Country Coastline Length Game — Higher or Lower?

Canada has more coastline than the next four countries combined. Most of it is uninhabited Arctic islands.

How to Play: Guess if the country on the right has a LONGER or SHORTER total coastline than the one on the left.

Top 10 Longest Coastlines

Coastline length depends partly on how detailed the measurement is — fractals make this notoriously fuzzy. The CIA World Factbook is the most-cited harmonized source.

How Coastlines Are Measured

The ‘coastline paradox’ — that coastline length grows as measurement detail increases — means published figures vary widely. The CIA World Factbook uses ~30km resolution; other sources use 1km, producing 2-3x larger numbers. We use Factbook values for consistency.

Canada’s 202,000 km is dominated by the Canadian Arctic Archipelago — thousands of islands north of the mainland, almost entirely uninhabited. Without those islands, Canadian coastline would be similar to Russia’s.

Greenland is administered by Denmark but listed separately because of its enormous coastline (44,087 km — fourth globally). It is mostly fjord coastline cut by glacial erosion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has the longest coastline?

Canada at approximately 202,080 km, more than 2x runner-up Norway. Most is in the Arctic Archipelago.

Why is the measurement uncertain?

The ‘coastline paradox’: coastline length appears infinite at small enough scale (every rock and inlet counts). Published figures depend on resolution.

Why is Norway's coastline so long?

Norway has thousands of fjords cut by glacial erosion. Including the fjord interiors makes the coast highly irregular.

Are any landlocked countries listed?

No. Bolivia, Switzerland, Mongolia, and others have zero coastline. Some (Bolivia) want sea access — Bolivia still maintains a navy on Lake Titicaca.

Note: Coastline length in km per CIA World Factbook 2024.

More Wise Games to Try

• Country Area Game
• Largest Lakes Game
• Longest Rivers Game