Our world is split up into countries, regions, islands and a whole lot more! Most countries will have borders that they share with other nations – depending on where they are situated.
Having neighbours can be both a positive and a negative thing. Some relations between border nations can be intense, uneasy and dangerous. Others meanwhile are full of love and friendship. Here, we look at the top 10 countries in terms of having the most borders.
10. France (7 borders)
Shares With: Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Andorra, Germany, Luxembourg and Monaco
We start with a nation that has seven borders – France. France is located in an ideal position in Europe to have neighbours! Borders include those with Spain, Italy and Germany. France is a very powerful nation, and gets this list up and running!
9. Tanzania (8 borders)
Shares With: Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Rwanda
Moving to Africa now, and we come across Tanzania. This landlocked country has a range of nations around it – from Kenya to Mozambique to Zambia. This is one of two African nations to feature in the top ten.
8. Serbia (8 borders)
Shares With: Romania, Montenegro, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Macedonia
There are a slew of small nations in the East of Europe – due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. One of these nations is Serbia, and its central position in the East of Europe leads to a range of countries bordering it, the majority of which are former members of the Soviet Union.
7. Turkey (8 borders)
Shares With: Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Greece
Turkey has eight borders. It’s unique position between Europe and the Middle East means it has both European and Asian neighbours. Turkey also happens to be a huge country – helping it to make the top ten!
6. Austria (8 borders)
Shares With: Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Liechtenstein
Austria has a central position in Europe, and therefore is in prime position to have so many borders! They share a border with a range of countries, including former stablemate Hungary and the Czech Republic among others.
5. Democratic Republic of Congo (9 borders)
Shares With: Republic of Congo, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Central African Republic
The nation in the African continent with the most borders is the Democratic Republic of Congo. This nation has nine borders. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an enormous nation, and therefore it is unsurprising that it has nine borders.
4. Germany (9 borders)
Shares With: Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Luxembourg and Denmark
Owing to its central position in Europe, Germany has nine neighbours. These range from larger countries like Poland and France, to smaller nations like Luxembourg.
3. Brazil (10 borders)
Shares With: Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana
Brazil dominates the continent of South America, boasting ten borders. It is renowned for its sheer size and beautiful sights. Brazil borders the vast majority of nations in the continent.
2. Russia (14 borders)
Shares With: Norway, Finland, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, China, Mongolia, North Korea and Poland
Unsurprisingly, the world’s largest country places near the top of the list, with a mammoth 14 borders shared with other countries. Due to its enormous size, this number of neighbours is hardly surprising. Many of the nations used to be a part of the Soviet Union.
1. China (16 borders)
Shares With: Mongolia, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Macau
China tops the list with a whopping 16 borders! 14 of these are with official countries, and 2 (Hong Kong and Macau) account for special administrative regions of China. With almost 10% of the world’s nations within touching distance, it is unsurprising to see the impact China has on the world!
The Takeaway
Many of the countries on the list are among the most powerful in the world. Having strong border relations is important, and can be useful for military alliances, protection and trade.
While world territories seem to be rather stable at the moment, it is possible that there will be changes to this list in the future. For now, China tops the list with a colossal 16 borders.
