Most Mountainous Countries in the World

Name: Mountainousness of the World's Countries
Creator: 3D Elevation Map
License: https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-4.0

Almost every “most mountainous countries” list ranks by one borrowed statistic — the percentage of a country classed as mountainous by a geomorphological survey — and then reprints the same order. It puts Bhutan at 98.8% and moves on.

We don’t have that dataset, and we didn’t source it. Instead we asked what our own elevation data says, measured several honest ways. Every figure here is computed from Copernicus GLO-30, the European Space Agency’s 30-metre satellite model — the same grid, the same method, clipped to each country’s border, for all 194 countries.

And it turns out “mountainous” is as slippery as “flat.” Rank by sheer relief and one country wins; rank by how much of the land sits up high and a different one does; the famous names aren’t always first. Below: the drama drawn to scale, a table you can re-sort by each definition, and the reason the leaders keep changing.

A country is mountainous when its land has strong vertical relief — big changes in height across it. By that measure the leaders are the countries that pack the full range from lowland to summit into one border: China and Nepal, all but tied (a standard deviation of elevation near 5,651 ft (1,722 m)). By how much of the country sits up high, Tajikistan leads — 62% of it above 2,500 m. Bhutan and Nepal rank near the top by every measure.

1Chinaσ 1,722 m
2Nepalσ 1,722 m
3Peruσ 1,607 m
4Tajikistanσ 1,563 m
5Boliviaσ 1,507 m
6Bhutanσ 1,460 m
7Chileσ 1,318 m
8Pakistanσ 1,196 m
9Ecuadorσ 1,183 m
10Indiaσ 1,182 m

The 10 most mountainous countries by ruggedness (the standard deviation of elevation, σ), located on the world map — #1 has the most relief. China and Nepal are all but tied; the great Asian and Andean ranges dominate. The mirror image of our flattest countries map.

What makes a country “mountainous”?

There is no one mountain number, so we report three — and let you sort by each. They agree that the great Asian and Andean ranges dominate, and disagree on almost everything else.

Ruggedness — relief variation. How much the land’s height varies across the whole country, measured as the standard deviation of elevation. High ruggedness means real vertical drama: lowland and high mountain in the same place. China (5,651 ft (1,722 m)) and Nepal lead, because each contains both near-sea-level ground and some of the highest on Earth. It is the same statistic our flattest-countries ranking uses — here read from the top down.

High-terrain share. How much of the country sits above a high line — above 1,500 m and above 2,500 m. This rewards countries that are high nearly everywhere, not just dramatic along one strip: Tajikistan (62% above 2,500 m), Bhutan (57%) and Kyrgyzstan (56%).

Average elevation. How high the typical ground is — Tajikistan (mean 9,688 ft (2,953 m)), Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan. It is the subject of a separate ranking, and it is not the same as mountainous: a country can be high on average yet barely rugged.

All 194 countries, several ways to rank

Sort by ruggedness (σ), share above 2,500 m or 1,500 m, mean, median or highest point — the order reshuffles with each. It opens on ruggedness, most mountainous first. Each country links to its full interactive 3D map.

194 of 194

#
1	China	5,651 ft (1,722 m)	29%	39%	6,014 ft (1,833 m)	3,825 ft (1,166 m)	Mount Everest (Qomolangma) 29,032 ft (8,849 m)
2	Nepal	5,649 ft (1,722 m)	36%	53%	6,929 ft (2,112 m)	5,197 ft (1,584 m)	Mount Everest (Sagarmatha) 29,032 ft (8,849 m)
3	Peru	5,274 ft (1,607 m)	27%	35%	4,810 ft (1,466 m)	1,509 ft (460 m)	Huascaran 22,205 ft (6,768 m)
4	Tajikistan	5,128 ft (1,563 m)	62%	75%	9,688 ft (2,953 m)	10,883 ft (3,317 m)	Ismoil Somoni Peak 24,590 ft (7,495 m)
5	Bolivia	4,946 ft (1,507 m)	24%	29%	4,042 ft (1,232 m)	1,030 ft (314 m)	Nevado Sajama 21,463 ft (6,542 m)
6	Bhutan	4,790 ft (1,460 m)	57%	79%	9,354 ft (2,851 m)	9,173 ft (2,796 m)	Gangkhar Puensum 24,836 ft (7,570 m)
7	Chile	4,323 ft (1,318 m)	19%	32%	4,341 ft (1,323 m)	2,769 ft (844 m)	Ojos del Salado 22,615 ft (6,893 m)
8	Pakistan	3,923 ft (1,196 m)	12%	24%	3,294 ft (1,004 m)	1,677 ft (511 m)	K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) 28,251 ft (8,611 m)
9	Ecuador	3,880 ft (1,183 m)	18%	29%	3,530 ft (1,076 m)	1,250 ft (381 m)	Chimborazo 20,548 ft (6,263 m)
10	India	3,877 ft (1,182 m)	8%	11%	2,306 ft (703 m)	1,017 ft (310 m)	K2 (Godwin-Austen) 28,251 ft (8,611 m)
11	Afghanistan	3,639 ft (1,109 m)	27%	52%	5,906 ft (1,800 m)	5,177 ft (1,578 m)	Noshaq 24,580 ft (7,492 m)
12	Argentina	3,371 ft (1,028 m)	8%	12%	2,323 ft (708 m)	899 ft (274 m)	Cerro Aconcagua 22,838 ft (6,961 m)
13	Kyrgyzstan	3,315 ft (1,010 m)	56%	86%	8,655 ft (2,638 m)	8,940 ft (2,725 m)	Jengish Chokusu (Victory Peak) 24,406 ft (7,439 m)
14	Georgia	2,732 ft (833 m)	8%	37%	4,045 ft (1,233 m)	3,743 ft (1,141 m)	Shkhara 17,037 ft (5,193 m)
15	Switzerland	2,710 ft (826 m)	10%	37%	4,301 ft (1,311 m)	3,576 ft (1,090 m)	Dufourspitze (Monte Rosa) 15,203 ft (4,634 m)
16	Taiwan	2,704 ft (824 m)	5%	21%	2,523 ft (769 m)	1,362 ft (415 m)	Yushan (Jade Mountain) 12,966 ft (3,952 m)
17	Azerbaijan	2,635 ft (803 m)	4%	16%	2,169 ft (661 m)	1,148 ft (350 m)	Mount Bazardüzü 14,652 ft (4,466 m)
18	Colombia	2,602 ft (793 m)	6%	13%	1,834 ft (559 m)	643 ft (196 m)	Pico Cristóbal Colón 18,947 ft (5,775 m)
19	Mexico	2,572 ft (784 m)	3%	33%	3,415 ft (1,041 m)	3,409 ft (1,039 m)	Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltepetl) 18,491 ft (5,636 m)
20	Guatemala	2,507 ft (764 m)	4%	19%	2,444 ft (745 m)	1,099 ft (335 m)	Volcan Tajumulco 13,845 ft (4,220 m)
21	Papua New Guinea	2,497 ft (761 m)	4%	18%	2,113 ft (644 m)	646 ft (197 m)	Mount Wilhelm 14,793 ft (4,509 m)
22	Ethiopia	2,408 ft (734 m)	6%	34%	4,111 ft (1,253 m)	3,750 ft (1,143 m)	Ras Dashen 14,928 ft (4,550 m)
23	United States	2,346 ft (715 m)	2%	19%	2,569 ft (783 m)	1,568 ft (478 m)	Denali 20,308 ft (6,190 m)
24	Iran	2,261 ft (689 m)	4%	36%	4,101 ft (1,250 m)	4,009 ft (1,222 m)	Mount Damavand 18,406 ft (5,610 m)
25	Costa Rica	2,181 ft (665 m)	2%	11%	1,844 ft (562 m)	840 ft (256 m)	Cerro Chirripó 12,536 ft (3,821 m)
26	Austria	2,170 ft (661 m)	3%	21%	3,127 ft (953 m)	2,507 ft (764 m)	Grossglockner 12,461 ft (3,798 m)
27	Turkey	2,128 ft (649 m)	3%	28%	3,737 ft (1,139 m)	3,570 ft (1,088 m)	Mount Ararat (Agri Dagi) 16,854 ft (5,137 m)
28	Kenya	2,077 ft (633 m)	2%	16%	2,575 ft (785 m)	1,919 ft (585 m)	Mount Kenya (Batian) 17,057 ft (5,199 m)
29	Lebanon	2,013 ft (614 m)	1%	22%	3,271 ft (997 m)	3,130 ft (954 m)	Qurnat as Sawda 10,131 ft (3,088 m)
30	Armenia	1,928 ft (588 m)	13%	73%	6,070 ft (1,850 m)	6,224 ft (1,897 m)	Mount Aragats 13,419 ft (4,090 m)
31	Eritrea	1,912 ft (583 m)	<1%	14%	2,507 ft (764 m)	2,162 ft (659 m)	Emba Soira 9,902 ft (3,018 m)
32	Liechtenstein	1,904 ft (580 m)	<1%	33%	3,579 ft (1,091 m)	3,396 ft (1,035 m)	Grauspitz (Vorder-Grauspitz) 8,527 ft (2,599 m)
33	Italy	1,902 ft (580 m)	1%	9%	1,814 ft (553 m)	1,132 ft (345 m)	Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) 15,768 ft (4,806 m)
34	Myanmar	1,893 ft (577 m)	1%	7%	1,909 ft (582 m)	1,175 ft (358 m)	Hkakabo Razi 19,295 ft (5,881 m)
35	Yemen	1,843 ft (562 m)	1%	15%	3,081 ft (939 m)	2,887 ft (880 m)	Jabal an-Nabi Shuayb 12,028 ft (3,666 m)
36	Morocco	1,842 ft (561 m)	1%	9%	2,060 ft (628 m)	1,355 ft (413 m)	Jbel Toubkal 13,671 ft (4,167 m)
37	Mongolia	1,776 ft (541 m)	6%	40%	4,875 ft (1,486 m)	4,505 ft (1,373 m)	Khuiten Peak 14,350 ft (4,374 m)
38	Albania	1,721 ft (525 m)	<1%	9%	2,254 ft (687 m)	2,031 ft (619 m)	Mount Korab 9,068 ft (2,764 m)
39	North Korea	1,666 ft (508 m)	<1%	7%	1,926 ft (587 m)	1,460 ft (445 m)	Paektu (Janggun Peak) 9,003 ft (2,744 m)
40	Montenegro	1,625 ft (495 m)	<1%	18%	3,386 ft (1,032 m)	3,527 ft (1,075 m)	Zla Kolata 8,314 ft (2,534 m)
41	Tanzania	1,609 ft (490 m)	<1%	12%	3,340 ft (1,018 m)	3,691 ft (1,125 m)	Kilimanjaro (Uhuru Peak) 19,341 ft (5,895 m)
42	Uzbekistan	1,570 ft (478 m)	1%	4%	1,171 ft (357 m)	646 ft (197 m)	Peak 4,643m (Gissar Range) 15,233 ft (4,643 m)
43	Dominican Republic	1,566 ft (477 m)	<1%	5%	1,309 ft (399 m)	636 ft (194 m)	Pico Duarte 10,164 ft (3,098 m)
44	Lesotho	1,563 ft (476 m)	31%	95%	7,260 ft (2,213 m)	7,241 ft (2,207 m)	Thabana Ntlenyana 11,424 ft (3,482 m)
45	Honduras	1,551 ft (473 m)	<1%	5%	2,060 ft (628 m)	1,955 ft (596 m)	Cerro Las Minas (Pico Celaque) 9,416 ft (2,870 m)
46	Indonesia	1,536 ft (468 m)	1%	4%	1,112 ft (339 m)	341 ft (104 m)	Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) 16,024 ft (4,884 m)
47	Comoros	1,486 ft (453 m)	0%	5%	1,617 ft (493 m)	1,270 ft (387 m)	Mount Karthala 7,746 ft (2,361 m)
48	North Macedonia	1,472 ft (449 m)	<1%	9%	2,730 ft (832 m)	2,477 ft (755 m)	Golem Korab 9,068 ft (2,764 m)
49	Madagascar	1,466 ft (447 m)	<1%	4%	1,778 ft (542 m)	1,401 ft (427 m)	Maromokotro 9,436 ft (2,876 m)
50	South Africa	1,455 ft (443 m)	<1%	13%	3,383 ft (1,031 m)	3,507 ft (1,069 m)	Mafadi 11,319 ft (3,450 m)
51	Bulgaria	1,429 ft (435 m)	<1%	4%	1,562 ft (476 m)	994 ft (303 m)	Musala 9,596 ft (2,925 m)
52	New Zealand	1,421 ft (433 m)	<1%	4%	1,608 ft (490 m)	1,168 ft (356 m)	Aoraki / Mount Cook 12,218 ft (3,724 m)
53	Andorra	1,415 ft (431 m)	15%	87%	6,722 ft (2,049 m)	6,965 ft (2,123 m)	Coma Pedrosa 9,656 ft (2,943 m)
54	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1,384 ft (422 m)	0%	4%	2,267 ft (691 m)	2,185 ft (666 m)	Maglić 7,828 ft (2,386 m)
55	Timor-Leste	1,375 ft (419 m)	<1%	3%	1,562 ft (476 m)	1,178 ft (359 m)	Tatamailau (Mount Ramelau) 9,721 ft (2,963 m)
56	Kazakhstan	1,371 ft (418 m)	1%	2%	1,178 ft (359 m)	837 ft (255 m)	Khan Tengri 22,999 ft (7,010 m)
57	Venezuela	1,371 ft (418 m)	1%	3%	1,142 ft (348 m)	522 ft (159 m)	Pico Bolívar 16,332 ft (4,978 m)
58	Greece	1,359 ft (414 m)	0%	3%	1,578 ft (481 m)	1,201 ft (366 m)	Mount Olympus (Mytikas peak) 9,573 ft (2,918 m)
59	Malawi	1,358 ft (414 m)	<1%	8%	3,104 ft (946 m)	3,383 ft (1,031 m)	Sapitwa Peak (Mount Mulanje) 9,849 ft (3,002 m)
60	Laos	1,340 ft (408 m)	<1%	2%	2,188 ft (667 m)	2,116 ft (645 m)	Phou Bia 9,249 ft (2,819 m)
61	Vietnam	1,330 ft (405 m)	<1%	2%	1,273 ft (388 m)	807 ft (246 m)	Fansipan (Phan Xi Pang) 10,325 ft (3,147 m)
62	Canada	1,327 ft (404 m)	<1%	4%	1,529 ft (466 m)	1,155 ft (352 m)	Mount Logan 19,551 ft (5,959 m)
63	Angola	1,323 ft (403 m)	<1%	9%	3,402 ft (1,037 m)	3,698 ft (1,127 m)	Mount Moco (Morro de Môco) 8,596 ft (2,620 m)
64	Spain	1,318 ft (402 m)	<1%	4%	2,274 ft (693 m)	2,247 ft (685 m)	Mulhacen 11,414 ft (3,479 m)
65	Saudi Arabia	1,318 ft (402 m)	<1%	3%	2,093 ft (638 m)	2,129 ft (649 m)	Jabal Sawda 9,892 ft (3,015 m)
66	Kosovo	1,311 ft (400 m)	<1%	8%	2,654 ft (809 m)	2,257 ft (688 m)	Gjeravica (Deravica) 8,714 ft (2,656 m)
67	France	1,304 ft (398 m)	<1%	3%	1,122 ft (342 m)	633 ft (193 m)	Mont Blanc 15,768 ft (4,806 m)
68	Panama	1,302 ft (397 m)	<1%	3%	1,017 ft (310 m)	495 ft (151 m)	Volcan Baru 11,401 ft (3,475 m)
69	Democratic Republic of the Congo	1,301 ft (397 m)	<1%	3%	2,244 ft (684 m)	1,919 ft (585 m)	Margherita Peak (Mount Stanley) 16,762 ft (5,109 m)
70	Norway	1,278 ft (390 m)	0%	2%	1,831 ft (558 m)	1,568 ft (478 m)	Galdhopiggen 8,100 ft (2,469 m)
71	Cabo Verde	1,276 ft (389 m)	0%	2%	1,060 ft (323 m)	522 ft (159 m)	Pico do Fogo 9,281 ft (2,829 m)
72	Romania	1,260 ft (384 m)	<1%	2%	1,312 ft (400 m)	883 ft (269 m)	Moldoveanu 8,346 ft (2,544 m)
73	Japan	1,251 ft (381 m)	<1%	2%	1,299 ft (396 m)	928 ft (283 m)	Mount Fuji (Fujisan) 12,388 ft (3,776 m)
74	Samoa	1,239 ft (378 m)	0%	2%	1,217 ft (371 m)	833 ft (254 m)	Mount Silisili 6,096 ft (1,858 m)
75	Eswatini	1,229 ft (374 m)	0%	1%	2,064 ft (629 m)	1,673 ft (510 m)	Emlembe 6,109 ft (1,862 m)
76	Solomon Islands	1,226 ft (374 m)	0%	2%	1,358 ft (414 m)	1,063 ft (324 m)	Mount Popomanaseu 7,661 ft (2,335 m)
77	Serbia	1,214 ft (370 m)	0%	1%	1,352 ft (412 m)	902 ft (275 m)	Midzor 7,116 ft (2,169 m)
78	Somalia	1,209 ft (369 m)	0%	1%	1,375 ft (419 m)	991 ft (302 m)	Mount Shimbiris 8,071 ft (2,460 m)
79	Slovenia	1,202 ft (366 m)	<1%	3%	1,860 ft (567 m)	1,575 ft (480 m)	Triglav 9,396 ft (2,864 m)
80	Haiti	1,196 ft (365 m)	<1%	2%	1,332 ft (406 m)	1,037 ft (316 m)	Pic la Selle 8,793 ft (2,680 m)
81	Iceland	1,194 ft (364 m)	0%	2%	1,657 ft (505 m)	1,555 ft (474 m)	Hvannadalshnúkur 6,923 ft (2,110 m)
82	Russia	1,187 ft (362 m)	<1%	2%	1,148 ft (350 m)	650 ft (198 m)	Mount Elbrus 18,510 ft (5,642 m)
83	Rwanda	1,174 ft (358 m)	3%	65%	5,610 ft (1,710 m)	5,308 ft (1,618 m)	Mount Karisimbi 14,787 ft (4,507 m)
84	Philippines	1,173 ft (358 m)	0%	2%	1,053 ft (321 m)	577 ft (176 m)	Mount Apo 9,692 ft (2,954 m)
85	Namibia	1,164 ft (355 m)	<1%	10%	3,573 ft (1,089 m)	3,747 ft (1,142 m)	Konigstein (Brandberg) 8,442 ft (2,573 m)
86	El Salvador	1,118 ft (341 m)	<1%	1%	1,184 ft (361 m)	935 ft (285 m)	Cerro El Pital 8,957 ft (2,730 m)
87	Burundi	1,078 ft (329 m)	<1%	59%	5,125 ft (1,562 m)	5,164 ft (1,574 m)	Mount Heha 8,806 ft (2,684 m)
88	Algeria	1,069 ft (326 m)	<1%	1%	1,827 ft (557 m)	1,568 ft (478 m)	Mount Tahat 9,541 ft (2,908 m)
89	Slovakia	1,057 ft (322 m)	<1%	1%	1,496 ft (456 m)	1,273 ft (388 m)	Gerlachovsky stit 8,711 ft (2,655 m)
90	Sao Tome and Principe	1,049 ft (320 m)	0%	1%	1,145 ft (349 m)	804 ft (245 m)	Pico de Sao Tome 6,640 ft (2,024 m)
91	Cameroon	1,042 ft (318 m)	<1%	2%	2,126 ft (648 m)	2,116 ft (645 m)	Fako (Mount Cameroon) 13,435 ft (4,095 m)
92	Zimbabwe	1,037 ft (316 m)	<1%	4%	3,192 ft (973 m)	3,343 ft (1,019 m)	Mount Nyangani 8,504 ft (2,592 m)
93	Malaysia	1,028 ft (313 m)	<1%	1%	902 ft (275 m)	430 ft (131 m)	Mount Kinabalu (Low's Peak) 13,435 ft (4,095 m)
94	Chad	1,006 ft (307 m)	<1%	2%	1,696 ft (517 m)	1,375 ft (419 m)	Emi Koussi 11,204 ft (3,415 m)
95	Uganda	998 ft (304 m)	1%	7%	3,822 ft (1,165 m)	3,635 ft (1,108 m)	Margherita Peak (Mount Stanley) 16,762 ft (5,109 m)
96	Iraq	967 ft (295 m)	<1%	1%	974 ft (297 m)	781 ft (238 m)	Cheekha Dar 11,847 ft (3,611 m)
97	Croatia	966 ft (294 m)	0%	<1%	1,027 ft (313 m)	623 ft (190 m)	Dinara (Sinjal) 6,007 ft (1,831 m)
98	Sri Lanka	959 ft (292 m)	<1%	1%	574 ft (175 m)	243 ft (74 m)	Pidurutalagala 8,281 ft (2,524 m)
99	Mozambique	958 ft (292 m)	0%	<1%	1,161 ft (354 m)	965 ft (294 m)	Monte Binga 7,992 ft (2,436 m)
100	Cyprus	943 ft (288 m)	0%	<1%	994 ft (303 m)	682 ft (208 m)	Mount Olympus (Chionistra) 6,404 ft (1,952 m)
101	Djibouti	941 ft (287 m)	0%	<1%	1,467 ft (447 m)	1,401 ft (427 m)	Mousa Ali 6,654 ft (2,028 m)
102	Thailand	939 ft (286 m)	<1%	<1%	932 ft (284 m)	584 ft (178 m)	Doi Inthanon 8,415 ft (2,565 m)
103	Equatorial Guinea	911 ft (278 m)	<1%	1%	1,604 ft (489 m)	1,886 ft (575 m)	Pico Basile 9,879 ft (3,011 m)
104	Syria	901 ft (275 m)	<1%	1%	1,696 ft (517 m)	1,463 ft (446 m)	Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Shaykh) 9,232 ft (2,814 m)
105	Israel	898 ft (274 m)	0%	<1%	928 ft (283 m)	856 ft (261 m)	Mount Meron 3,963 ft (1,208 m)
106	Jordan	874 ft (267 m)	0%	1%	2,520 ft (768 m)	2,602 ft (793 m)	Jabal Umm ad Dami 6,083 ft (1,854 m)
107	Oman	872 ft (266 m)	<1%	1%	902 ft (275 m)	617 ft (188 m)	Jabal Shams 9,872 ft (3,009 m)
108	Jamaica	867 ft (264 m)	0%	<1%	1,050 ft (320 m)	873 ft (266 m)	Blue Mountain Peak 7,402 ft (2,256 m)
109	Portugal	862 ft (263 m)	0%	<1%	1,043 ft (318 m)	768 ft (234 m)	Torre 6,539 ft (1,993 m)
110	Brazil	851 ft (259 m)	<1%	<1%	1,050 ft (320 m)	827 ft (252 m)	Pico da Neblina 9,826 ft (2,995 m)
111	Nicaragua	839 ft (256 m)	0%	<1%	728 ft (222 m)	351 ft (107 m)	Mogoton 6,913 ft (2,107 m)
112	Sweden	832 ft (254 m)	0%	<1%	1,050 ft (320 m)	886 ft (270 m)	Kebnekaise (North Peak) 6,880 ft (2,097 m)
113	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	791 ft (241 m)	0%	0%	1,053 ft (321 m)	876 ft (267 m)	La Soufriere 4,049 ft (1,234 m)
114	Dominica	790 ft (241 m)	0%	0%	1,165 ft (355 m)	1,043 ft (318 m)	Morne Diablotins 4,747 ft (1,447 m)
115	South Korea	786 ft (240 m)	0%	<1%	860 ft (262 m)	620 ft (189 m)	Jirisan (Cheonwangbong) 6,283 ft (1,915 m)
116	Vanuatu	767 ft (234 m)	0%	0%	899 ft (274 m)	679 ft (207 m)	Mount Tabwemasana 6,165 ft (1,879 m)
117	Libya	761 ft (232 m)	0%	<1%	1,368 ft (417 m)	1,506 ft (459 m)	Bikku Bitti (Bette Peak) 7,438 ft (2,267 m)
118	Germany	759 ft (231 m)	<1%	<1%	869 ft (265 m)	673 ft (205 m)	Zugspitze 9,718 ft (2,962 m)
119	Egypt	747 ft (228 m)	<1%	<1%	988 ft (301 m)	846 ft (258 m)	Mount Catherine (Gebel Katherina) 8,625 ft (2,629 m)
120	Zambia	745 ft (227 m)	0%	4%	3,671 ft (1,119 m)	3,757 ft (1,145 m)	Mafinga Central 7,674 ft (2,339 m)
121	Guinea	741 ft (226 m)	0%	<1%	1,447 ft (441 m)	1,417 ft (432 m)	Mount Nimba (Mont Richard-Molard) 5,748 ft (1,752 m)
122	Nigeria	735 ft (224 m)	0%	<1%	1,073 ft (327 m)	994 ft (303 m)	Chappal Waddi 7,936 ft (2,419 m)
123	Tunisia	729 ft (222 m)	0%	0%	833 ft (254 m)	673 ft (205 m)	Jebel ech Chambi 5,066 ft (1,544 m)
124	Belize	729 ft (222 m)	0%	0%	539 ft (164 m)	124 ft (37.8 m)	Doyle's Delight 3,688 ft (1,124 m)
125	Guyana	728 ft (222 m)	0%	<1%	712 ft (217 m)	436 ft (133 m)	Mount Roraima (Guyana point) 9,094 ft (2,772 m)
126	Turkmenistan	726 ft (221 m)	<1%	<1%	650 ft (198 m)	502 ft (153 m)	Ayrybaba (Gora Ayribaba) 10,299 ft (3,139 m)
127	Gabon	710 ft (216 m)	0%	0%	1,243 ft (379 m)	1,421 ft (433 m)	Mont Bengoue 3,510 ft (1,070 m)
128	Sudan	655 ft (200 m)	<1%	<1%	1,736 ft (529 m)	1,611 ft (491 m)	Deriba Caldera (Jebel Marra) 9,980 ft (3,042 m)
129	Saint Kitts and Nevis	642 ft (196 m)	0%	0%	636 ft (194 m)	410 ft (125 m)	Mount Liamuiga 3,793 ft (1,156 m)
130	Australia	630 ft (192 m)	0%	<1%	902 ft (275 m)	801 ft (244 m)	Mount Kosciuszko 7,310 ft (2,228 m)
131	Fiji	608 ft (185 m)	0%	0%	669 ft (204 m)	486 ft (148 m)	Mount Tomanivi (Mount Victoria) 4,344 ft (1,324 m)
132	Czechia	605 ft (184 m)	0%	<1%	1,486 ft (453 m)	1,453 ft (443 m)	Sněžka 5,259 ft (1,603 m)
133	Mauritius	580 ft (177 m)	0%	0%	709 ft (216 m)	528 ft (161 m)	Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire 2,717 ft (828 m)
134	South Sudan	579 ft (177 m)	<1%	<1%	1,686 ft (514 m)	1,476 ft (450 m)	Mount Kinyeti 10,456 ft (3,187 m)
135	Sierra Leone	572 ft (174 m)	0%	<1%	646 ft (197 m)	367 ft (112 m)	Loma Mansa (Bintumani) 6,391 ft (1,948 m)
136	Seychelles	559 ft (170 m)	0%	0%	659 ft (201 m)	505 ft (154 m)	Morne Seychellois 2,969 ft (905 m)
137	Grenada	550 ft (168 m)	0%	0%	666 ft (203 m)	515 ft (157 m)	Mount St. Catherine 2,756 ft (840 m)
138	Niger	542 ft (165 m)	0%	<1%	1,503 ft (458 m)	1,424 ft (434 m)	Mont Idoukal-n-Taghes 6,634 ft (2,022 m)
139	Cambodia	541 ft (165 m)	0%	<1%	404 ft (123 m)	223 ft (68 m)	Phnom Aural 5,938 ft (1,810 m)
140	Micronesia	539 ft (164 m)	0%	0%	499 ft (152 m)	289 ft (88 m)	Mount Nanlaud 2,566 ft (782 m)
141	Togo	516 ft (157 m)	0%	0%	850 ft (259 m)	732 ft (223 m)	Mont Agou 3,235 ft (986 m)
142	Ukraine	508 ft (155 m)	0%	<1%	554 ft (169 m)	492 ft (150 m)	Hoverla 6,762 ft (2,061 m)
143	United Kingdom	506 ft (154 m)	0%	0%	528 ft (161 m)	364 ft (111 m)	Ben Nevis 4,413 ft (1,345 m)
144	Belgium	504 ft (154 m)	0%	0%	515 ft (157 m)	285 ft (87 m)	Signal de Botrange 2,277 ft (694 m)
145	Brunei	480 ft (146 m)	0%	<1%	322 ft (98.1 m)	153 ft (46.6 m)	Bukit Pagon 6,070 ft (1,850 m)
146	Central African Republic	474 ft (144 m)	0%	0%	1,962 ft (598 m)	1,926 ft (587 m)	Mont Ngaoui 4,626 ft (1,410 m)
147	Republic of the Congo	459 ft (140 m)	0%	0%	1,371 ft (418 m)	1,309 ft (399 m)	Mont Nabemba 3,346 ft (1,020 m)
148	Poland	458 ft (140 m)	0%	<1%	571 ft (174 m)	482 ft (147 m)	Rysy 8,199 ft (2,499 m)
149	Liberia	454 ft (138 m)	0%	0%	705 ft (215 m)	679 ft (207 m)	Mount Wuteve 4,747 ft (1,447 m)
150	Cuba	437 ft (133 m)	0%	<1%	320 ft (97.6 m)	158 ft (48.2 m)	Pico Turquino 6,476 ft (1,974 m)
151	Saint Lucia	435 ft (132 m)	0%	0%	541 ft (165 m)	443 ft (135 m)	Mount Gimie 3,117 ft (950 m)
152	San Marino	419 ft (128 m)	0%	0%	965 ft (294 m)	938 ft (286 m)	Monte Titano 2,425 ft (739 m)
153	Côte d'Ivoire	416 ft (127 m)	0%	0%	853 ft (260 m)	840 ft (256 m)	Mont Nimba (Mount Richard-Molard) 5,748 ft (1,752 m)
154	Mauritania	411 ft (125 m)	0%	0%	853 ft (260 m)	951 ft (290 m)	Kediet ej Jill 3,002 ft (915 m)
155	Suriname	388 ft (118 m)	0%	0%	515 ft (157 m)	453 ft (138 m)	Julianatop 4,199 ft (1,280 m)
156	Benin	370 ft (113 m)	0%	0%	873 ft (266 m)	928 ft (283 m)	Mont Sokbaro 2,159 ft (658 m)
157	Botswana	344 ft (105 m)	0%	0%	3,383 ft (1,031 m)	3,343 ft (1,019 m)	Monalanong Hill 4,905 ft (1,495 m)
158	Trinidad and Tobago	343 ft (105 m)	0%	0%	273 ft (83.3 m)	154 ft (46.9 m)	El Cerro del Aripo 3,084 ft (940 m)
159	Finland	332 ft (101 m)	0%	0%	515 ft (157 m)	446 ft (136 m)	Halti (Halditsohkka) 4,344 ft (1,324 m)
160	Ghana	317 ft (96.6 m)	0%	0%	591 ft (180 m)	528 ft (161 m)	Leklata 2,953 ft (900 m)
161	Ireland	314 ft (95.8 m)	0%	0%	358 ft (109 m)	272 ft (83 m)	Carrauntoohil 3,409 ft (1,039 m)
162	Hungary	306 ft (93.1 m)	0%	0%	492 ft (150 m)	400 ft (122 m)	Kekes 3,327 ft (1,014 m)
163	United Arab Emirates	302 ft (92.2 m)	0%	<1%	384 ft (117 m)	361 ft (110 m)	Jebel Jais (UAE high point) 6,207 ft (1,892 m)
164	Mali	299 ft (91.1 m)	0%	0%	1,043 ft (318 m)	991 ft (302 m)	Hombori Tondo 3,789 ft (1,155 m)
165	Paraguay	279 ft (85.1 m)	0%	0%	535 ft (163 m)	459 ft (140 m)	Cerro Tres Kandu 2,762 ft (842 m)
166	Luxembourg	277 ft (84.3 m)	0%	0%	1,152 ft (351 m)	1,102 ft (336 m)	Kneiff 1,837 ft (560 m)
167	Barbados	259 ft (78.9 m)	0%	0%	341 ft (104 m)	262 ft (80 m)	Mount Hillaby 1,115 ft (340 m)
168	Kuwait	247 ft (75.4 m)	0%	0%	381 ft (116 m)	358 ft (109 m)	Unnamed location (western Kuwait) 1,004 ft (306 m)
169	Moldova	225 ft (68.6 m)	0%	0%	479 ft (146 m)	482 ft (147 m)	Balanesti Hill 1,411 ft (430 m)
170	Uruguay	221 ft (67.4 m)	0%	0%	361 ft (110 m)	341 ft (104 m)	Cerro Catedral 1,686 ft (514 m)
171	Tonga	212 ft (64.5 m)	0%	0%	176 ft (53.6 m)	94 ft (28.5 m)	Kao 3,389 ft (1,033 m)
172	Bangladesh	177 ft (54 m)	0%	0%	90 ft (27.4 m)	35 ft (10.7 m)	Saka Haphong (Mowdok Mual) 3,451 ft (1,052 m)
173	Latvia	175 ft (53.2 m)	0%	0%	299 ft (91 m)	299 ft (91 m)	Gaizinkalns 1,024 ft (312 m)
174	Malta	173 ft (52.8 m)	0%	0%	261 ft (79.6 m)	247 ft (75.2 m)	Ta' Dmejrek 830 ft (253 m)
175	Burkina Faso	166 ft (50.6 m)	0%	0%	978 ft (298 m)	965 ft (294 m)	Mount Tenakourou 2,457 ft (749 m)
176	Lithuania	156 ft (47.7 m)	0%	0%	348 ft (106 m)	341 ft (104 m)	Aukstojas Hill 965 ft (294 m)
177	Senegal	130 ft (39.6 m)	0%	0%	165 ft (50.3 m)	149 ft (45.4 m)	Unnamed point near Nepen Diakha 2,126 ft (648 m)
178	Estonia	117 ft (35.8 m)	0%	0%	187 ft (57 m)	177 ft (54 m)	Suur Munamagi 1,043 ft (318 m)
179	Monaco	114 ft (34.9 m)	0%	0%	149 ft (45.5 m)	128 ft (39.1 m)	Chemin des Revoires (Mont Agel slope) 528 ft (161 m)
180	Antigua and Barbuda	107 ft (32.6 m)	0%	0%	91 ft (27.7 m)	63 ft (19.3 m)	Boggy Peak (Mount Obama) 1,319 ft (402 m)
181	Belarus	100 ft (30.4 m)	0%	0%	541 ft (165 m)	525 ft (160 m)	Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 1,132 ft (345 m)
182	Guinea-Bissau	97 ft (29.5 m)	0%	0%	114 ft (34.8 m)	95 ft (28.9 m)	Monte Torin 860 ft (262 m)
183	Palau	85 ft (25.9 m)	0%	0%	56 ft (17.1 m)	0 ft (0 m)	Mount Ngerchelchuus 794 ft (242 m)
184	Denmark	78 ft (23.7 m)	0%	0%	102 ft (31.2 m)	91 ft (27.6 m)	Møllehøj 561 ft (171 m)
185	Netherlands	67 ft (20.6 m)	0%	0%	30 ft (9.1 m)	5 ft (1.6 m)	Vaalserberg 1,056 ft (322 m)
186	Qatar	59 ft (18 m)	0%	0%	84 ft (25.5 m)	77 ft (23.6 m)	Qurayn Abu al Bawl 338 ft (103 m)
187	The Gambia	50 ft (15.3 m)	0%	0%	69 ft (21.1 m)	64 ft (19.4 m)	Unnamed elevation (eastern Gambia) 174 ft (53 m)
188	Bahrain	48 ft (14.6 m)	0%	0%	46 ft (14 m)	23 ft (7 m)	Jabal ad Dukhan (Mountain of Smoke) 440 ft (134 m)
189	Singapore	46 ft (14.1 m)	0%	0%	56 ft (17 m)	43 ft (13 m)	Bukit Timah Hill 538 ft (164 m)
190	Nauru	40 ft (12.2 m)	0%	0%	79 ft (24 m)	86 ft (26.2 m)	Command Ridge 213 ft (65 m)
191	The Bahamas	7 ft (2.1 m)	0%	0%	8 ft (2.3 m)	6 ft (1.8 m)	Mount Alvernia (Como Hill) 207 ft (63 m)
192	Tuvalu	2 ft (0.5 m)	0%	0%	2 ft (0.7 m)	4 ft (1.3 m)	Niulakita (unnamed high point) 15 ft (4.6 m)
193	Marshall Islands	2 ft (0.5 m)	0%	0%	2 ft (0.7 m)	2 ft (0.5 m)	Likiep high point (unnamed) 33 ft (10 m)
194	Maldives	1 ft (0.2 m)	0%	0%	2 ft (0.5 m)	2 ft (0.5 m)	Mount Villingili (Villingili Island) 7 ft (2 m)

The most mountainous countries

By ruggedness, the top of the list is the great Asian–Andean mountain belt: China and Nepal, all but tied at a standard deviation near 5,651 ft (1,722 m), then Peru, Tajikistan and Bolivia. What unites them is not only height — it is range. Each holds near-sea-level land and some of the planet’s highest ground, so the vertical spread is enormous: Nepal runs from the 194 ft (59 m) Terai to Everest, Peru and Bolivia from Amazon lowland to 6,000-metre Andes.

Leave the giants and the surprises begin. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are wall-to-wall high — 62% and 56% of them above 2,500 m. Armenia and Montenegro are intensely rugged for their size, the standouts of the Caucasus and the Balkans.Switzerland, the mountain country of the popular imagination, ranks 15thby ruggedness — dramatic, but a smaller stage than the Himalaya or the Andes.

How the ranking changes by measure

The measures crown different countries. By ruggedness, China leads; by share of land above 2,500 m it falls to 6th, and Tajikistan takes the top — nearly two-thirds of it above that line. Sort instead by share above 1,500 m and the leader is neither: it is Lesotho, with 95% of its land above 1,500 m.

Lesotho is the tell. It ranks 1st for high ground but only 44th for ruggedness, because it is a high plateau, not a jagged one — consistently up around 7,260 ft (2,213 m), rarely steep. Nepal is its opposite: hugely rugged (2nd) yet only 36% above 2,500 m, because its southern Terai sits near sea level. Pick your measure and you pick your winner — which is why no two “most mountainous” lists agree.

Mountainous vs highest vs flattest

Mountainous is not the same as high. Tajikistan has the highest average elevation of any country (9,688 ft (2,953 m)), yet ranks 4th, not first, for ruggedness: it is uniformly high, a plateau nation, without Nepal’s sea-to-summit range. Lesotho and Rwanda go further — high-average countries (7,260 ft (2,213 m) and 5,610 ft (1,710 m)) that are barely rugged at all. Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills,” has a ruggedness (83rd) well below what its altitude suggests.

All of this is the mirror image of our flattest countries ranking: the very same ruggedness measure, read from the bottom up, finds the Maldives and Belarus. Flat and mountainous are the two ends of one number.

Most rugged: China. Its elevation has a standard deviation of 5,651 ft (1,722 m) — the widest spread of ground of any country, from eastern plains to the Tibetan plateau — all but tied with Nepal.

Highest country: Tajikistan, with 62% of its land above 2,500 m — nearly two-thirds of it up in the Pamirs.

See the mountains in 3D

Every country in the table links to its full interactive elevation map, where a mountain nation renders as real, gaspable terrain you can tilt and spin. Start with Nepal, or browse the complete country index. For the exact opposite, see the flattest countries.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most mountainous country in the world?: It depends on the measure. By ruggedness — how much the land varies in height — China and Nepal are all but tied (a standard deviation near 5,651 ft (1,722 m)). By share of land above 2,500 m, Tajikistan (62%). We rank by elevation, not the borrowed “% mountainous” statistic.
Is Bhutan the most mountainous country?: Bhutan ranks near the top by every measure we compute — 57% of it above 2,500 m and a mean of 9,354 ft (2,851 m) — but not first on ours: China and Nepal lead by ruggedness and Tajikistan by high-terrain share. The 98.8% figure comes from a separate geomorphological dataset we don’t use.
What is the most mountainous country in Europe?: By ruggedness, Switzerland leads Western Europe; the Caucasus nations Armenia and Georgia, and Montenegro in the Balkans, rank among the most rugged for their size.
What’s the difference between mountainous and highest?: Highest is about average elevation (Tajikistan leads); mountainous is about relief — how much the land rises and falls. A country can be high but smooth, like Lesotho, or rugged without being especially high on average, like Peru.
How is “mountainous” measured here?: From the GLO-30 elevation grid: the standard deviation of elevation (ruggedness) and the share of land above 1,500 m and 2,500 m, both computed from each country’s elevation distribution. See the methodology page for the full method and its limits.

Methodology & sources

Elevation is from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA, 2021 release), boundaries from geoBoundaries gbOpen. For each country the model is clipped to its outline. Ruggedness is the standard deviation of elevation and the high-terrain shares are the fraction of land above 1,500 m and 2,500 m — both computed here from each country’s elevation distribution rather than a separate “% mountainous” classification, which we do not hold. Because that distribution is binned, the two figures are approximate; the share values sit within about 0.2 percentage points of the pipeline’s full-resolution counts where both exist, and the rankings are robust. Country statistics current as of 2026-07-29. Same first-party method as the methodology page describes; built by Marko Visic.

· Flattest countries in the world — the exact opposite, the same 194 countries at the low-relief end.
· Average elevation by country — ranked by height, not ruggedness.
· Countries below sea level — the low-extreme end, and the lowest points on land.
· More elevation deep-dives — the blog.
· All countries by elevation — the full index, each with its 3D map.

Rendered from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA, 2021 release); boundaries from geoBoundaries. Ruggedness and high-terrain measures computed by 3D Elevation Map, 2026-07-29. Built by Marko Visic.