Top 10 Countries With The Lowest Average Elevations
In the Maldives, the highest natural point in the county is less than 8 feet above sea level, and the highest landform overall is on a man-made golf course! While several of these countries are recognized for their gorgeous beaches, climate change threatens to melt sea ice, boosting sea levels, and flooding low-lying regions. This effect has the potential to relocate millions of people in diverse locations over the next several years. As a result, below are the Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Average Elevation.
10. Bangladesh, 85 meters (279 feet)
Bangladesh is a South Asian country with a population of around 163 million people. The Bangladesh Plain, which encompasses 80% of the nation, is flat. Only the Chittagong Hills region differs from the rest of the country’s low heights. Because of its low elevation, most of Bangladesh is unfortunately prone to floods.
9. Trinidad and Tobago, 83 meters (272 feet)
Trinidad and Tobago is a country made up of two small Caribbean islands near Venezuela’s coast. These islands were most likely formerly linked to the mainland of South America. Trinidad is the largest of the two islands, spanning around 60 kilometers long and 80 kilometers wide. It is also flatter and more prone to flooding. Tobago is around 30 kilometers northeast of Trinidad and is part of the Lesser Antilles group of islands. This island is very volcanic, with peaks rising beyond 3,000 feet. These islands have tropical climates and get 211 centimeters of precipitation per year on average.
8. Guinea-Bissau, 70 meters (230 feet)
Guinea-Bissau is a small country on the Atlantic coast of Western Africa. Despite the presence of the higher Fouta Djallon Plateau in the southeast, the terrain is quite level. Tidal waters can wash as far inland as 62 miles since Guinea-Bissau’s coastline lands are so low and flat. Locals have taken advantage of the phenomenon, even flooding their rice farms with brackish water.
7. Senegal, 69 meters (226 feet)
Senegal is known as the “Gateway to Africa” since it is the westernmost point in Africa. It is situated on a modest incline in the land in the Senegal-Mauritanian Basin. Its little Cape Verde Peninsula is the country’s only place with elevations above 300 feet. Because of its unique location, Senegal has a wide range of temperatures and soil types. It may be found in semi-arid grasslands, coastal locations, and tropical rainforests. Like its neighbor Guinea-Bissau, high tides force salty water to flow into its rivers, which extend up to 125 miles inland.
6. Estonia, 61 meters (200 feet)
Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic states in northeastern Europe, sitting above Latvia and Lithuania. The area of this nation contains about 1,500 small islands. The shape of the region has been greatly influenced by glacial activity, which formed many of the small hills, lakes, and rivers that characterize its appearance. The Gulf of Finland receives the bulk of these bodies of water. In Estonia, the average annual precipitation is 586 millimeters.
5. The Gambia, 34 meters (112 feet)
The Gambia is a tiny country in Western Africa that shares a border with Senegal. It is just approximately 15 to 30 miles wide, but it is about 300 miles long. Its distinctive shape and position are the consequence of a territorial dispute between France, who once administered what is now Senegal, and Britain, which once controlled the lower Gambia River. Because this river dominates the region’s geography, the land is mainly flat and sandy. The Gambia is one of Africa’s most densely populated countries.
4. Denmark, 34 meters (112 feet)
Denmark is situated on the Jutland Peninsula, a narrow peninsula extending north from Europe’s center. The area is quite hilly due to sporadic glacial activity at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, yet its highest point is just 568 feet above sea level. Its lowest point, Lammefjord, is a fjord that is almost 23 feet below sea level. Denmark also contains a handful of small Baltic Sea islands.
3. The Netherlands, 30 meters (98 feet)
The Netherlands are a Western European country known for being one of the “low countries.” Since the Middle Ages, the bulk of Dutch land has been reclaimed utilizing clever water management practices. Many communities are surrounded by dikes that prevent seawater from entering after lakes and marshes have been drained. Indeed, the most densely populated areas are found just behind these dikes. Buildings in these areas are usually built on concrete piles that are anchored up to 65 feet into the silt. The Netherlands gets severe winds because there is little terrain diversity to attenuate the wind flowing in from the oceans.
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2. Qatar, 28 meters (92 feet)
Qatar is a country in Western Asia on the Arabian Peninsula (together with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). Qatar is essentially a peninsula within a peninsula. The highest point in the nation is just 203 meters (338 feet). The majority of these lowlands oil fields may be found in Qatar.
1. Maldives, 1.8 meters (6 feet)
The Maldives is an Indian Ocean nation made up of 1,200 small coral islands known as atolls. The coral atolls evolved on top of an ancient volcanic mountain range that is now underwater. Despite sitting on top of a mountain range, the Maldives’ tallest natural peak is just about 8 feet above sea level! Addu Atoll is the location of that point. A golf course on Seenu Atoll’s Villingili Resort, on the other hand, has a man-made prominence on Hole Number 8, which surpasses it by nearly 16 feet. Only about 200 of these Maldivian islands are inhabited, and several of them are almost totally devoted to tourism. They are all quite near to sea level, and massive barrier reefs shelter them from seasonal monsoon storms.
Which Country Has the Lowest Elevation?
The Maldives has the lowest average elevation of any country in the world, measuring only 1.8 meters.