Which Country Has the Longest Coastline? Canada Takes the Crown

Canada holds the title for the world's longest coastline, stretching an astonishing 243,042 kilometers (151,019 miles)—more than five times the Earth's circumference.

Why So Long?

Three factors combine to give Canada this record:

1. Three oceans: Canada borders the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans.
2. Vast archipelago: The Arctic Archipelago alone contains over 36,000 islands, each adding intricate shorelines of fjords, inlets, and channels.
3. Fractal geography: The coastline is highly indented with bays, peninsulas, and fjords (especially in British Columbia and Newfoundland), dramatically increasing measured length at finer scales.

By the Numbers

• Total islands: ~52,455 (largest number of any country).
• Major islands: Baffin, Victoria, Ellesmere, Newfoundland, Banks, Devon—all in the global top 30 by area.
• Provincial leaders: Nunavut and the Northwest Territories account for the majority of Arctic coastline; British Columbia has the most complex Pacific shore.

Global Context

The runners-up are Indonesia (~54,720 km), Greenland (~44,087 km, though an autonomous territory of Denmark), Russia (~37,653 km), and the Philippines (~36,289 km). The U.S. coastline (including Alaska and Hawaii) is ~19,924 km.

Significance

This immense coastline underpins Canada's sovereignty claims, marine biodiversity, fisheries, shipping (Northwest Passage), and the cultural identity of coastal Indigenous and settler communities.