Countries by Coastline

The world's geography reveals a multitude of wonders, one of which is its fascinating seascapes - a testament to an enormous variety of coastlines that edge the world's continents and islands. These coastlines offer significant geographic, economic, and social influences on the countries they belong to, shaping their cultures, livelihoods, economies, and biodiversity.

Key findings from this diverse data include:

• Canada has the world's longest coastline, stretching across a staggering 202,100 kilometers. This significant stretch of coastline is due to its massive land area and numerous islands.
• The United States, while not securing a top spot, bags the ninth position with a substantial coastline of 19,900 kilometers. The impressive figure is owing to the diverse and plentiful coastal states, from the east coast bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast against the Pacific.
• Norway comes second with 83,300 kilometers of coastline, comprising fjords, bays, and island perimeters. Followed by it, Indonesia ranks third with a coastline length of 54,700 kilometers, a feature of its composition as an archipelago.
• Despite being the largest country by land area, Russia ranks fifth in terms of coastline length, with 37,700 kilometers. This paradox is due to Russia's extensive inland territory.
• Contrastingly, smaller countries such as Monaco and Gibraltar feature at the lower end of the list, with coastlines of just 4 and 12 kilometers respectively. These cases demonstrate that a country's total land area does not necessarily equate to a long coastline.

These findings not only point towards the mind-blowing diversity of our planet's coastal landscapes, but they also highlight the significant role they play as boundary lines, economic drivers, and hubs for biodiversity.

The top ten countries with the most expansive coastlines span from North America to Asia and down to Australia. The country with the longest coastline is Canada, boasting an impressive length of 202.1K kilometers. Not too far behind, Europe's Norway comes in with a coastline stretching 83.3K kilometers. Indonesia, the world's largest island country, ranks third with a coastline measuring 54.7K kilometers. 

Greenland, despite its icy disposition, takes the fourth spot with a coastline that extends 44.1K kilometers. Russia's mammoth size translates to a substantial coastline of 37.7K kilometers, while the Philippines, an archipelago country in Southeast Asia, isn't trailing far behind with a coastline of 36.3K kilometers. 

Japan, famous for its breathtaking landscapes, has a coastline length of 29.8K kilometers. Australia, the world's smallest continent and largest island, follows with a coastline of 25.8K kilometers. The United States comes in ninth, quite surprisingly, with a 19.9K-kilometer coastal perimeter. Lastly, New Zealand, a country known for its spectacular and diverse coastline, has a coastline length of 15.1K kilometers.

10 Countries with the Longest Coastlines:

1. Canada - 202.1K km
2. Norway - 83.3K km
3. Indonesia - 54.7K km
4. Greenland - 44.1K km
5. Russia - 37.7K km
6. Philippines - 36.3K km
7. Japan - 29.8K km
8. Australia - 25.8K km
9. United States - 19.9K km
10. New Zealand - 15.1K km

The ten countries with the shortest coastlines are Monaco, Gibraltar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuvalu, Jordan, Nauru, Montserrat, Palestine, Macau, and Slovenia. Monaco has the shortest coastline in the world, measuring only 4 kilometers. Gibraltar follows with a coastline of 12 kilometers. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a slightly larger coastline of 20 kilometers. Tuvalu's coastline length is slightly longer at 24 kilometers, and Jordan ranks fifth with a coastline of 26 kilometers. Nauru has a coastline measuring 30 kilometers. Montserrat and Palestine share the seventh place, each having a coastline of 40 kilometers. Macau's coastline measures 41 kilometers, while Slovenia rounds up the top ten with a coastline of 47 kilometers. 

Here are the ten countries with the shortest coastlines:

1. Monaco - 4km
2. Gibraltar - 12km
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina - 20km
4. Tuvalu - 24km
5. Jordan - 26km
6. Nauru - 30km
7. Montserrat - 40km
8. Palestine - 40km
9. Macau - 41km
10. Slovenia - 47km

The data points presented are defined as follows:

• Coastline Length - A measure of the length of a countries border between land and water. Measurement provided in kilometers.

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