This is a list of countries and territories by their average elevation above sea level based on the data published by Central Intelligence Agency, [1] unless another source is cited. The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories based upon the ISO standard ISO 3166-1.
Country | Elevation |
---|---|
Afghanistan | 1,884 m (6,181 ft) [2] |
Albania | 708 m (2,323 ft) [3] |
Algeria | 800 m (2,625 ft) |
Andorra | 1,996 m (6,549 ft) [2] |
Angola | 1,112 m (3,648 ft) |
Antarctica | 2,300 m (7,546 ft) [2] |
Argentina | 595 m (1,952 ft) [4] |
Armenia | 1,792 m (5,879 ft) |
Australia | 330 m (1,083 ft) |
Austria | 910 m (2,986 ft) |
Azerbaijan | 384 m (1,260 ft) [5] |
Bangladesh | 85 m (279 ft) |
Belarus | 160 m (525 ft) |
Belgium | 181 m (594 ft) |
Belize | 173 m (568 ft) |
Benin | 273 m (896 ft) |
Bhutan | 3,280 m (10,761 ft) [2] |
Bolivia | 1,192 m (3,911 ft) [4] |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
Botswana | 1,013 m (3,323 ft) |
Brazil | 320 m (1,050 ft) [4] |
Brunei | 478 m (1,568 ft) |
Bulgaria | 472 m (1,549 ft) [lower-alpha 1] |
Burkina Faso | 297 m (974 ft) |
Burundi | 1,504 m (4,934 ft) |
Cambodia | 126 m (413 ft) |
Cameroon | 667 m (2,188 ft) |
Canada | 487 m (1,598 ft) |
Central African Republic | 635 m (2,083 ft) |
Chad | 543 m (1,781 ft) |
Chile | 1,871 m (6,138 ft) [4] |
China | 1,840 m (6,037 ft) [2] |
Colombia | 593 m (1,946 ft) [4] |
Costa Rica | 746 m (2,448 ft) [4] |
Croatia | 331 m (1,086 ft) |
Cuba | 108 m (354 ft) [4] |
Cyprus | 91 m (299 ft) |
Czech Republic | 430 m (1,411 ft) [7] |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 726 m (2,382 ft) |
Denmark | 34 m (112 ft) [8] |
Djibouti | 430 m (1,411 ft) |
Dominican Republic | 424 m (1,391 ft) [4] |
Ecuador | 1,117 m (3,665 ft) [4] |
Egypt | 321 m (1,053 ft) |
El Salvador | 442 m (1,450 ft) [4] |
Equatorial Guinea | 577 m (1,893 ft) |
Eritrea | 853 m (2,799 ft) |
Estonia | 61 m (200 ft) |
Eswatini | 305 m (1,001 ft) |
Ethiopia | 1,330 m (4,364 ft) |
Finland | 164 m (538 ft) |
France | 375 m (1,230 ft) |
French Guiana | 168 m (551 ft) [9] |
Gabon | 377 m (1,237 ft) |
Gambia | 34 m (112 ft) |
Georgia | 1,432 m (4,698 ft) |
Germany | 263 m (863 ft) |
Ghana | 190 m (623 ft) |
Greece | 498 m (1,634 ft) |
Greenland | 1,792 m (5,879 ft) |
Guatemala | 759 m (2,490 ft) [4] |
Guinea | 472 m (1,549 ft) |
Guinea-Bissau | 70 m (230 ft) |
Guyana | 207 m (679 ft) [4] |
Haiti | 470 m (1,542 ft) [4] |
Honduras | 684 m (2,244 ft) [4] |
Hungary | 143 m (469 ft) |
Iceland | 557 m (1,827 ft) |
India | 160 m (525 ft) [lower-alpha 2] |
Indonesia | 367 m (1,204 ft) |
Iran | 1,305 m (4,281 ft) |
Iraq | 312 m (1,024 ft) |
Ireland | 118 m (387 ft) |
Israel | 508 m (1,667 ft) |
Italy | 538 m (1,765 ft) |
Ivory Coast | 250 m (820 ft) |
Jamaica | 340 m (1,115 ft) [4] |
Japan | 438 m (1,437 ft) |
Jordan | 812 m (2,664 ft) [lower-alpha 3] |
Kazakhstan | 387 m (1,270 ft) |
Kenya | 762 m (2,500 ft) |
Kiribati | 2 m (7 ft) [10] |
Kosovo | 810 m (2,657 ft) [11] |
Kuwait | 108 m (354 ft) |
Kyrgyzstan | 2,988 m (9,803 ft) [2] |
Laos | 710 m (2,329 ft) |
Latvia | 87 m (285 ft) |
Lebanon | 1,250 m (4,101 ft) |
Lesotho | 2,161 m (7,090 ft) [2] |
Liberia | 243 m (797 ft) |
Libya | 423 m (1,388 ft) |
Lithuania | 110 m (361 ft) |
Luxembourg | 325 m (1,066 ft) |
Madagascar | 615 m (2,018 ft) [lower-alpha 4] |
Malawi | 779 m (2,556 ft) |
Malaysia | 419 m (1,375 ft) [lower-alpha 5] |
Maldives | 1.5 m (5 ft) [12] |
Mali | 343 m (1,125 ft) |
Marshall Islands | 2 m (7 ft) |
Mauritania | 276 m (906 ft) |
Mexico | 1,111 m (3,645 ft) [4] |
Moldova | 139 m (456 ft) |
Mongolia | 1,580 m (5,184 ft) [13] |
Montenegro | 1,086 m (3,563 ft) |
Morocco | 909 m (2,982 ft) |
Mozambique | 345 m (1,132 ft) |
Myanmar | 702 m (2,303 ft) |
Namibia | 1,141 m (3,743 ft) |
Nepal | 3,265 m (10,712 ft) [2] |
Netherlands | 30 m (98 ft) [8] |
New Zealand | 388 m (1,273 ft) |
Nicaragua | 298 m (978 ft) [4] |
Niger | 474 m (1,555 ft) |
Nigeria | 380 m (1,247 ft) |
North Korea | 440 m (1,444 ft) [14] |
North Macedonia | 741 m (2,431 ft) |
Norway | 460 m (1,509 ft) |
Oman | 310 m (1,017 ft) |
Pakistan | 900 m (2,953 ft) |
Panama | 360 m (1,181 ft) [4] |
Papua New Guinea | 667 m (2,188 ft) |
Paraguay | 178 m (584 ft) [4] |
Peru | 1,555 m (5,102 ft) [4] |
Philippines | 442 m (1,450 ft) |
Poland | 173 m (568 ft) |
Portugal | 372 m (1,220 ft) |
Qatar | 28 m (92 ft) |
Republic of the Congo | 430 m (1,411 ft) |
Romania | 414 m (1,358 ft) |
Russia | 600 m (1,969 ft) |
Rwanda | 1,598 m (5,243 ft) |
Saudi Arabia | 665 m (2,182 ft) |
Senegal | 69 m (226 ft) |
Serbia | 442 m (1,450 ft) [lower-alpha 6] |
Sierra Leone | 279 m (915 ft) |
Singapore | 15 m (49 ft) [15] |
Slovakia | 458 m (1,503 ft) |
Slovenia | 492 m (1,614 ft) |
Somalia | 410 m (1,345 ft) |
South Africa | 1,034 m (3,392 ft) |
South Korea | 282 m (925 ft) |
Spain | 660 m (2,165 ft) |
Sri Lanka | 228 m (748 ft) |
Sudan | 568 m (1,864 ft) |
Suriname | 246 m (807 ft) [4] |
Sweden | 320 m (1,050 ft) |
Switzerland | 1,350 m (4,429 ft) |
Syria | 514 m (1,686 ft) |
Taiwan | 1,150 m (3,773 ft) |
Tajikistan | 3,186 m (10,453 ft) [2] |
Tanzania | 1,018 m (3,340 ft) |
Thailand | 287 m (942 ft) |
Togo | 236 m (774 ft) |
Trinidad and Tobago | 83 m (272 ft) |
Tunisia | 246 m (807 ft) |
Turkey | 1,141 m (3,743 ft) [16] |
Turkmenistan | 230 m (755 ft) |
Tuvalu | 1.8 m (6 ft) [17] |
Uganda | 1,100 m (3,609 ft) [6] |
Ukraine | 175 m (574 ft) |
United Arab Emirates | 149 m (489 ft) |
United Kingdom | 162 m (531 ft) |
United States | 760 m (2,493 ft) |
Uruguay | 109 m (358 ft) [4] |
Uzbekistan | 450 m (1,476 ft) [6] |
Venezuela | 450 m (1,476 ft) |
Vietnam | 398 m (1,306 ft) |
Western Sahara | 256 m (840 ft) [6] |
Yemen | 999 m (3,278 ft) |
Zambia | 1,138 m (3,734 ft) |
Zimbabwe | 961 m (3,153 ft) |
World | 840 m (2,756 ft) |
A coast – also called the coastline, shoreline, or seashore – is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape, as well as by water induced erosion, such as waves. The geological composition of rock and soil dictates the type of shore that is created. Earth contains roughly 620,000 km (390,000 mi) of coastline.
Laos is a country in and the only landlocked nation in mainland Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand and west of Vietnam. It covers approximately 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula and it is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Marshall Islands consist of two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands, which form two parallel groups—the "Ratak" (sunrise) chain and the "Ralik" (sunset) chain. The Marshalls are located in the North Pacific Ocean and share maritime boundaries with Micronesia and Kiribati. Two-thirds of the nation's population lives in the capital of Majuro and the settlement of Ebeye. The outer islands are sparsely populated due to lack of employment opportunities and economic development.
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, located between China and Russia. The terrain is one of mountains and rolling plateaus, with a high degree of relief. The total land area of Mongolia is 1,564,116 square kilometres. Overall, the land slopes from the high Altai Mountains of the west and the north to plains and depressions in the east and the south. The Khüiten Peak in extreme western Mongolia on the Chinese border is the highest point. The lowest point is at 560 m (1,840 ft), is the Hoh Nuur or lake Huh. The country has an average elevation of 1,580 m (5,180 ft).
São Tomé and Príncipe is a small island country composed of an archipelago located in the Gulf of Guinea of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The nation's main islands are São Tomé Island and Príncipe Island, for which the country is named. These are located about 300 and 250 kilometres, respectively, off the northwest coast of Gabon in Central Africa.
The geography of Switzerland features a mountainous and landlocked country located in Western and Central Europe. Switzerland's natural landscape is marked by its numerous lakes and mountains. It is surrounded by five countries: Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, France to the west, Italy to the south and Germany to the north. Switzerland has a maximum north–south length of 220 kilometres (140 mi) and an east–west length of about 350 kilometres (220 mi).
Tajikistan is nestled between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north and west, China to the east, and Afghanistan to the south. Mountains cover 93 percent of Tajikistan's surface area. The two principal ranges, the Pamir Mountains and the Alay Mountains, give rise to many glacier-fed streams and rivers, which have been used to irrigate farmlands since ancient times. Central Asia's other major mountain range, the Tian Shan, skirts northern Tajikistan. Mountainous terrain separates Tajikistan's two population centers, which are in the lowlands of the southern and northern sections of the country. Especially in areas of intensive agricultural and industrial activity, the Soviet Union's natural resource utilization policies left independent Tajikistan with a legacy of environmental problems.
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Yemen is located in West Asia, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is situated at the entrance to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and is one of the most active and strategic shipping lanes in the world. Yemen has an area of 555,000 square kilometres (214,000 sq mi), including the islands of Perim at the southern end of the Red Sea and Socotra at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden. Yemen's land boundaries total 1,746 kilometres (1,085 mi). Yemen borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast. Through the Socotra island, Yemen also shares borders with the Guardafui Channel and the Somali Sea.
Mean sea level is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datum – a standardised geodetic datum – that is used, for example, as a chart datum in cartography and marine navigation, or, in aviation, as the standard sea level at which atmospheric pressure is measured to calibrate altitude and, consequently, aircraft flight levels. A common and relatively straightforward mean sea-level standard is instead a long-term average of tide gauge readings at a particular reference location.
ISO 3166-1 is a standard defining codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. It is the first part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization.
Chimborazo is an inactive stratovolcano situated in Ecuador in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 A.D. Although not the tallest mountain in the Andes or on Earth relative to sea level, its summit is the farthest point on Earth's surface from the Earth's center due to its location along the planet's equatorial bulge. Chimborazo's height from sea level is 6,263 m (20,548 ft), well below that of Mount Everest.
This article lists extreme locations on Earth that hold geographical records or are otherwise known for their geophysical or meteorological superlatives. All of these locations are Earth-wide extremes; extremes of individual continents or countries are not listed.
In topography, prominence or relative height measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling it but containing no higher summit within it. It is a measure of the independence of a summit. The key col ("saddle") around the peak is a unique point on this contour line and the parent peak is some higher mountain, selected according to various criteria.
Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rise was 15–25 cm (6–10 in), with an increase of 2.3 mm (0.091 in) per year since the 1970s. This is faster than the sea level had ever risen over at least the past 3,000 years. The rate accelerated to 4.62 mm (0.182 in)/yr for the decade 2013–2022. Climate change due to human activities is the main cause. Between 1993 and 2018, melting ice sheets and glaciers accounted for 44% of sea level rise, with another 42% resulting from thermal expansion of water.
Climate change is particularly threatening for the long-term habitability of the island country of Tuvalu, which has a land area of only 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) and an average elevation of less than 2 metres (6.6 ft) above sea level, with the highest point of Niulakita being about 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level. Potential threats to the country due to climate change include rising sea levels, increasingly severe tropical cyclones, high temperatures, and drought. King tides can combine with storm surges and the rising sea level to inundate the low lying atolls.
Poland is a country that extends across the North European Plain from the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south to the sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea in the north. Poland is the fifth-most populous country of the European Union and the ninth-largest country in Europe by area. The territory of Poland covers approximately 312,696 km2 (120,733 sq mi), of which 98.52% is land and 1.48% is water. The Polish coastline was estimated at 770 km (478 mi) in length. Poland's highest point is Rysy, at 2,500 m (8,202 ft).