List of sets of four countries that border one another

This is a list of sets of at least four countries that border one another. In the typical case, three countries that border one another form a ring around a landlocked fourth. Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, Burundi

Burundi

Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

, and Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

are at the centers of such configurations.

No more than four contiguous countries can share borders, since the complete graph

Complete graph

In the mathematical field of graph theory, a complete graph is a simple undirected graph in which every pair of distinct vertices is connected by a unique edge.-Properties:...

is not planar

Planar graph

In graph theory, a planar graph is a graph that can be embedded in the plane, i.e., it can be drawn on the plane in such a way that its edges intersect only at their endpoints...

. On the other hand, non-contiguous countries that have exclaves and dependent territories may form sets of five or more.

As of the 2006 breakup of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...

, there are at least twelve four-country sets in the world in which each country shares a boundary (land or fresh water) with the others.

Paraguay-Brazil-Argentina-Bolivia

This set has existed since the early-mid 19th century. In the early 19th century all that existed was the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata

Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata

The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...

and the Portuguese colony of Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. With the independence of Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

(revolution in 1810, fully achieved 1816) and Paraguay

Paraguay

(1811) the four-border set began to emerge, and was consolidated by the Brazilian and Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

n independence (1822 and 1825, respectively).

Borders (km)
Paraguay	-	1290	1880	750
Brazil	1290	-	1224	3400
Argentina	1880	1224	-	832
Bolivia	750	3400	832	-

Belarus-Latvia-Lithuania-Russia

This set has existed since the 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Russian Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...

, an exclave on the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

, creates a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n border with Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

. Belarus

Belarus

Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

and Latvia

Latvia

Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...

share boundaries with both mainland Russia and Lithuania.

Borders (km)
Belarus	-	171	502	959
Latvia	171	-	576	292
Lithuania	502	576	-	227
Russia	959	292	227	-

Belarus-Lithuania-Poland-Russia

This set has existed since the 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The Russian Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast

, an exclave on the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

, creates Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n borders with both Lithuania

Lithuania

and Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. Belarus

Belarus

does not border Kaliningrad, but has borders with mainland Russia, Lithuania, and Poland.

Borders (km)
Belarus	-	502	407	959
Lithuania	502	-	91	227
Poland	407	91	-	206
Russia	959	227	206	-

Belarus-Poland-Russia-Ukraine

This set has existed since the 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The Russian Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast

, an exclave on the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

, creates a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n border with Poland

Poland

Borders (km)
Belarus	-	407	959	891
Poland	407	-	227	428
Russia	959	227	-	1576
Ukraine	891	428	1576	-

Belgium-Germany-Netherlands-France

This set has existed since the 1830 Independence of Belgium

Belgian Revolution

The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....

. Even though the German lands have had many territorial changes, Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

's Rhine Province

Rhine Province

The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...

and later the various unified German states have always bordered the other three countries.

The only land boundary between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France is on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin

Saint Martin

Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...

(Sint Maarten), where the Netherlands Antilles

Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...

meets the French Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin

Saint Martin (France)

Saint Martin , officially the Collectivity of Saint Martin is an overseas collectivity of France located in the Caribbean. It came into being on 15 July 2007, encompassing the northern parts of Saint Martin island and neighbouring islets, the largest of which is Île Tintamarre...

Borders (km)
Belgium	-	167	450	620
Germany	167	-	577	451
Netherlands	450	577	-	10
Early Modern France	620	451	10	-

Luxembourg-France-Germany-Belgium

This set has existed since the 1839 independence of Luxembourg.

Borders (km)
Luxembourg	-	73	138	148
Early Modern France	73	-	451	620
Germany	138	451	-	167
Belgium	148	620	167	-

Bosnia and Herzegovina-Serbia-Montenegro-Croatia

This set has existed since the 2006 independence of Montenegro

Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006

The Montenegrin independence referendum was a referendum on the independence of the Republic of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro that was held on 21 May 2006.The total turnout of the referendum was 86.5%...

.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

has 20 km of coastline on the Adriatic Sea while Croatia borders Montenegro only through the non-contiguous southern portion of the Dubrovačko-neretvanska county, which is an exclave connected to the rest of Croatia only by territorial waters.

Borders (km)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	-	302	225	932
Serbia	302	-	203	241
Kingdom of Montenegro	225	203	-	25
Independent State of Croatia	932	241	25	-

Azerbaijan-Armenia-Turkey-Iran

This set has existed since the 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has a border with Turkey through its exclave of Nakhichevan

Nakhichevan

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a landlocked exclave of Azerbaijan. The region covers 5,363 km² and borders Armenia to the east and north, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest...

Borders (km)
Azerbaijan	-	787	9	611
Armenia	787	-	268	35
Turkey	9	268	-	499
Iran	611	35	499	-

Azerbaijan-Armenia-Georgia-Turkey

This set has existed since the 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has a border with Turkey through its exclave of Nakhichevan

Nakhichevan

Borders (km)
Azerbaijan	-	787	322	9
Armenia	787	-	164	268
Georgia (country)	322	164	-	252
Turkey	9	268	252	-

Burundi-Rwanda-Tanzania-Democratic Republic of the Congo

This set has existed since the 1962 change of the united Belgian colony of Ruanda-Urundi

Ruanda-Urundi

Ruanda-Urundi was a Belgian suzerainty from 1916 to 1924, a League of Nations Class B Mandate from 1924 to 1945 and then a United Nations trust territory until 1962, when it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi.- Overview :...

into the independent states of Burundi

Burundi

and Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

. Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

had achieved independence in 1960 and was followed the next year by Tanganyika, which would later merge with Zanzibar to form Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

. The border between DR Congo and Tanzania is entirely aquatic; the two countries are separated by Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...

Borders (km)
Burundi	-	209	451	233
Rwanda	209	-	217	217
Tanzania	451	217	-	459
Democratic Republic of the Congo	233	217	459	-

Rwanda-Uganda-Democratic Republic of the Congo-Tanzania

By the time of Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

n independence in 1962, all of the borders of this set were already established. DR Congo and Tanzania are separated by Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika

Borders (km)
Rwanda	-	169	217	217
Uganda	169	-	765	396
Democratic Republic of the Congo	217	765	-	459
Tanzania	217	396	459	-

Malawi-Mozambique-Zambia-Tanzania

This set has existed since the 1964 independence of Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

and Malawi

Malawi

. Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

became independent from Portugal in 1975.

Borders (km)
Malawi	-	1569	837	475
Mozambique	1569	-	419	756
Zambia	837	419	-	338
Tanzania	475	756	338	-

Near misses

The 40 km border between China's Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...

Autonomous Region and Russia's Altai Republic
Altai Republic
Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:...

prevents Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

from forming a set of four countries that border one another.

The short border between Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...

in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

prevents the group Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

from forming such a set.

The 2 km border between Zambia and Botswana at Africa's "four corners" is all that prevents the group Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

-Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

-Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

-Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

from satisfying the criteria of four countries that border one another (see International quadripoints for more information).

Former border sets of at least four countries

The first two sets below include boundaries shared by former colonial empires (specifically territorial claims in South America, Africa, India

Colonial India

Colonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the control of European colonial powers, through trade and conquest. The first European power to arrive in India was the army of Alexander the Great in 327–326 BC. The satraps he established in the north west of the subcontinent...

, Europe

History of Europe

History of Europe describes the history of humans inhabiting the European continent since it was first populated in prehistoric times to present, with the first human settlement between 45,000 and 25,000 BC.-Overview:...

, and the East

East India Company

The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

and West

West India Company

There has been more than one West India Company:* The Dutch West India Company* The French West India Company* The Danish West India Company* The Swedish West India Company...

Indies), and thus do not reflect continuous areas of land. In the third one it is referred to Nazi Germany after its annexation of Austria.

Countries	From	To	Terminal Event
, Dutch Republic, Spain, Portugal, Kingdom of Great Britain	1704	1713	Signing of the Treaty of Utrecht Treaty of Utrecht The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713... on 11 April 1713
Belgium, Portugal, German Empire, Early Modern France, United Kingdom, Netherlands	late 19th century	1914	Outbreak of World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Early Modern France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland	1938	1945	The dissolution of Germany into allied occupation zones
Myanmar, Mainland China, India, Pakistan	1947	1971	Independence of Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...