20 Countries With the Longest Coastlines in the World
In this article, we will list 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. If you want to skip our discussion about US coastal counties, ports, and the shipping industry in the world, go to 7 Countries With the Longest Coastlines in the World.
Coastal counties in the United States are home to over 128 million, or almost 40% of its total population. When Alaska is excluded, the coastal counties account for only 10% of the total land mass in the country, depicting that they are quite densely populated. The population in coastal counties grew by 34.8 million in a period of 40 years spanning from 1970 to 2010.
These coastal counties contribute significantly to the overall US economy. They produce more than $9.5 trillion in goods and services. For comparison, the total GDP of the United States for 2023 was $27.36 trillion. In fact, if these coastal countries were individual countries, they would rank third in the world in terms of GDP, surpassing only by US and China.
At this point, it is worth having a look at the top three coastal populations in the United States. New Jersey has a 7.1 million coastal population, whereas New York has 16 million. However, California tops this list with 26.7 million in coastal population.
While talking about coasts, one cannot ignore sea ports as the two are closely related. According to National Geographic, the port is a docking place for ships on the coast of the ocean, river, or lake. Ships dock at ports and unload their cargo and passengers. Ports play a crucial role in transporting raw materials. They are often categorized by the good or raw material they transport the most. For example, Tanura in Saudi Arabia is an oil port.
The United States has a major shipping presence across the American continent. Its ports cover 75% of American goods transportation that travels through sea routes. North America accounts for 44% of the total shipping share in the world, and the US and Canada contribute most to this. Shipping also contributes to 26% of the US economy through direct and indirect trading. In the last decade, the United States shipping showed a growth of 6.9% in terms of cargo handling volume.
While much is not talked about the shipping industry, it is an absolute lifeblood of the global economy as it accounts for 80% of the trade. Recently, the world got a taste of what could happen if the industry ever came to a halt when Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal. The canal is one of the major shipping routes for global trade. However, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence Data, in just six days $10 billion worth of trade was blocked. It is worth noting here that shipping accounts for 80% of global trade.
While shipping is an economic lifeblood, things do not look so great for the industry in the short and medium term. The expected growth rate from 2023 to 2027 is just 2.1% annually, which is significantly lower than the current annual rate of 3.3% growth over the last three decades. In addition, there is a negative sentiment associated with the share prices of the biggest shipping companies in the world, including ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM). The company saw its market cap decline by nearly 50% in 2023. The losses of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) in Q2, 2023 were twice as much as what analysts had previously expected. Here is what ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) said about the difficulties in the industry that led to this setback:
"Alphaliner supply-demand outlook for 2023 and 2024 remains unchanged, pointing to clear oversupply. Slow steaming remains the most meaningful tool operators have consistently used in 2023 to absorb the oversupply created in the market with the complete unwinding of port congestions and new vessel deliveries. More recently, we have seen increased blanking, especially on Transpacific, which may have supported the recent rate increase on this trade. Other possible actions operators could have taken, namely idling or scrapping, have had a negligible effect so far. As the charter market remained relatively strong, the motivation to scrap old tonnage remains low. However, as chartered capacity comes up for renewal and IMO 2023 enforcement coming to play, the motivation to scrap may increase in 2024 and beyond. Delayed deliveries of new build capacity have also been minimal and are not expected to meaningfully impact the growth in supply. On the demand side, consumer spending remained relatively healthy despite rising inflation and greater macroeconomic risk, yet high inventory levels built over 2021 and 2022 and continued concerns over economic growth have caused importers to be cautious and limit any meaningful renewal of inventory."
A modern seaborne tanker off the coast of a major metropolitan city, transporting liquefied petroleum gas.
Methodology
To curate our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world, we looked at trusted online sources for the country-wise coastal length. Then, we arranged our list in an ascending order. The coastal length figures in our list are mentioned in kilometers.
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20 - Chile
Length of Coastline - 6,435 KM
Chile is 20th on our list of the countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Thanks to its long coastline, the country has one of the largest economic zones covering an area of 3,648,532 square kilometers. The country encompasses the Diego Ramírez Islands and Cape Horn, which mark the southernmost points in the Americas where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet.
19 - India
Length of Coastline - 7,000 KM
India's coastline is diverse as it consists of a variety of environments including sandy beaches, rocky coasts, muddy flats, and marshes. More than 2000 kilometers of its coastline consists of island territories. Its coastline touches the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and two union territories, Daman and Diu and Puducherry. The state of Gujrat in India takes the largest share of the coastline, measuring 1600 kilometers.
18 - Turkey
Length of Coastline - 7,200 KM
Turkey is 18th on our list of countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastline is bordered by four different seas, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Marmara Sea. Its coastline has diverse landscapes, from peaceful beaches and fishing villages to fields of tea, tobacco, hazelnut, and corn. Its coastline is also popular among tourists as it houses more than 300 Blue Flag beaches.
17 - Denmark
Length of Coastline - 7,314 KM
Denmark is predominantly surrounded by water, except for a 68-kilometer border with Germany, making it one of the countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Denmark's coastline offers diverse landscapes, from the windswept sandy stretches of the North Sea to the shifting sand dunes along the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas in Northern Europe. The country's proximity to water influences the climate, making it mild despite its northern location.
16 - Brazil
Length of Coastline - 7,491 KM
Brazil is 16th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastline is known for its beautiful beaches as it attracts millions of tourists annually. Its coastline also boasts a diverse ecosystem from tropical and subtropical forests to Savannas and wetlands. Brazil's coastline exhibits diverse geological formations including coastal dunes, rocky coasts, wave-dominated deltas, and granitic and gneisses rocky coasts.
15 - Italy
Length of Coastline - 7,600 KM
Italy is renowned for some of the most spectacular coastlines which offer a mix of rugged cliffs, picturesque coves, and scenic fishing villages. One of the most famous coastal areas in Italy is the Amalfi coast which stretches along the southwest coast from Sorrento to Salerno and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
14 - Mexico
Length of Coastline - 9,330 KM
Mexico is 14th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its Pacific coast features a variety of destinations such as Loreto, La Paz, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Huatulco, and more. The country also has a Gulf coast with places like Tampico, Nautla, Veracruz, Campeche, and Progreso offering unique coastal landscapes.
13 - United Kingdom
Length of Coastline - 12,429 KM
United Kingdom's coastline consists of the main Island of Great Britain, the northeast coast of Ireland, and approximately 1,000 smaller islands. The North Sea coast of England is mainly flat and sandy with many dunes, while the English Channel on the south coast has some steep cliffs.
12 - Greece
Length of Coastline - 13,676 KM
Greece has the longest coastline in Europe and is 12th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastline is the defining feature of its geography and features the cliffs of Pelion to the iconic caldera of Santorini. The country is facing challenges of coastal erosion which is expected to affect its coastline significantly over the next 80 years.
11 - China
Length of Coastline - 14,500 KM
China has the 11th longest coastline in the world. From the Bohai Sea to the Gulf of Tonkin, its coastline extends to 14,500 kilometers. It is worth noting that over the course of thirty years spanning from 1990 to 2020, China's coastline has gone under significant changes as the natural coastline decreased from 6.68% to 42.29% and the artificial coastline increased from 33.32% to 57.71%.
10 - New Zealand
Length of Coastline - 15,134 KM
New Zealand is 10th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines. Its coastline is highly irregular and indented, featuring deep coves, bays, intricate harbors, long sounds, and steep fjords. However, it supports numerous marine species, including fur seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales, and various types of fish and shellfish.
9 - United States
Length of Coastline - 19,924 KM
The United States has one of the longest coastlines in the world, stretching along the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Pacific Ocean. Its coastline is home to various ecosystems, including beaches, estuaries, and wetlands, and supports a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. The US coastline is also a source of significant economic resources, supporting industries such as fishing, tourism, and shipping.
8 - Australia
Length of Coastline - 25,760 KM
Australia is 8th on our list of the countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastal regions are home to diverse ecosystems and habitats that support marine life and provide essential resources for coastal communities.
Click to continue reading and see 7 Countries with the Longest Coastlines in the World.
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Disclosure: none. 20 Countries with the Longest Coastlines in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey
