The term lanlocked is used in international relations to describe countries that have no direct coastline and are completely surrounded by land. This puts these countries at a disadvantage in terms of maritime trade, fishing and other economic activities carried out on the sea. Examples include Turkmenistan in Central Asia, Austria in Europe and Mali in Africa, etc.

• Faye, M. L., McArthur, J. W., Sachs, J. D., & Snow, T. (2004). The challenges facing landlocked developing countries. Journal of Human Development, 5(1), 31–68.
• United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). (2013). The development economics of landlockedness: Understanding the development constraints of landlocked developing countries. United Nations.