Geography

World’s Largest Coastlines & Aquatic Zones

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World’s Largest Coastlines & Aquatic Zones

Geography is more than maps—it's the story of how nations are shaped by water, borders, and culture. From the longest coastlines to the largest aquatic areas, countries around the world hold unique geographical records.

Add to that the iconic epithets like "Land of Midnight Sun" or "City of Seven Hills", and the world starts to feel like a fascinating puzzle of history, nature, and identity. Understanding international boundaries and the challenges of landlocked nations brings this picture into sharper focus.

Top 10 Countries with the Largest Aquatic Area

S. No.	Country	Aquatic Area
1.	Canada	8,91,163 km²
2.	Russia	7,20,580 km²
3.	U.S.A.	6,64,709 km²
4.	India	3,14,070 km²
5.	Sudan	1,29,813 km²
6.	Iran	1,16,600 km²
7.	Ethiopia	1,04,300 km²
8.	Columbia	1,00,210 km²
9.	Indonesia	93,000 km²
10.	D.R. Congo	77,810 km²
Note: All the figures in the area shown above include all kinds of aquatic bodies in the respective country, including rivers, waterfalls, lakes, ponds, etc.

Top Countries with the Longest Coastline

S. No.	Country	Coast Line
1.	Canada	2,02,080 km
2.	Indonesia	99,083 km
3.	Norway	58,133 km
4.	Russia	37,653 km
5.	Philippines	36,289 km
6.	Japan	29,751 km
7.	Australia	25,760 km
8.	U.S.A	19,924 km
9.	New Zealand	15.134 km
10.	China	14.500 km
With a total coastline length of 7500 km. India is in 16th place in this list.

Geographical Epithets (Sobriquets)

Blue Mountains	Nilgiri Hills, India
City of Sky Scrapers	New York, USA
City of Seven Hills	Rome, Italy
City of Dreaming Spires	Oxford, England
City of Golden Gate	San Frandsco, USA
Cockpit of Europe	Belgium
China's Sorrow	Hwang-Ho
Dark Continent	Africa
Eternal City	Rome
Forbidden City	Zijincheng (Beijing), China
Gate of Tears	Bab-el-Mandeb, Jerusalem
Granite City	Aberdeen, Scotland
Great/little Herring Pond	Massachusetts
Hermit Kingdom	Korea
Honeymoon Lake	Titicaca Lake (on the Peru and Bolivia border in the Andes)
Island Continent	Australia
Island of Cloves	Zanjibar
Island of Pearls	Bahrain
Pearl Islands	Panama
Key to the Mediterranean	Gibraltar
Land of Golden Fleece	Australia
Land of Midnight Sun	Norway
Land of the Rising Sun	Japan
Land of the White Elephant	Thailand
Pearl of Antilles	Cuba
Pillars of Hercules	Strait of Gibraltar
Pink City	Jaipur, India
Queen of the Adriatic	Venice, Italy
Sugar Bowl of the World	Cuba
Venice of the East	Allapuzha, Kerala, India
Venice of the North	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Windy city	Chicago, USA
Yellow River	Hwang-Ho

Some Important International Boundary Lines

Durand Line	Between Pakistan and Afghanistan
49th Parallel	Between the USA and Canada
McMahon Line	Between India and Tibet/China
Maginot Line	Between France and Germany
38th Parallel	Between North and South Korea
Oder Neisse Line	Between Germany and Poland
Radcliffe Line	Between India and Pakistan
24th Parallel	Between India and Pakistan (as claimed by Pakistan)

Landlocked Countries of the World

Asia	Afghanistan, Nepal, Mongolia, Laos, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.
Europe	Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, Vatican City, Armenia, Belarus, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Moldova.
Africa	Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia), Luanda, Swaziland (eSwatini), Uganda, Zambia (Northern Rhodesia), Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Rwanda.
South America	Bolivia, Paraguay.

The new name of Swaziland means "Land of Swazis".

Final Thoughts

The world’s geography is more than just maps—it's a key to understanding global dynamics. Countries with the longest coastlines, like Canada, Indonesia, and Russia, enjoy significant strategic and economic advantages due to their access to global shipping routes and marine resources. On the other hand, nations with the largest aquatic areas, such as Canada, Russia, and the USA, benefit from vast internal water bodies that support agriculture, energy, and biodiversity.

The geographical epithets, such as the “Land of the Rising Sun” (Japan) or “City of Skyscrapers” (New York), offer rich cultural and historical perspectives. Likewise, international boundary lines like the Durand Line and McMahon Line hold deep geopolitical relevance.

Lastly, understanding which countries are landlocked sheds light on their logistical challenges and economic limitations. Altogether, these geographical features not only define physical space but also shape global interactions and national identities.

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