Blog
Data-driven deep-dives on the elevation of the world — rankings, records, comparisons and explainers. Every post is built from our own first-party measurements of the Copernicus GLO-30 satellite model, not the copied tables everyone else reprints.
Countries Below Sea Level
No country is entirely below sea level, but many have land beneath it. The share of each country’s land below 0 m — computed from Copernicus GLO-30 — plus the world’s lowest points on land, gathered in one place.
194 countries · Netherlands ~23% below sea level · lowest dry land 430 m down
Most Mountainous Countries in the World
The most mountainous countries on Earth, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — ruggedness (relief variation), share of land above 1,500 m and 2,500 m, and average elevation — because “mountainous” depends on the measure and the rankings disagree.
194 countries · most rugged: China & Nepal (σ ≈ 1,722 m)
Flattest Countries in the World
The flattest countries on Earth, measured three ways from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — least variation in height, lowest average, and smallest span — because “flattest” means different things and the rankings disagree.
194 countries · flattest by variation: Maldives (σ 0.2 m)
Average Elevation by Country
The average elevation of all 194 countries, computed uniformly from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data — our first-party mean and median beside the CIA figure, in a sortable table, with an honest account of where the two disagree.
194 countries · world average 1,786 ft (544 m)