With no coastlines and marine-based income, landlocked countries are often disadvantaged. However, a lot of these countries are very affluent. Read on to find out about them.
New Delhi: Landlocked countries are those countries that are not connected to any ocean, either by mainland or by any territory. Historically, landlocked countries have faced economic and political disadvantages that could have been easily avoided had the country access to international waters. A UN report revealed that landlocked countries are, on average, 20 per cent less developed than countries with a coastline.
Today, there are 44 landlocked countries, of which 32 are classified as landlocked developing countries. Further, 9 of the 12 countries with the lowest Human Development Indices (HDI) are landlocked. This occurs often because such countries need access to important economic activities like maritime trade and fishing, which are vital to a nation’s development.
Many countries depend on their coastal neighbours for resources and access to their land for trade. However, not all landlocked countries are inherently handicapped. Here is a list of 10 of the richest landlocked countries in the world.
List of 10 richest landlocked countries in the world Top 5 richest landlocked countries in the world Luxembourg This small country, measuring 2,586 km2, is the richest landlocked country in the world. With a massive GDP per capita of 125,006.02 USD, Luxembourg is internationally known as a business-frie.