Reference · 5 min read
🧭 Which Countries Have the Most Borders?
Russia and China tie at 14 — but the list of border-rich nations has some surprises.
Some countries are completely landlocked. Others border more than a dozen neighbors. Here's the list.
Tied for #1 — Russia & China, 14 borders each. - Russia: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, North Korea. - China: Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, North Korea.
#3. Brazil — 10 borders. Every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.
#4. Tied: Germany, France, Tanzania, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, DRC — 8 each.
Why does this matter? Border-rich countries tend to be major trading hubs — and historically, more prone to conflict.
Bonus trivia: - The shortest international border is between Botswana and Zambia: just 150 meters across the Zambezi River. - The longest is the US-Canada border at 8,891 km. - Lesotho and San Marino are entirely surrounded by a single other country.