed your measurement, the longer the coastline appears. This is because coastlines are often very bumpy and winding, like a fractal shape.

How We Measure Coastlines

Because measuring coastlines is tricky, different groups use different methods. This list uses information from two main sources:

  • The World Factbook (CIA): This source provides data for many countries and territories. They also help us understand the coast/area ratio. This ratio tells us how much coastline a country has for every square kilometer of land. Countries made of many islands, like Maldives, or those with very jagged coastlines, like Greece, will have a high ratio. Countries with no access to the sea have a ratio of zero. It's important to remember that the exact way these measurements were taken isn't always known, so comparing countries can sometimes be difficult.
  • World Resources Institute (WRI): This group calculated coastline lengths in 2000 using detailed maps. They used a special computer system called a Geographic Information System (GIS). This system helps measure the length of all the small parts that make up a country's coastline. Generally, the coastlines of islands belonging to a country are included in its total. However, separate territories or disputed areas are usually listed on their own or not included.

Countries with Long Coastlines

This table shows some of the countries with the longest coastlines, along with a few examples of countries that have no coastline at all. Non-sovereign areas are listed in italics.


Location Coastline
(km)		 Land area
(km2)		 Coast/area
ratio
(m/km2)
(CIA) (WRI) (CIA) (WRI)
 World &&&&&&&&&0356000.&&&&&0356,000 1,634,701 &&&&&&0148940000.&&&&&0148,940,000 2.39 11.0
 Canada &&&&&&&&&0202080.&&&&&0202,080 265,523 &&&&&&&&09093507.&&&&&09,093,507 22.2 29.2
 Norway &&&&&&&&&&083281.&&&&&083,281 53,199 &&&&&&&&&0304282.&&&&&0304,282 274 175
 Indonesia &&&&&&&&&&054716.&&&&&054,716 95,181 &&&&&&&&01811569.&&&&&01,811,569 30.2 52.5
 European Union &&&&&&&&&&053563.&&&&&053,563 &&&&&&&&04236351.&&&&&04,236,351 12.6
 Greenland &&&&&&&&&&044087.&&&&&044,087 &&&&&&&&02166086.&&&&&02,166,086 20.4
 Russia &&&&&&&&&&037653.&&&&&037,653 110,310 &&&&&&&016377742.&&&&&016,377,742 2.30 6.74
 Philippines &&&&&&&&&&036289.&&&&&036,289 33,900 &&&&&&&&&0298170.&&&&&0298,170 122 114
 Japan &&&&&&&&&&029751.&&&&&029,751 29,020 &&&&&&&&&0364485.&&&&&0364,485 81.6 79.6
 Australia &&&&&&&&&&025760.&&&&&025,760 66,530 &&&&&&&&07682300.&&&&&07,682,300 3.35 8.66
 United States &&&&&&&&&&019924.&&&&&019,924 133,312 &&&&&&&&09147593.&&&&&09,147,593 2.18 14.6
 Antarctica &&&&&&&&&&017968.&&&&&017,968 &&&&&&&014200000.&&&&&014,200,000 1.27
 New Zealand &&&&&&&&&&015134.&&&&&015,134 17,209 &&&&&&&&&0264537.&&&&&0264,537 57.2 65.1
 China &&&&&&&&&&014500.&&&&&014,500 30,017 &&&&&&&&09326410.&&&&&09,326,410 1.55 3.22
 Greece &&&&&&&&&&013676.&&&&&013,676 15,147 &&&&&&&&&0130647.&&&&&0130,647 105 116
 United Kingdom &&&&&&&&&&012429.&&&&&012,429 19,717 &&&&&&&&&0241930.&&&&&0241,930 51.4 81.5
 Mexico &&&&&&&&&&&09330.&&&&&09,330 23,761 &&&&&&&&01943945.&&&&&01,943,945 4.80 12.2
 Italy &&&&&&&&&&&07600.&&&&&07,600 9,226 &&&&&&&&&0294140.&&&&&0294,140 25.8 31.4
 Brazil &&&&&&&&&&&07491.&&&&&07,491 33,379 &&&&&&&&08358140.&&&&&08,358,140 0.896 3.99
 Turkey &&&&&&&&&&&07200.&&&&&07,200 8,140 &&&&&&&&&0769632.&&&&&0769,632 9.36 10.6
 India &&&&&&&&&&&07000.&&&&&07,000 17,181 &&&&&&&&02973193.&&&&&02,973,193 2.35 5.78
 Chile &&&&&&&&&&&06435.&&&&&06,435 78,563 &&&&&&&&&0743812.&&&&&0743,812 8.65 106
 Micronesia &&&&&&&&&&&06112.&&&&&06,112 1,295 &&&&&&&&&&&&0702.&&&&&0702 8,710 1,840
 Croatia 0Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ","..Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ",".5,835 5,664 &&&&&&&&&&055974.&&&&&055,974 112 101
 Solomon Islands &&&&&&&&&&&05313.&&&&&05,313 9,880 &&&&&&&&&&027986.&&&&&027,986 190 353
 Papua New Guinea &&&&&&&&&&&05152.&&&&&05,152 20,197 &&&&&&&&&0452860.&&&&&0452,860 11.4 44.6
 Argentina &&&&&&&&&&&04989.&&&&&04,989 8,397 &&&&&&&&02736690.&&&&&02,736,690 1.82 3.07
 Iceland &&&&&&&&&&&04970.&&&&&04,970 8,506 &&&&&&&&&0100250.&&&&&0100,250 49.6 84.8
 Spain &&&&&&&&&&&04964.&&&&&04,964 7,268 &&&&&&&&&0498980.&&&&&0498,980 9.95 14.6
 France &&&&&&&&&&&04853.&&&&&04,853 7,330 &&&&&&&&&0640427.&&&&&0640,427 7.58 11.4
 Madagascar &&&&&&&&&&&04828.&&&&&04,828 9,935 &&&&&&&&&0581540.&&&&&0581,540 8.30 17.1
 Malaysia &&&&&&&&&&&04675.&&&&&04,675 9,323 &&&&&&&&&0328657.&&&&&0328,657 14.2 28.4
 Estonia &&&&&&&&&&&03794.&&&&&03,794 2,956 &&&&&&&&&&042388.&&&&&042,388 89.5 69.7
 Cuba &&&&&&&&&&&03735.&&&&&03,735 14,519 &&&&&&&&&0109820.&&&&&0109,820 34.0 132
 Svalbard &&&&&&&&&&&03587.&&&&&03,587 &&&&&&&&&&062045.&&&&&062,045 57.8
 Bahamas &&&&&&&&&&&03542.&&&&&03,542 11,238 &&&&&&&&&&010010.&&&&&010,010 354 1,120
 Vietnam &&&&&&&&&&&03444.&&&&&03,444 11,409 &&&&&&&&&0310070.&&&&&0310,070 11.1 36.8
 Somalia 0Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ","..Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ",".3,333 3,898 &&&&&&&&&0627337.&&&&&0627,337 4.82 6.21
 Thailand &&&&&&&&&&&03219.&&&&&03,219 7,066 &&&&&&&&&0510890.&&&&&0510,890 6.30 13.8
 Sweden &&&&&&&&&&&03218.&&&&&03,218 26,384 &&&&&&&&&0410335.&&&&&0410,335 7.84 64.3
 Colombia &&&&&&&&&&&03208.&&&&&03,208 5,875 &&&&&&&&01038700.&&&&&01,038,700 3.09 5.66
 Maldives &&&&&&&&&&&&0644.&&&&&0644 2,002 &&&&&&&&&&&&0298.&&&&&0298 2,160 6,720
 Singapore &&&&&&&&&&&&0193.&&&&&0193 268 &&&&&&&&&&&&0709.200000709.2 272 378
 Nauru &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 1,430
 Tuvalu &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 923
 Monaco &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.1000004.1 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 2,050
 Afghanistan &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 0 &&&&&&&&&0652230.&&&&&0652,230 0 0
 Bolivia &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 0 &&&&&&&&01083301.&&&&&01,083,301 0 0
 Ethiopia &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 0 &&&&&&&&01096570.&&&&&01,096,570 0 0
 Kazakhstan &100000000000000004000000 4,528 &&&&&&&&02699700.&&&&&02,699,700 0 1.68
 Switzerland &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 0 &&&&&&&&&&039997.&&&&&039,997 0 0

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