Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Guernsey, Turks and Caicos Islands, Vatican City, Marshall islands

By measuring the elevation distance—or elevation span—between a country's highest and lowest points, it's possible to average out how flat that country's terrain is. Countries with low topographic relief are considered flatter because there's little variation in elevation. But while some nations have consistently flat terrain, other countries have lower minimum elevations at some points. It's these variables that make this gallery so fascinating. It includes countries you might never have expected to be included in a list such as this!

Sadly, though, some of the lowest-lying nations are particularly susceptible to climate change-induced rising sea levels and coastal erosion. By referencing World Atlas and World Population Review, we've ranked the 30 countries with the lowest average elevations worldwide. Click through and find out how they level up.

Saint Barthélemy

Also known as St. Barts, this overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean has an elevation distance of 286 meters (938 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Belarus

Belarus has an elevation distance of 256 meters (840 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Palau

Palau is an island country in the western Pacific Ocean. It has an elevation distance of 242 meters (794 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Located in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Saint Pierre and Miquelon is also an overseas collectivity of France. It has an elevation distance of 240 meters (787 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Aruba

Aruba, an island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands moored in the southern Caribbean Sea, has an elevation distance of 188 meters (617 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Macau

Macau, a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, has an elevation distance of 172 meters (564 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Bahrain

Bahrain, situated on the Persian Gulf and comprising a small archipelago, has an elevation distance of 122 meters (400 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Guernsey

Guernsey, the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, has an elevation distance of 114 meters (374 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Qatar

Qatar, set on on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, has an elevation distance of 103 meters (338 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Bermuda

Anchored in the North Atlantic Ocean, remote Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. It has an elevation distance of 76 meters (249 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Niue

Niue, a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand, is situated in the South Pacific Ocean. It has an elevation distance of 68 meters (228 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Gambia

Gambia is Africa's smallest non-island country. It has an elevation distance of 64 meters (210 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Turks and Caicos Islands

A British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean, has an elevation distance of 49 meters (161 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Vatican City

The sovereign state and city-state known as Vatican City has an elevation distance of 42 meters (138 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Marshall islands

The Marshall islands, a territory consisting of 29 coral atolls and five main islands located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, has an elevation distance of 10 meters (33 ft) between its highest and lowest points.

Tuvalu

Tuvalu is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. It also has an elevation distance of five meters (16 ft) between its highest and lowest points and is also extremely vulnerable to sea level rise due to climate change.