Which Asian country has the longest coastline?

Indonesia has the longest coastline of any Asian country. Its coast stretches for roughly 54,720 kilometres, although measurements vary because coastlines depend on map scale and on which islands, reefs, and inlets are counted.

The main reason is Indonesia’s geography: it is an enormous archipelago spread between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The country includes more than 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and Indonesian portions of Borneo and New Guinea. Thousands of islands create far more shoreline than a similarly sized mainland country would have.

A common mix-up is the Philippines, which also has a vast island coastline and is often listed among the world’s longest. Japan has an extensive coast as well, but its total is considerably shorter. Russia is partly in Asia and has a huge overall coastline, yet Indonesia’s measured national coastline is longer. Coastline rankings should therefore be compared using the same measurement method.