6 Landlock Countries With Navies Around The World

While landlocked countries are obviously unable to develop a sea-going blue-water navy, they may still deploy armed forces on major lakes or rivers. There are a number of reasons a landlocked country may choose to maintain a navy. If a river or lake forms a national border, countries may feel the need to protect and patrol that border with a military force. In some regions, roads may be unreliable or circuitous, and a river or lake may be the easiest way to move military forces around the country. Sometimes, possession of a body of water may actually be contested – for example, countries around the landlocked Caspian Sea have different views of how ownership should be divided.

# Azerbaijan

Although Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea, the Caspian does not connect to the ocean by natural waterway – by some definitions, this makes the country landlocked. The Azerbaijani Navy operates on the Caspian Sea. The navy has about 5,000 personnel in sixteen units

# Bolivia

The Bolivian Naval Force has several thousand personnel. When the force was established, Bolivia had access to the Pacific Ocean, but it lost control of its coastal territory in the War of the Pacific. Now, the Bolivian Navy patrols Lake Titicaca and Bolivia's larger rivers. It also had a naval unit permanently deployed in the Argentine city of Rosario. To some Bolivians, the Navy serves as a symbol that the country has not given up on regaining its lost access to the sea.

# Central African Republic

Central African Republic has small naval force. It is called the Second Battalion of the Ground Forces and it patrols the Ubangi river. The staff of the sixth region in Bouali (mainly made up of members of the former president’s lifeguard) was transferred to the city of Mongoumba, located on the river. This city had previously been plundered by forces from MLC, that had crossed the border. The riverine patrol force has approximately a hundred personnel and operates seven patrol boats.

# Kazakhstan

Although Kazakhstan borders the Caspian Sea, the Caspian does not connect to the ocean by natural waterway – by some definitions, this makes the country landlocked. On 7 May 2003, Kazakhstan’s Naval Forces were established by presidential decree. They operate on the Caspian Sea, based at Aktau. The Kazakh Naval Force has a strength of 3,000 personnel and is equipped with 14 inshore patrol craft. In 2011, a naval aviation base was opened in Aktau.

# Laos

The Lao People's Navy operates vessels on the Mekong River, a major feature of the country's geography. It is believed to operate two or three dozen small patrol boats. Because the Mekong makes up a considerable portion of the Lao border, the Navy is significantly involved in border control work.

# Paraguay

Although Paraguay is a landlocked country, it has a strong naval tradition by virtue of the fact that it has access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraguay–Paraná rivers. The Paraguayan Navy has twelve bases. The main base is the Puerto Saxony in Asuncion. Naval personnel including Marine Corps aviation personnel, and the naval guard equal about 1,950. The Marine Corps have 800 marines, of which 400 are assigned to one commando unit with the rest being organized into a single battalion consisting of three companies.