# You are closer to space than to the sea Space begins 100 km above your head. For 80% of the world's land, the sea is farther than that. Type your town and see which is nearer, measured along the globe. ## How much of the world's land is closer to space? On the map, every place on land takes the colour of the winner: violet where space is nearer, teal where the sea is. With space at 100 km, violet covers **80%** of the land. The sea wins only on a strip along the coasts and on most islands. Move the space line and watch the map change. At 80 km, close to the 50-mile threshold used by the US aviation regulator, the sea wins even less: 18% of the land. Only when you raise the line to the height of the International Space Station, around 400 km, does the violet shrink to the interiors of the continents and the largest islands. ## How many people live closer to the sea than to space? People are not spread evenly over the land. The 100 km strip along the sea is 20% of the land, but **39%** of people live on it: 106 people per square kilometre, against 43 everywhere else. Even so, the majority, **61%**, have space nearer than the sea. The two curves show the gap best. Half of humanity lives less than **197 km** from the sea. Half of the land is more than **394 km** away. ### At 400 km, near the space station's height, the land splits in two 394 km is a little below the height at which the International Space Station flies: 413 to 427 km at the end of September 2026, according to NASA. If space began at about 400 km, the world's land would split into two nearly equal halves: 50% nearer the sea, the rest nearer the station. People would stay lopsided: 66% of them would have the sea nearer. ## How far from the sea do Romanians live? Romania has 225 km of coast, according to the World Factbook, for 238,391 km² of territory. Bulgaria, half its size, has 354 km. Only 8.3% of Romania lies within 100 km of the sea, and 4.9% of its residents live there, about 958,000 people. The other **95.1%** have space nearer than the sea. Here Romania runs against the world average. Across the planet, the strip by the sea is almost twice as crowded as average; in Romania it is emptier than the rest of the country: 48 people per km², against 85 elsewhere. Apart from Constanța and the resorts, the Danube Delta and Dobruja are thinly peopled, and the other big cities are far from the shore: Galați and Brăila, on the Danube, are more than 100 km from the sea, measured to the beach at Gura Portiței. Romania is not alone. Of 89 other coastal countries with between 5% and 95% of their land within 100 km of the sea, 20 also have a smaller share of their people than of their land in that strip, among them Bulgaria, Ukraine, Germany and Italy. - Country | of the land | of the people - Romania | 8.3% | 4.9% - Bulgaria | 33.7% | 25.0% - Ukraine | 18.2% | 15.9% - Germany | 21.5% | 13.0% - France | 40.3% | 41.0% - Türkiye | 40.0% | 56.2% - Italy | 83.0% | 75.0% - Greece | 97.6% | 99.1% - United Kingdom | 99.5% | 99.0% - The whole world | 20.4% | 38.7% The place in Romania farthest from the sea is northern Bihor, by the Hungarian border: 618 km. There, space is 6 times nearer than the shore. ### The communes and towns where the sea beats space For 152 of Romania's 3,181 local authorities, a point chosen inside the territory, near its middle, is within 100 km of the sea. Most are in Constanța (70) and Tulcea (48) counties. The other 34 are in the east of Ialomița, Călărași and Brăila counties, across the Danube: Fetești, for one, is 66 km from the sea in a straight line across Dobruja. - Eforie town, Constanța County 0.9 km - Costinești commune, Constanța County 2.8 km - Năvodari town, Constanța County 2.9 km - Mangalia city, Constanța County 3.5 km - Constanța city, Constanța County 4.2 km - Corbu commune, Constanța County 4.3 km - Agigea commune, Constanța County 4.4 km - Tuzla commune, Constanța County 4.9 km - Limanu commune, Constanța County 5.9 km - 23 August commune, Constanța County 6.0 km - Cumpăna commune, Constanța County 6.2 km - Techirghiol town, Constanța County 6.3 km - Săcele commune, Constanța County 7.6 km - Ovidiu town, Constanța County 7.8 km - Lumina commune, Constanța County 8.1 km - Sulina town, Tulcea County 8.8 km - Jurilovca commune, Tulcea County 9.8 km - Istria commune, Constanța County 11.0 km - C. A. Rosetti commune, Tulcea County 11.0 km - Pecineaga commune, Constanța County 11.9 km - Valu lui Traian commune, Constanța County 12.3 km - Sfântu Gheorghe commune, Tulcea County 12.3 km - Mihail Kogălniceanu commune, Constanța County 14.4 km - Topraisar commune, Constanța County 14.5 km - Murighiol commune, Tulcea County 15.8 km - Ceamurlia de Jos commune, Tulcea County 16.7 km - Mihai Viteazu commune, Constanța County 17.9 km - Albești commune, Constanța County 18.0 km - Poarta Albă commune, Constanța County 19.6 km - Bărăganu commune, Constanța County 20.2 km - Castelu commune, Constanța County 20.3 km - Murfatlar town, Constanța County 20.3 km - Comana commune, Constanța County 21.2 km - Cogealac commune, Constanța County 21.7 km - Amzacea commune, Constanța County 22.4 km - Târgușor commune, Constanța County 23.3 km - Sarichioi commune, Tulcea County 24.2 km - Fântânele commune, Constanța County 24.3 km - Crișan commune, Tulcea County 24.3 km - Nicolae Bălcescu commune, Constanța County 24.7 km - Cuza Vodă commune, Constanța County 25.1 km - Chilia Veche commune, Tulcea County 25.5 km - Grădina commune, Constanța County 26.2 km - Mereni commune, Constanța County 26.8 km - Baia commune, Tulcea County 27.1 km - Negru Vodă town, Constanța County 28.1 km - Ciocârlia commune, Constanța County 29.8 km - Medgidia city, Constanța County 30.1 km - Babadag town, Tulcea County 30.6 km - Valea Nucarilor commune, Tulcea County 31.3 km - Tortoman commune, Constanța County 31.6 km - Beidaud commune, Tulcea County 32.7 km - Chirnogeni commune, Constanța County 32.8 km - Mahmudia commune, Tulcea County 34.2 km - Cobadin commune, Constanța County 34.7 km - Mircea Vodă commune, Constanța County 35.0 km - Siliștea commune, Constanța County 35.4 km - Stejaru commune, Tulcea County 35.5 km - Beștepe commune, Tulcea County 36.6 km - Pantelimon commune, Constanța County 37.8 km - Slava Cercheză commune, Tulcea County 38.6 km - Mihai Bravu commune, Tulcea County 38.8 km - Cerchezu commune, Constanța County 39.7 km - Independența commune, Constanța County 40.6 km - Peștera commune, Constanța County 40.6 km - Crucea commune, Constanța County 41.1 km - Mihail Kogălniceanu commune, Tulcea County 41.5 km - Seimeni commune, Constanța County 42.6 km - Saligny commune, Constanța County 42.6 km - Nufăru commune, Tulcea County 42.9 km - Vulturu commune, Constanța County 44.0 km - Maliuc commune, Tulcea County 44.0 km - Pardina commune, Tulcea County 44.0 km - Casimcea commune, Tulcea County 45.0 km - Deleni commune, Constanța County 46.6 km - Nalbant commune, Tulcea County 47.3 km - Cernavodă town, Constanța County 47.9 km - Topalu commune, Constanța County 49.0 km - Ciucurova commune, Tulcea County 49.4 km - Tulcea city, Tulcea County 49.5 km - Dumbrăveni commune, Constanța County 49.9 km - Rasova commune, Constanța County 51.0 km - Horia commune, Constanța County 52.8 km - Topolog commune, Tulcea County 53.9 km - Stelnica commune, Ialomița County 54.3 km - Saraiu commune, Constanța County 54.5 km - Adamclisi commune, Constanța County 55.3 km - Frecăței commune, Tulcea County 55.4 km - Izvoarele commune, Tulcea County 56.2 km - Ghindărești commune, Constanța County 57.8 km - Bordușani commune, Ialomița County 58.0 km - Somova commune, Tulcea County 58.9 km - Horia commune, Tulcea County 59.4 km - Ceatalchioi commune, Tulcea County 61.0 km - Dorobanțu commune, Tulcea County 61.4 km - Valea Teilor commune, Tulcea County 61.8 km - Aliman commune, Constanța County 61.9 km - Borcea commune, Călărași County 63.1 km - Făcăeni commune, Ialomița County 63.4 km - Gârliciu commune, Constanța County 63.7 km - Dobromir commune, Constanța County 64.5 km - Dăeni commune, Tulcea County 64.6 km - Ciobanu commune, Constanța County 65.3 km - Fetești city, Ialomița County 66.3 km - Niculițel commune, Tulcea County 67.4 km - Hamcearca commune, Tulcea County 68.2 km - Ion Corvin commune, Constanța County 68.3 km - Ostrov commune, Tulcea County 68.8 km - Cerna commune, Tulcea County 69.8 km - Hârșova town, Constanța County 70.9 km - Vlădeni commune, Ialomița County 71.7 km - Peceneaga commune, Tulcea County 73.1 km - Isaccea town, Tulcea County 74.7 km - Movila commune, Ialomița County 75.6 km - Băneasa commune, Constanța County 75.7 km - Oltina commune, Constanța County 77.3 km - Turcoaia commune, Tulcea County 77.6 km - Mihail Kogălniceanu commune, Ialomița County 79.1 km - Jegălia commune, Călărași County 79.4 km - Frecăței commune, Brăila County 79.5 km - Giurgeni commune, Ialomița County 79.5 km - Platonești commune, Ialomița County 79.6 km - Ștefan cel Mare commune, Călărași County 80.6 km - Greci commune, Tulcea County 80.7 km - Săveni commune, Ialomița County 82.4 km - Lipnița commune, Constanța County 83.6 km - Unirea commune, Călărași County 84.1 km - Luncavița commune, Tulcea County 84.7 km - Carcaliu commune, Tulcea County 86.1 km - Sudiți commune, Ialomița County 86.3 km - Gura Ialomiței commune, Ialomița County 88.0 km - Dichiseni commune, Călărași County 88.4 km - Perișoru commune, Călărași County 88.9 km - Măcin town, Tulcea County 89.8 km - Țăndărei town, Ialomița County 90.3 km - Gropeni commune, Brăila County 90.9 km - Stăncuța commune, Brăila County 91.5 km - Berteștii de Jos commune, Brăila County 91.7 km - Mărculești commune, Ialomița County 92.3 km - Văcăreni commune, Tulcea County 92.6 km - Roseți commune, Călărași County 93.3 km - Ograda commune, Ialomița County 93.6 km - Mărașu commune, Brăila County 95.2 km - Victoria commune, Brăila County 95.3 km - Ostrov commune, Constanța County 95.7 km - Bucu commune, Ialomița County 96.2 km - Cosâmbești commune, Ialomița County 96.8 km - Jijila commune, Tulcea County 97.1 km - Modelu commune, Călărași County 97.6 km - Valea Ciorii commune, Ialomița County 98.3 km - Tufești commune, Brăila County 99.2 km - Tichilești commune, Brăila County 99.7 km ## Where is the sea farthest from land, and land farthest from the sea? **On land.** The place farthest from any sea is in northern Xinjiang, China, 240 km from the city of Ürümqi: 2,476 km to the nearest shore on the coastline used here. There, space is 25 times nearer than the sea. In 2007, with a different coastline, Daniel Garcia-Castellanos and Umberto Lombardo found two nearly tied points, at 2,510 and 2,514 km; the second is also near Ürümqi. Most of the difference comes from where you decide the Gulf of Ob, in northern Siberia, ends and the river begins. **At sea.** The point farthest from land is Point Nemo, in the South Pacific: 2,688 km to the nearest island, according to NOAA, the US ocean agency. The coastline used here gives 2,692 km. When the space station passes overhead, at about 420 km, the people aboard are 6.4 times nearer to Point Nemo than any shore is. The Pacific, with its seas, covers 168.7 million km². All the land on Earth covers 148.9 million km². Every continent and every island would fit inside it with room to spare: nearly 20 million km². ## What counts as "the sea", and where space begins **Space.** It has no physical edge: the air thins out gradually. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which keeps aviation and spaceflight records, uses 100 km, the Kármán line. In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration recognises people who pass 50 miles, or 80.47 km, on a flight it has licensed or permitted, and in 2018 the astronomer Jonathan McDowell argued for about 80 km. This page uses 100 km and also shows 80 km. The line is measured from sea level. The page ignores the height of the place: a town 1,000 m up is in fact 1 km nearer space. **The sea.** The world ocean and every sea joined to it: the Black Sea (through the Bosphorus), Azov, Marmara, the Baltic, the Mediterranean. The Caspian has no natural link to the ocean, so in this calculation it counts as neither sea nor land; lakes count as land. Lagoons cut off from the sea by a sand bar or a dam, joined to it at most through sluices, count as lakes: Razim–Sinoe in Romania, Sasyk and Shagany–Alibei in Ukraine. The base map, Natural Earth, draws them open to the sea; left that way, they would have put Cluj's "sea" in Lake Razim. **Distance.** A straight line along the Earth's surface, on the great circle, to the nearest point of the shore, on a sphere of radius 6,371 km. On the ellipsoid the difference is under 0.5%. The coastline is Natural Earth at 1:10 million; a more detailed map would give slightly different distances. When the sea and space are less than 1.5 km apart, the page calls a tie. **People.** The GHSL population grid from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, estimated for 2025 in squares of about 1 km, summed here into 2.5-arc-minute squares: 8.19 billion people, of whom 19.4 million in Romania. It is a modelled estimate, not a census. Other studies give smaller figures for the "coastal population" because they add a condition: Kummu and colleagues (2016) count only people who also live less than 100 m above sea level, on other population data, and find 27% in 2010. ## Method and sources For every 2.5-arc-minute square of land (about 4.6 km at the equator) we measured the distance along the globe to the nearest point of the shore, on a coastline densified to one point per kilometre. The land share is weighted by each square's true area. The people share sums the GHSL grid over the same squares. The distance for your town is computed on the page, on a simplified coastline (at most 1.1 km off the full one, checked on 300 points). The same coastline and the same calculation are tested in Python and in the browser and give the same values. For Romania, every square of about 1 km in the GHSL grid was assigned to the local authority it falls in. Place names come from the INS register; the search uses GeoNames. - FAI, "The 100 km boundary for astronautics" (the Kármán line). https://www.fai.org/page/icare-boundary - FAA, Human Space Flight Recognition: the 50-mile threshold. https://www.faa.gov/space/human_spaceflight/recognition - J. McDowell, "The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line", Acta Astronautica 151 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.07.003 - NASA, International Space Station: orbital altitude. https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/ - NASA, 25 September 2026: the station's orbit after the Cygnus XL reboost (265.5 × 256.8 miles). https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/09/25/nasa-northrop-grumman-complete-cygnus-xl-space-station-reboost-2/ - Natural Earth, land and minor islands at 1:10m, v5.1.1 (public domain). https://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/10m-physical-vectors/ - M. Schiavina et al., GHS-POP R2023A, 2025 population, 30″ grid (JRC, CC BY 4.0). https://doi.org/10.2905/2FF68A52-5B5B-4A22-8F40-C41DA8332CFE - GeoNames, populated places (CC BY 4.0). https://www.geonames.org/ - M. Kummu et al., "Over the hills and further away from coast", Environmental Research Letters 11 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034010 - D. Garcia-Castellanos, U. Lombardo, "Poles of inaccessibility", Scottish Geographical Journal 123 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1080/14702540801897809 - NOAA, "Where is Point Nemo?" https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nemo.html - World Factbook (CIA, retired in February 2026; archived copy): area of the Pacific and of all land; coastline and area of Romania and Bulgaria. https://web.archive.org/web/2025/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/world/ - Romanian local authority boundaries, geo-spatial.org after ANCPI, version 2025-03-26 (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://geo-spatial.org/ Canonical: https://mariuscomper.uk/mai-aproape-de-cosmos/en/