Which two countries are tied for having the most land-border neighbours of any nation on Earth, with fourteen bordering countries each?
- Brazil and Germany
- Turkey and Austria
- China and Russia
- India and Kazakhstan
Why C? And why not the others?
Correct answer: C. China and Russia
China's borders touch fourteen separate sovereign neighbours, running from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the west round to Vietnam and Laos in the southeast, while Russia's borders touch a different set of fourteen, from Norway and Finland in the northwest round to North Korea in the east - the two largest countries by land area also turn out to be the most surrounded, tied at the top of the list. Brazil (ten land neighbours) and Germany (nine) each border many countries but fall well short of fourteen. Turkey (eight land neighbours) and Austria (also eight) both sit solidly in the middle of the world rankings, nowhere near the top. India (seven land neighbours) and Kazakhstan (five) are both large countries with several neighbours of their own, but neither comes close to the fourteen-neighbour tie held uniquely by China and Russia.
Source: Britannica: China and Russia (boundaries sections); corroborated by CIA World Factbook border-country listings for both countries