Geography Games

Countries That Border Only One Other Country

Being an island gives you zero land neighbours. Having exactly one is rarer and more interesting — and often says something about how the border was drawn.

Updated August 29, 2026

Countries That Border Only One Other Country

About 17 countries share a land border with exactly one other country. That is different from the 46 or so island nations with no land border at all. A single neighbour usually means one of three things: the country is on a peninsula, it occupies part of one island, or it is an enclave wrapped inside a larger state.

Big countries, one neighbour

  • Canada — borders only the United States, but along 8,891 km, the longest international land border in the world.
  • Portugal — borders only Spain, the whole length of its eastern and northern frontier.
  • Denmark — its mainland, Jutland, borders only Germany. Everything else is islands.
  • South Korea — borders only North Korea, across the most heavily fortified frontier on the planet.
  • Qatar — a peninsula off Arabia, bordering only Saudi Arabia.

One island, two countries

When two countries split a single island, each borders only the other. Haiti and the Dominican Republic divide Hispaniola. Ireland and the United Kingdom share the island of Ireland. Papua New Guinea borders only Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. Timor-Leste borders only Indonesia, on Timor. Brunei borders only Malaysia, on Borneo.

The three countries surrounded by one other country

A step beyond "one neighbour" is being completely enclosed by it. Only three countries qualify: Lesotho, entirely within South Africa; San Marino, entirely within Italy; and Vatican City, entirely within Rome, and so within Italy. These are the world's only true enclaved sovereign states.

Near-misses

The Gambia borders only Senegal except for its short Atlantic coast, which is the only reason it is not enclaved. Monaco borders only France on land but has a Mediterranean frontage. Eswatini looks enclaved on a small map but actually borders both South Africa and Mozambique. And the United Kingdom's only land border is the one between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland — every other boundary is sea.

Countries with a single land neighbour, plus the three enclaved states.

Border Count drills exactly this: a country appears, you guess how many neighbours it has. The one-neighbour countries are the easy points.

Play Border Count →

FAQ

Which large countries border only one other country?
Canada (only the United States), Portugal (only Spain), Denmark's mainland (only Germany), South Korea (only North Korea) and Qatar (only Saudi Arabia) are the notable large examples.
What is the difference between having one neighbour and being enclaved?
A country with one neighbour still touches the sea or has an open side. An enclaved country is completely surrounded by a single other country. Only Lesotho, San Marino and Vatican City are fully enclaved.
Does Canada really only border one country?
Yes — only the United States, counting both the main border and the Alaska border. It is a single neighbour, but the boundary is the longest in the world at 8,891 km.
How many countries have no land border at all?
Around 46 — the island nations and Australia. They have zero land neighbours, which is a separate category from the countries with exactly one.

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