Which Country Has the Longest Coastline in the World?

Which country has the longest coastline in the world? Most people guess Russia or Australia. Both wrong. The answer is Canada, and it wins by an absurd margin. Canada's coastline is longer than the next four countries combined. It would wrap around the equator more than five times. In this post, we'll show you the real numbers, why Canada is so far ahead, and why none of those numbers are actually correct.

How long is the longest coastline in the world?

Canada has the longest coastline in the world at around 202,080 kilometers (125,567 miles), according to the CIA World Factbook. For context, the equator measures about 40,075 kilometers. So Canada's coastline would wrap around the entire planet more than five times. No other country comes close.

Why Canada leaves everyone behind

Canada touches three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic. That alone adds a lot of kilometers. But the real reason sits up north. The Canadian Arctic Archipelago is made up of 36,563 islands. Every one of them has its own shoreline, full of bays, fjords, and headlands. Those jagged island coasts add up to a staggering total.

For perspective: Canada's 202,080 kilometers beat the coastlines of Norway, Indonesia, Russia, and the Philippines combined. Those four countries together reach about 187,000 kilometers. Canada alone tops all of them.

Norway, Indonesia, and Russia trail far behind

Behind Canada, the gap is huge. Norway ranks second at around 58,133 kilometers, mostly thanks to its deep fjords. Indonesia follows close behind at about 54,716 kilometers, spread across thousands of islands. Russia, despite being the largest country on Earth, reaches only around 37,653 kilometers. The Philippines sit right next to it at 36,289 kilometers and 7,641 islands.

Here's the twist: Russia is the biggest country in the world by area, yet it has a shorter coastline than tiny Norway. Area and coastline have little to do with each other. Shape matters more than size.

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The coastline paradox: why no number is truly right

Here's where it gets strange. There is no single correct length for a coastline. It's called the coastline paradox. The more closely you measure, the longer the coast gets.

Take Britain as an example. Measure its coast in 100-kilometer steps and you get around 2,800 kilometers. Use 50-kilometer steps and it grows to about 3,500 kilometers. Drop to 1-kilometer steps and the number jumps past 8,000 kilometers. The coast isn't getting longer. Your ruler is getting smaller.

That's also why Norway's number swings between 58,000 and over 100,000 kilometers depending on the source. There's no wrong figure, just different scales.

The longest coastlines at a glance

1. Canada: around 202,080 km
2. Norway: around 58,133 km
3. Indonesia: around 54,716 km
4. Russia: around 37,653 km
5. Philippines: around 36,289 km
6. Australia: around 25,760 km
7. United States: around 19,924 km

All figures come from the CIA World Factbook. Keep the paradox in mind: a different measurement method would shuffle the middle of this list around.

So the longest coastline in the world belongs to Canada, not Russia and not Australia. Credit goes to three oceans and tens of thousands of islands in the north. And remember: every coastline number is only as precise as the ruler behind it. Like geography surprises like this? Check out which country has the most islands or how big Russia really is. Or jump straight into the geography quiz.