Coastlines have long held a powerful grip on the imagination of travellers, shaped by tides, trade, and time. They’re not just natural borders, but geological features that have shaped trade, migration, and identity for centuries. Whether you’re drawn to Norway’s intricate fjords, Indonesia’s island-hopping potential, or Canada’s sweeping Atlantic-to-Pacific expanse, the length of a country’s coastline can say a lot about its geographic diversity, ecological wealth, and maritime heritage. But measuring that coastline isn’t as simple as it sounds.
To make sense of it, we turned to data compiled by the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organisation known for its environmental and geographical data tools. WRI’s measurement draws from the World Vector Shoreline database, using a consistent scale of 1:250,000. In simple terms, this means coastlines were mapped as digital lines made up of hundreds of thousands of points. The total length of each country’s coastline was calculated by adding up the length of all the mapped line segments that define its shore.
This method avoids the common pitfalls of what geographers call the “coastline paradox”, or the fact that a coastline can appear longer or shorter depending on how detailed your map is. By sticking to a standard resolution, the WRI provides a level playing field for comparison. Here are the 10 countries with the longest coastlines in the world.
Countries with the longest coastlines in the world
Canada: 202,080km
With its vast network of bays, inlets, and island chains stretching from the Pacific to the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, Canada holds the uncontested top spot.
Norway: 83,281km
Thanks to its famously rugged coastline carved by glaciers and peppered with fjords, Norway comes in a distant but impressive second.
Indonesia: 54,716km
An archipelago of over 17,000 islands, Indonesia’s shoreline snakes through tropical waters across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Greenland: 44,087km
Although sparsely populated, Greenland’s jagged, ice-carved coastline is among the most intricate on the planet.
Russia: 37,653km
Bordering both the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, Russia’s coastline is as sprawling as its landmass, though much of it remains remote and icy.
Philippines: 36,289km
This tropical nation of more than 7,000 islands punches well above its weight when it comes to coastline length.
Japan: 29,751km
With four major islands and thousands of smaller ones, Japan’s highly indented shoreline is vital to its fishing and shipping industries.
Australia: 25,760km
A single massive island-continent, Australia’s coastline is known for its surf beaches, coral reefs, and dramatic cliffs.
United States: 19,924km
Spanning both the Atlantic and Pacific, plus the Gulf of Mexico and island states like Hawaii, the US has a diverse and expansive coastline.
New Zealand: 15,134km
Its two main islands, and hundreds of smaller ones, give New Zealand a high coastline-to-land ratio, ideal for sailing, surfing, and scenic road trips.
