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Tuesday 19 June 2012

9 LARGEST COUNTRIES WITHOUT MOUNTAINS


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9 Largest Countries Without Mountains
By
The World Geography, 18 June 2012.

Rare are the countries that do not have mountains in their territory. The inhabitants of these countries, if they want to hike or to engage in winter sports, have to go abroad. In this list, we will deal with countries that have the largest area among the countries with no mountains.

9. The Gambia

Agricultural field in the Gambia (link)

Area: 11.295 sq km (4,007 sq mi)
Highest point: Red Rock (53 m or 175 ft)

The Gambia is a country without mountains. The highest point in this country is Red Rock, located at an altitude of only 53 meters (175ft). Most of the country is mangrove swamp, floodplain, or a coastal beach, and approximately one third of the land is used for agricultural purposes. If you visit The Gambia there are many places to go and much to see, but hiking will not be on your itinerary.


8. Kuwait

Camels in Kuwait desert (link)

Area: 17.820 sq km (6,880 sq mi)
Highest point: Mutla Ridge (306 m or 1,004 ft)

Kuwait does not have many physical features that make it a unique country. It is mostly hot desert with no mountains or lakes, although the Kuwait Bay is the largest and most important "body" of water in the country. It also has a few islands located off the shore in the Persian Gulf. Kuwait has some of the world's richest oil fields with the Burgan field having a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.


7. Moldova

Moldavian rural areas with hills in the background (link)

Area: 33,846 sq km (13,067 sq mi)
Highest point: Balănesti Hill (430 m or 1,410 ft)

Moldova is a generally low-lying country with no real mountain systems. Its highest point, Balănesti Hill, rises to 430 meters (1,410 feet) amid the Codri Hills of west-central Moldova. The average elevation is only 147 meters.


6. Guinea-Bissau

Typical scenery in Guinea-Bissau (link)

Area: 36,125 sq km (13,948 sq mi)
Highest point: Unnamed location (300 m or 984 ft)

At 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi), Guinea-Bissau is larger in size than Taiwan, Belgium, or the U.S. state of Maryland. This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 300 metres (984 ft). The interior is savannah, and the coastline is plain with swamps of Guinean mangroves.


5. Denmark (without the Faroe Islands and Greenland)

One of the highest points of Denmark - Himmelbjerget (147m or 482 ft) (link)

Area: 43.094 sq km (16,639 sq mi)
Highest point: Møllehøj (170,86 m or 560.56 ft)

Denmark has no mountains, not counting two additional overseas constituent countries - the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The country is flat with little elevation, having an average height above sea level of 31 metres (102 ft).


4. Estonia

Estonian landscape (link)

Area: 45.227 sq km (17,413 sq mi)
Highest point: Suur Munamägi (318 m or 1,043 ft)

There are no mountains in Estonia. Average elevation reaches only 50 meters (164 ft) and the country's highest point is the Suur Munamägi in the southeast at 318 meters (1,043 ft). Estonia’s forests cover half the country and are home to a wonderful range of wildlife including bears, wolves, lynx, flying squirrels, wild boar, deer and elk. Estonia has thousands of wetlands, some of which are over 3,000 years old.


3. Latvia

Blooming canola fields in Latvia (link)

Area: 64.589 sq km (24,938 sq mi)
Highest point: Gaiziņkalns 312 m (1,020 ft)

Latvia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level northwestern part of the rising East European platform, between Estonia and Lithuania. About 98% of the country lies under 200 m (656 ft) elevation. Undulating plains cover 75% of Latvia's territory and provide the main areas for farming; 25% of the territory lies in uplands of moderate-sized hills.


2. Lithuania

Žuvintas reserve, Lithuania (link)

Area: 65.300 sq km (25,174 sq mi)
Highest point: Aukštojas Hill (294 metres or 965 ft)

Lithuania's terrain is an alternation of moderate lowlands and highlands; its maximum elevation is Aukštojas Hill at 294 metres (965 ft) in the eastern part of the country. The terrain features numerous lakes and wetlands, and mixed forest zone covers nearly 33% of the country.


1. Belarus

Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (link)

Area: 207.595 sq km (80,155 sq mi)
Highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (345 m or 1,130 ft)

Belarus in general has a plain and hilly relief and is on average 160 meters above the sea level, its highest spot reaching as high as 345 meters. The plain relief is convenient for the population settlement, farming, the construction of industrial enterprises and provision of tourism and recreation services.


Top image: Satellite images of Kuwait (left) and Gambia (right)

[Source: The World Geography. Edited. Top image added.]


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