10 Countries with the Longest Coastline in the World

Published on May 15, 2015 at 12:24 pm by Addison Nino in Lists

If you love beaches, perhaps you’ve wondered about the countries with the longest coastline in the world. As a beach bummer myself, I was curious to know, and was a little surprised with the answers. For some reason, and maybe this is just me, I didn’t think about the countries that aren’t known for their beaches. When I think of coastlines, I think of blue seas, white sand, people in their swimsuits, and colorful beach umbrellas. Of course, when I wash the sand off my brain, I can see that coastlines are much more than just where a beach is, but where a country boarders water. Duh! Silly me. Hopefully I’m not alone on that slightly embarrassing oversight.

So let’s get to the point. Which countries have the longest coastline in the world? Before I tell you, any guesses? I should also preface with the fact Antarctica should be on the list, however since that continent is rarely visited by man and only a handful of people are crazy enough to live there, I’ll leave it to the countries that you may actually find yourself at. All figures are provided by the CIA World Factbook.

10. New Zealand

Although New Zealand might seem small in comparison to other countries, we are talking about islands here, so of course, the entire circumference of the land is surrounded by water. Here you can put these coastlines to use too! There are beaches all around the country and you can find yourself dolphin watching, sailing, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, surfing, and pretty much any other water sport imaginable. Put those 15,134 km of coastline to good use!

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9. The United States

The good ‘ol USA is of course on this list. Despite being sandwiched between Mexico and Canada, the country has a vast area sitting pretty with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans on either side. The US is often on the list of countries with the Best Beaches in the World. The 19,924 km of coastlines will keep any traveler busy here for a while.

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8. Norway

The country doesn’t seem big at first glance, but a good chunk of it borders the Norwegian Sea. There’s 25,148 km of coastline and this figure includes Svalbard, islands, and fjords as well. Although a regularly cold country, Norway provides a spectacular array of scenes along its 25,148 km of coastlines including majestic mountains and quaint villages.

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7. Australia

Australia’s 25,760 km of coastline display spectacular sights for anyone who comes to visit. Diving, surfing, water sports galore. Enjoy the seemingly endless coastlines of this magnificent country.

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6. Japan

Holding over 6,500 islands, Japan is another country that boasts more coastline than you realize. There’s 29,751 km of coastal beauty in this interesting and diverse country.

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5. Philippines

Not surprisingly, this small archipelago of thousands of island is on this list. Including more than 7,000 islands, it’s no surprise the amount of coastline here reaches a staggering 36,289 km despite the overall small size of the country.

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4. Russia

A country not known for its beaches, but for its sheer size is Russia. Here, although you might not be caught in a bikini, you can see 37,653 km of coastline. Just make sure you’re bundled up.

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3. Greenland / Denmark

Greenland is autonomous with Denmark, and when you put the coastlines of these two together, you get 44,087 km of land meets water. Unfortunately it’s not exactly a beach getaway, but instead a picturesque scene of mountain villages and icy vistas.

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2. Indonesia

Coastlines are a tropical paradise requirement, and that’s what Indonesia is. Over 17,000 islands make up this incredible cluster of islands, and with 54,716 km of beaches and lush mountains bordering the water, Indonesia is one of your best bets for the ultimate island getaway.

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1. Canada

While Canada isn’t necessarily known for its beaches either, it has 202,080 km of coastline. Due to it’s super north location, most of these spots are an icy tundra, but it is definitely coastline. There are also many islands scattered about which all count towards the number of kilometers measured in its coastline.