Coastline length is one of the trickiest geographic statistics to pin down precisely — the more closely you measure a jagged coast, the longer it gets, a phenomenon known as the “coastline paradox.” Even so, some clear leaders emerge among the countries with the longest coastlines in the world.
Countries with the Longest Coastlines
- Canada — by far the longest coastline of any country, thanks to its enormous Arctic archipelago and deeply indented eastern and western coasts
- Indonesia — a huge coastline total driven by its more than 17,000 islands
- Russia — a vast Arctic and Pacific coastline befitting the largest country in the world by area
- Philippines — an extremely long coastline relative to its total land area, owing to its thousands of islands
- Japan, Australia, Norway, the United States, New Zealand, and Greenland (a territory of Denmark) all also rank among the longest coastlines in the world
See land area for any of these countries on our Rankings page.
Why Coastline Length Is So Hard to Measure Precisely
Because coastlines are naturally fractal — full of bays, inlets, and small islands — the total length measured depends heavily on the scale of the map used. This is why different sources sometimes report very different coastline figures for the same country. Norway is a classic example: its coastline length explodes if every fjord is measured in detail versus approximated on a coarser map.
Coastline vs. Landlocked
Of course, not every country has a coastline at all. See our companion piece on the landlocked countries list for the 44 nations with no ocean access whatsoever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What country has the longest coastline in the world?
Canada has the longest coastline in the world, by a wide margin over any other country.
Why is coastline length so hard to measure exactly?
Coastlines are irregular and fractal in shape, so the more detailed the measurement, the longer the coastline appears — a well-known effect called the coastline paradox.
Does Russia or Canada have a longer coastline?
Canada’s coastline is significantly longer than Russia’s, despite Russia having a larger total land area.
Compare coastal and landlocked countries using our Compare tool.
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