Geography · mean elevation

Countries by Elevation

Q: What is the highest country in the world?

Tajikistan, with an average elevation of 3,186 m (10,453 ft).

Q: What is the lowest country in the world?

Tuvalu, averaging 2 m above sea level.

The average height of a country's land above sea level. Tajikistan tops the list at 3,186 m; flat Tuvalu averages just 2 m.

3,186 m

Highest average: Tajikistan

2 m

Lowest average: Tuvalu

Countries averaging 1,000 m+

Highest countries (average elevation)

3,186 m

2,988 m

2,565 m

2,220 m

2,161 m

1,996 m

1,884 m

1,871 m

1,840 m

1,792 m

2,000 m+
1,200–2,000 m
800–1,200 m
400–800 m
150–400 m
under 150 m

Mean elevation of every country

Rank	Country	Mean elevation	In feet	Highest point	Lowest point
1	Tajikistan	3,186 m	10,453 ft	Qullai Somoniyon 7,495 m	Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
2	Kyrgyzstan	2,988 m	9,804 ft	Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m	Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
3	Nepal	2,565 m	8,416 ft	Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m	Kanchan Kalan 70 m
4	Bhutan	2,220 m	7,284 ft	Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m	Drangeme Chhu 97 m
5	Lesotho	2,161 m	7,090 ft	Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m	junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
6	Andorra	1,996 m	6,549 ft	Pic de Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m	Riu Runer 840 m
7	Afghanistan	1,884 m	6,181 ft	Noshak 7,492 m	Amu Darya 258 m
8	Chile	1,871 m	6,139 ft	Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,893 m (highest volcano in the world)	Pacific Ocean 0 m
9	China	1,840 m	6,037 ft	Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m	Turpan Pendi (Turfan Depression) -154 m
10	Armenia	1,792 m	5,880 ft	Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m	Debed River 400 m
10	Greenland	1,792 m	5,880 ft	Gunnbjorn Fjeld 3,694 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
12	Rwanda	1,598 m	5,243 ft	Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m	Rusizi River 950 m
13	Peru	1,555 m	5,102 ft	Nevado Huascaran 6,746 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
14	Mongolia	1,528 m	5,013 ft	Nayramadlin Orgil (Khuiten Peak) 4,374 m	Hoh Nuur 560 m
15	Burundi	1,504 m	4,935 ft	unnamed elevation on Mukike Range 2,685 m	Lake Tanganyika 772 m
16	Georgia	1,432 m	4,698 ft	Mt'a Shkhara 5,193 m	Black Sea 0 m
17	Switzerland	1,350 m	4,429 ft	Dufourspitze on Monte Rosa 4,634 m	Lake Maggiore 195 m
18	Ethiopia	1,330 m	4,364 ft	Ras Dejen 4,550 m	Danakil Depression -125 m
19	Iran	1,305 m	4,282 ft	Kuh-e Damavand 5,625 m	Caspian Sea -28 m
20	Lebanon	1,250 m	4,101 ft	Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m	Mediterranean Sea 0 m
21	Bolivia	1,192 m	3,911 ft	Nevado Sajama 6,542 m	Rio Paraguay 90 m
22	Taiwan	1,150 m	3,773 ft	Yu Shan 3,952 m	South China Sea 0 m
23	Namibia	1,141 m	3,744 ft	Konigstein on Brandberg 2,573 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
24	Zambia	1,138 m	3,734 ft	Mafinga Central 2,330 m	Zambezi river 329 m
25	Türkiye	1,132 m	3,714 ft	Mount Ararat 5,137 m	Mediterranean Sea 0 m
26	Ecuador	1,117 m	3,665 ft	Chimborazo 6,267	Pacific Ocean 0 m
27	Angola	1,112 m	3,648 ft	Moco 2,620 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
28	Mexico	1,111 m	3,645 ft	Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,636 m	Laguna Salada -10 m
29	Montenegro	1,086 m	3,563 ft	Zia Kolata 2,534 m	Adriatic Sea 0 m
30	South Africa	1,034 m	3,393 ft	Ntheledi (Mafadi) 3,450 m	Atlantic/Indian Oceans 0 m
31	Tanzania	1,018 m	3,340 ft	Kilimanjaro (highest point in Africa) 5,895 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
32	Botswana	1,013 m	3,324 ft	Manyelanong Hill 1,495 m	junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
33	Yemen	999 m	3,278 ft	Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m	Arabian Sea 0 m
34	Zimbabwe	961 m	3,153 ft	Inyangani 2,592 m	junction of the Runde and Save Rivers 162 m
35	Austria	910 m	2,986 ft	Grossglockner 3,798 m	Neusiedler See 115 m
36	Morocco	909 m	2,982 ft	Jebel Toubkal 4,165 m	Sebkha Tah -59 m
37	Pakistan	900 m	2,953 ft	K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m	Arabian Sea 0 m
38	Eritrea	853 m	2,799 ft	Soira 3,018 m	near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m
39	Jordan	812 m	2,664 ft	Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m	Dead Sea -431 m
40	Algeria	800 m	2,625 ft	Tahat 2,908 m	Chott Melrhir -40 m
41	Malawi	779 m	2,556 ft	Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m	junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
42	Kenya	762 m	2,500 ft	Mount Kenya 5,199 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
43	United States	760 m	2,494 ft	Mount McKinley 6,190 m (highest point in North America)	Death Valley (lowest point in North America) -86 m
44	Guatemala	759 m	2,490 ft	Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
45	Costa Rica	746 m	2,448 ft	Cerro Chirripo 3,819 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
46	North Macedonia	741 m	2,431 ft	Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m	Vardar River 50 m
47	DR Congo	726 m	2,382 ft	Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
48	Laos	710 m	2,330 ft	Phu Bia 2,817 m	Mekong River 70 m
49	Albania	708 m	2,323 ft	Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m	Adriatic Sea 0 m
50	Myanmar	702 m	2,303 ft	Gamlang Razi 5,870 m	Andaman Sea/Bay of Bengal 0 m
51	Honduras	684 m	2,244 ft	Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
52	Cameroon	667 m	2,188 ft	Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
52	Papua New Guinea	667 m	2,188 ft	Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
54	Saudi Arabia	665 m	2,182 ft	As Sarawat range, 3,000 m	Persian Gulf 0 m
55	Spain	660 m	2,165 ft	Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
56	Central African Republic	635 m	2,083 ft	Mont Ngaoui 1,410 m	Oubangui River 335 m
57	Madagascar	615 m	2,018 ft	Maromokotro 2,876 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
58	North Korea	600 m	1,969 ft	Paektu-san 2,744 m	Sea of Japan 0 m
58	Russia	600 m	1,969 ft	Gora El'brus (highest point in Europe) 5,642 m	Caspian Sea -28 m
60	Argentina	595 m	1,952 ft	Cerro Aconcagua (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America) 6,962 m	Laguna del Carbón (located between Puerto San Julián and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) -105 m
61	Colombia	593 m	1,946 ft	Pico Cristobal Colon 5,730 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
62	Equatorial Guinea	577 m	1,893 ft	Pico Basile 3,008 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
63	Sudan	568 m	1,864 ft	Jabal Marrah 3,042 m	Red Sea 0 m
64	Iceland	557 m	1,828 ft	Hvannadalshnukur (at Vatnajokull Glacier) 2,110 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
65	Chad	543 m	1,782 ft	Emi Koussi 3,445 m	Djourab 160 m
66	Italy	538 m	1,765 ft	Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) 4,748 m	Mediterranean Sea 0 m
67	Syria	514 m	1,686 ft	Mount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk) 2,814 m	Yarmuk River -66 m
68	Israel	508 m	1,667 ft	Mitspe Shlagim 2,224 m; note - this is the highest named point, the actual highest point is an unnamed dome slightly to the west of Mitspe Shlagim at 2,236 m; both points are on the northeastern border of Israel, along the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon	Dead Sea -431 m
69	Bosnia and Herzegovina	500 m	1,641 ft	Maglic 2,386 m	Adriatic Sea 0 m
70	Greece	498 m	1,634 ft	Mount Olympus 2,917	Mediterranean Sea 0 m
71	Slovenia	492 m	1,614 ft	Triglav 2,864 m	Adriatic Sea 0 m
72	Canada	487 m	1,598 ft	Mount Logan 5,959 m	Atlantic/Pacific/Arctic Oceans 0 m
73	Brunei	478 m	1,568 ft	Bukit Pagon 1,850 m	South China Sea 0 m
74	Niger	474 m	1,555 ft	Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m	Niger River 200 m
75	Bulgaria	472 m	1,549 ft	Musala 2,925 m	Black Sea 0 m
75	Guinea	472 m	1,549 ft	Mont Nimba 1,752 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
77	Haiti	470 m	1,542 ft	Pic la Selle 2,674 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
78	Norway	460 m	1,509 ft	Galdhopiggen 2,469 m	Norwegian Sea 0 m
79	Slovakia	458 m	1,503 ft	Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m	Bodrok River 94 m
80	Kosovo	450 m	1,476 ft	Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m	Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim (located on the border with Albania) 297 m
80	Venezuela	450 m	1,476 ft	Pico Bolivar 4,978 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
82	El Salvador	442 m	1,450 ft	Cerro El Pital 2,730 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
82	Philippines	442 m	1,450 ft	Mount Apo 2,954 m	Philippine Sea 0 m
82	Serbia	442 m	1,450 ft	Midzor 2,169 m	Danube and Timok Rivers 35 m
85	Japan	438 m	1,437 ft	Mount Fuji 3,776 m	Hachiro-gata -4 m
86	Czechia	433 m	1,421 ft	Snezka 1,602 m	Labe (Elbe) River 115 m
87	Djibouti	430 m	1,411 ft	Moussa Ali 2,021 m	Lac Assal -155 m
87	Republic of the Congo	430 m	1,411 ft	Mont Nabeba 1,020 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
89	Dominican Republic	424 m	1,391 ft	Pico Duarte 3,098 m	Lago Enriquillo -46 m
90	Libya	423 m	1,388 ft	Bikku Bitti 2,267 m	Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
91	Malaysia	419 m	1,375 ft	Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
92	Romania	414 m	1,358 ft	Moldoveanu 2,544 m	Black Sea 0 m
93	Somalia	410 m	1,345 ft	Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
94	Vietnam	398 m	1,306 ft	Fan Si Pan 3,144 m	South China Sea 0 m
95	New Zealand	388 m	1,273 ft	Aoraki/Mount Cook 3,724 m; note - the mountain's height was 3,764 m until 14 December 1991 when it lost about 10 m in an avalanche of rock and ice; erosion of the ice cap since then has brought the height down another 30 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
96	Kazakhstan	387 m	1,270 ft	Pik Khan-Tengri 7,010 m note - the northern most 7,000 meter peak in the World	Qauyndy Oyysy -132 m
97	Azerbaijan	384 m	1,260 ft	Bazarduzu Dagi 4,466 m	Caspian Sea -28 m
98	Nigeria	380 m	1,247 ft	Chappal Waddi 2,419 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
99	Gabon	377 m	1,237 ft	Mont Bengoue 1,050 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
100	France	375 m	1,230 ft	Mont Blanc 4,810	Rhone River delta -2 m
101	Portugal	372 m	1,221 ft	Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
102	Indonesia	367 m	1,204 ft	Puncak Jaya 4,884 m	Indian/Pacific Oceans 0 m
103	Panama	360 m	1,181 ft	Volcan Baru 3,475 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
104	Mozambique	345 m	1,132 ft	Monte Binga 2,436 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
105	Mali	343 m	1,125 ft	Hombori Tondo 1,155 m	Senegal River 23 m
106	Croatia	331 m	1,086 ft	Dinara 1,831 m	Adriatic Sea 0 m
107	Australia	330 m	1,083 ft	Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m	Lake Eyre -15 m
108	Luxembourg	325 m	1,066 ft	Buurgplaatz 559 m	Moselle River 133 m
109	Egypt	321 m	1,053 ft	Mount Catherine 2,629 m	Qattara Depression -133 m
110	Brazil	320 m	1,050 ft	Pico da Neblina 2,994 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
110	Sweden	320 m	1,050 ft	Kebnekaise South 2,100 m	reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m
112	Iraq	312 m	1,024 ft	Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent") 3,611 m	Persian Gulf 0 m
113	Oman	310 m	1,017 ft	Jabal Shams 3,004 m	Arabian Sea 0 m
114	Eswatini	305 m	1,001 ft	Emlembe 1,862 m	Great Usutu River 21 m
115	Nicaragua	298 m	978 ft	Mogoton 2,085 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
116	Burkina Faso	297 m	974 ft	Tena Kourou 749 m	Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
117	Thailand	287 m	942 ft	Doi Inthanon 2,565 m	Gulf of Thailand 0 m
118	South Korea	282 m	925 ft	Halla-san 1,950 m	Sea of Japan 0 m
119	Sierra Leone	279 m	915 ft	Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
120	Mauritania	276 m	906 ft	Kediet Ijill 915 m	Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
121	Benin	273 m	896 ft	unnamed elevation 675 m; located 2.5 km southeast of the town of Kotopounga	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
122	Germany	263 m	863 ft	Zugspitze 2,963 m	Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.5 m
123	Puerto Rico	261 m	856 ft	Cerro de Punta 1,338 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
124	Western Sahara	256 m	840 ft	unnamed elevation 805 m	Sebjet Tah -55 m
125	Côte d'Ivoire	250 m	820 ft	Monts Nimba 1,752 m	Gulf of Guinea 0 m
126	Suriname	246 m	807 ft	Juliana Top 1,230 m	unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
126	Tunisia	246 m	807 ft	Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m	Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
128	Liberia	243 m	797 ft	Mount Wuteve 1,447 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
129	Togo	236 m	774 ft	Mont Agou 986 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
130	Turkmenistan	230 m	755 ft	Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m	Vpadina Akchanaya (Sarygamysh Koli is a lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya, the lake has dropped as low as -110 m) -81 m
131	Sri Lanka	228 m	748 ft	Pidurutalagala 2,524 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
132	Guyana	207 m	679 ft	Laberintos del Norte on Mount Roraima 2,775 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
133	Ghana	190 m	623 ft	Mount Afadjato 885 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
134	Belgium	181 m	594 ft	Botrange 694 m	North Sea 0 m
135	Paraguay	178 m	584 ft	Cerro Pero 842 m	junction of Río Paraguay and Río Paraná 46 m
136	Ukraine	175 m	574 ft	Hora Hoverla 2,061 m	Black Sea 0 m
137	Belize	173 m	568 ft	Doyle's Delight 1,124 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
137	Poland	173 m	568 ft	Rysy 2,499 m	near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
139	Finland	164 m	538 ft	Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m	Baltic Sea 0 m
140	United Kingdom	162 m	532 ft	Ben Nevis 1,345 m	The Fens -4 m
141	Belarus	160 m	525 ft	Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m	Nyoman River 90 m
141	India	160 m	525 ft	Kanchenjunga 8,586 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
143	United Arab Emirates	149 m	489 ft	Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m	Persian Gulf 0 m
144	Hungary	143 m	469 ft	Kekes 1,014 m	Tisza River 78 m
145	Moldova	139 m	456 ft	Dealul Balanesti 430 m	Dniester (Nistru) 2 m
146	Cambodia	126 m	413 ft	Phnum Aoral 1,810 m	Gulf of Thailand 0 m
147	Ireland	118 m	387 ft	Carrauntoohil 1,041 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
148	Lithuania	110 m	361 ft	Aukstojas 294 m	Baltic Sea 0 m
149	Uruguay	109 m	358 ft	Cerro Catedral 514 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
150	Cuba	108 m	354 ft	Pico Turquino 1,974 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
150	Kuwait	108 m	354 ft	3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m	Persian Gulf 0 m
152	Cyprus	91 m	299 ft	Mount Olympus 1,951 m	Mediterranean Sea 0 m
153	Latvia	87 m	285 ft	Gaizina Kalns 312 m	Baltic Sea 0 m
154	Bangladesh	85 m	279 ft	Mowdok Taung 1,060 m	Bay of Bengal 0 m
155	Trinidad and Tobago	83 m	272 ft	El Cerro del Aripo 940 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
156	Guinea-Bissau	70 m	230 ft	Dongol Ronde 277 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
157	Senegal	69 m	226 ft	unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
158	Estonia	61 m	200 ft	Suur Munamagi 318 m	Baltic Sea 0 m
159	Denmark	34 m	112 ft	Store Mollehoj 171 m	Lammefjord -7 m
159	Gambia	34 m	112 ft	unnamed elevation 63 m; 3 km southeast of the town of Sabi	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
161	Netherlands	30 m	98 ft	Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m	Zuidplaspolder -7 m
162	Qatar	28 m	92 ft	Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m	Persian Gulf 0 m
163	Jamaica	18 m	59 ft	Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m	Caribbean Sea 0 m
164	Kiribati	2 m	7 ft	unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
164	Maldives	2 m	7 ft	8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m	Indian Ocean 0 m
164	Marshall Islands	2 m	7 ft	East-central Airik Island, Maloelap Atoll 14 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m
164	Tuvalu	2 m	7 ft	unnamed location 5 m	Pacific Ocean 0 m

Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain).

High-altitude travel

In the highest countries — Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Bhutan and Lesotho — many travellers feel altitude sickness above 2,500 m. Plan a slow ascent and drink plenty of water.

Countries by Elevation

Highest countries (average elevation)

Mean elevation of every country

High-altitude travel

Related rankings

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest country in the world?

What is the lowest country in the world?