Certainly, sunset and a coastline with lining palm trees and soft sand are marvelous scene.. Yet, not necessarily to be from an arial view, with some rocky formation and deformed landscape and inhabitable site.. However beauty is very subjective and varies as per each person.. Yet, the writer had started with setting a criteria to allow establishing a common critical grounds.. In addition, It seems that how the perception of beauty, or ugliness had made the final touches of any geography, as how it is appealing to visit and deeply enjoy observation.. The World is beautiful, yet we honor or deform.
Now this is a question I’ve never been asked. We frequently discuss the most beautiful countries on earth, whether it be their natural beauty, their architecture, or even their people. We talk about countries to which we’ll never return for a variety of reasons. But identifying the countries with the least attractive landscapes on the planet is an intriguing project. And I’ll use it to prove that every country has meritorious qualities.
Criteria
While beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder, I’m looking for nations that generally have the most unappealing average geographic scenery throughout their land. That would likely entail bland colors, unimpressively flat regions devoid of mountainous terrain, an unappealing or nonexistent coastline, and sparse plant life. I also realized that a densely populated city-state with little to no natural landscape remaining would be especially fitting.
Honestly, all 79 countries I’ve visited have had at least brief moments of picturesque views that left us breathless, whether they were natural or manmade. So I had to perform rigorous research on the other countries I have yet to visit, reviewing expert opinion and scenic photography to compile an extensive ranking of the attractiveness of all 195 recognized countries.
The biggest surprise
What surprised me the most was that even the countries ranked most unappealing still had at least a few gorgeous viewpoints, proving my original theory that our world is beautiful and that every sovereign nation has some sort of redeeming geographic qualities. As an example, the lesser visited African nation of Malawi is way off the tourist radar. That’s understandable, because it’s ranked the 32nd least beautiful country in the world with largely ordinary scenery like this.
But traveling into the Mount Mulanje region of Malawi affords views like this!
Statistically speaking, Malawi ranks among the bottom 20% of the world in natural landscape! Yet it boasts that stunning view above! Indeed this world is so beautiful that every country has some sort of geographical wonder.
But as beautiful as that corner of Malawi may seem, as you ascend through the scenic rankings of all the earth’s countries, the pictures get more and more incredible. And more importantly, higher ranked countries become more densely occupied by those regions. Beauty becomes less of a novelty and far more prolific, while less appealing scenery dwindles to a small percentage by the time you analyze the world’s most beautiful nations.
The bottom 10
So here we have a synthesis of expert opinion to produce the 10 countries with the least appealing natural scenery and geographic features.
1.) Vatican City
This is a tremendously worthy stop on your world travels, a microstate featuring jaw-dropping St. Peter’s Basilica and Michelangelo’s priceless works in the Sistine Chapel. But the world’s smallest country only occupies 5.3 million square feet (492,100 square meters), covering less territory than Minnesota’s Mall of America. So when it comes to geography, the Vatican City essentially has no natural scenery. It’s a completely manmade creation. But don’t let that stop you from visiting.
2.) Singapore
Singapore is one of the 30 most visited countries in the world for good reason. Visitors enjoy the cuisine, the modern skyscrapers, the excitement of the big city, and arguably the most beautiful airport in the world. But they’re not going for the natural scenery. In this city-state less than one-fifth the size of Rhode Island, you’ll have to explore one of the local parks to find any semblance of nature. Singapore is covered with buildings, manmade parks, swamps, and a lackluster coastline. The picture above is one of the few photos in which you’ll see any sort of geographical features there.
3.) Palestine
Unlike Vatican City and Singapore, you can actually find a few places in Palestine with no buildings. Like Vatican City, this is one of the two United Nations non-member observer states and thus included on the most widely accepted list of 195 countries. Its drab landscape and densely populated urban areas are largely unremarkable. This is the most scenic picture I could find for Palestine. Its monotonous color and low safety rating make Palestine one of the lesser visited nations in the world.
4.) Kuwait
Vatican City and Palestine are both UN non-member observer states while Singapore is a city-state. As far as traditionally recognized countries not restricted to city boundaries, Kuwait ranked the lowest in our statistical formula and fourth most ordinary geography. The uniquely futuristic skyline of Kuwait City is worth exploring. But the majority of this small, oil rich nation - only about one-fifth the size of Greater Los Angeles - is covered in desert.
6.) Nauru
An island nation of only eight square miles (21 sq km) - about 10 times the size of Monaco - Nauru is underdeveloped and unprepared for tourism. In fact, the third smallest country is often the planet’s least visited nation (depending on the year). There are sections of its pristine coastline that are moderately attractive, but its interior is devoid of beauty. You can see the entire country above from an aerial image. Most South Pacific nations are gorgeous, but not this one.
6.) Sudan
About two-thirds of the country is covered in flat, uneventful, monochromatic desert. And while some deserts can be stunning, Sudan’s is quite ordinary. The pyramids are eerily beautiful, but we’re describing geography and not manmade structures. In fact, an astonishingly large chunk of the Sahara Desert lies in Sudan that would cover more than France, Spain, Portugal, and Austria combined! The area around the Red Sea offers some variety (as pictured above) with its multicolored mountains. But the country primarily consists of sand. Being one of the 15 most dangerous countries on earth doesn’t help tourism either.
7.) The Gambia
The smallest country on the African mainland is a narrow sliver of land surrounded by Senegal. Its 48-mile (78-km) Atlantic coastline mostly unadulterated by tourism is serene, but not sufficient enough to outweigh the rest of its rather ordinary terrain. Even the Gambia River running through the middle of the country isn’t much from ground level (it looks a little better from the air).
8.) Monaco
In yet another city-state little more than quadruple the size of Vatican City, the steep hillside seen above is just as dramatic as the deep blue Mediterranean Sea bordering Monaco. There’s only one problem. The natural scenery pictured above doesn’t belong to Monaco. Mont Agel rising behind the city actually lies in France. All of the hilly terrain within Monaco’s borders is covered in concrete and skyscrapers. The amount of sea belonging to Monaco is negligible. A manmade barrier holds back the Mediterranean along the majority of the waterfront, with a true beachfront of only 1,637 feet (499 m) that lacks any waves. Visitors come to marvel at the billionaires’ yachts and the expensive sportscars, not the nonexistent natural features.
9.) South Sudan
As the world’s newest country in 2011 that syphoned off the southern tip of Sudan, this is a much greener region lying just beyond the reaches of the Sahara Desert that gives Sudan such a low rating. But the vast majority of South Sudan’s terrain, one of the world’s five most dangerous nations, is rather uneventful.
10.) Equatorial Guinea
The slopes of the Moca Valley (pictured above), vivid blue waters around Corisco, and cascading waterfall in the Monte Temelón Natural Reserve weren’t quite enough to surpass #11 Liberia in beauty. But like all nations, Equatorial Guinea has its moments. This is another small African nation with comparatively less beauty, but beauty nonetheless.
Just beyond the bottom 10
The Liberian coastline (above) as well as its mountainous regions were sufficient to stave off a spot in the bottom ten for Liberia. And it seems the gap between 10th and 11th was the most dramatic in the rankings. The 185 nations beyond the bottom 10 all showcase some pretty stellar scenery! And as I mentioned, even the countries of the bottom 10 have something spectacular to offer.
Now, what about the most Beautiful..!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For our family, the ultimate scenic countries have the best of both worlds, a stunning coastline and striking mountainous regions. Unique features such as volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, and waterfalls only enhance that otherworldly experience we desire!
Keep in mind that I haven’t nearly been to every country in the world, so this is only drawing from the 79 countries I have visited. Based solely on the average scenic beauty throughout each nation, this is my top 10 because I cannot mention just one. I’ve toured these 10 countries from top to bottom and have a really good feel for their overall scenic beauty.
1.) Iceland
2.) United States
3.) New Zealand
4.) Peru
5.) Argentina
6.) Switzerland
7.) Montenegro
8.) Canada
9.) Vietnam
10.) Norway
Honorable Mention) Liechtenstein
Unfortunately, merely posting a top 10 excludes some of the most beautiful countries I’ve visited, those green forests of Slovenia, that coastline in Croatia, the mountains of Andorra, everything about Japan, Greece, Samoa, Portugal, Fiji, Australia, and so many others! Our world has many beautiful places, which makes it difficult to rank them.
My list also doesn’t include Antarctica - the most stunning place I’ve ever been - because it’s not a country. But it will always be my #1 destination.
Warning
If you make a comment using the phrase “you forgot …” you will be swiftly deleted. That uninformed phrase assumes you understand my personal travel preferences, or that I’ve visited the country you’re proposing, or both. I don’t have time for that nonsense. But enticing trolls to emerge from their Quoran lairs only to eliminate them gives me great pleasure.
Disclaimer
To those who perpetually comment that someone’s personal list is “wrong”, you are showcasing your ignorance for all to see. This is merely my personal opinion and not yours, so of course it won’t match your precise list.
It is incredibly tacky and inappropriate to tell someone that their opinion is wrong. That is unacceptable on any platform or in any culture. If you want your favorite countries included, the only solution is to get off your lazy butt and write your own post.
It is even more egregious to comment that my disclaimer is a sign of arrogance. I am in no way stating that my list is the best list. I’m simply stating that it is my list, it’s not necessarily your list, and it cannot be considered right or wrong.
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