World Snow, Glacier and Resort Index
We have now compiled a
table with a complete list of countries where skiing is theoretically
possible and practically achievable...
The
tables below list countries with
1. Countries with permanent glaciers
- skiing is theoretically possible all year round. 23% of the worlds
countries.
2. Countries with
Reliable Snow cover
every year (in either winter or the wet season) - at least some skiing,
somewhere, should be possible every year in the right season.
3.
Countries with occasional snow cover
- skiing will only be possible on rare occasions.
Categories 2 and 3 combined include
27% of the worlds countries.
4.
Countries with no known snow cover - countries in which outdoor skiing unlikely to ever be possible.
50% of the worlds countries. Some of these now have artificial indoor
facilities though.
5.
Countries with well developed ski
resorts These countries have medium or large resorts with multiple uplift and reasonably reliable snow.
Note these aren't all enormous resorts, 3 or 4 lifts giving access to 10 runs
or so is enough to count.
6.
Countries with primitive ski
fields. Countries with only small single tow ski-fields or seriously unreliable snow.
Notes
1. Hailstorms are possible in
most countries, even low-lying tropical countries, but in the tropics the hail
melts fast..... The occasional snow cover
category only includes countries where snowfall that occurs (however rarely)
is at least reasonably likely to remain on the ground for 24 hours.
2. Countries, such as the UAE, with only artificial snow
slopes are not included on these lists.
3. Where there is some uncertainty,
countries have been allocated into the most likely category but their names
appear in Red. These countries have been
included in the adjacent totals. Any information
on snow and/or glacier cover in these countries would be gratefully received.
4. Only independent countries are
listed and accounted for at the moment. Territories, overseas possessions,
etc., are not included.
Countries with Glaciers |
|
| Africa |
Congo DR, Kenya,
Tanzania, Uganda. |
4 |
| Asia |
Afghanistan,
Azerbaijan, Bhutan, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan,
Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan. |
17 |
| Europe |
Austria, France, Germany,
Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland
Finland, Poland, Slovakia (probably have
small glaciers) |
15 |
| North America |
Canada, Mexico, USA |
3 |
| Oceania |
New Zealand |
1 |
| South America |
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela |
7 |
| TOTAL |
|
47 |
Countries with reliable snow |
|
| Africa |
Algeria, Lesotho, South
Africa Morocco (might
have small glaciers)
Egypt, Ethiopia (cover believed to be reliable, but
might class as occasional) |
6 |
| Asia |
Israel, Iraq, Japan,
Lebanon, North Korea, Syria, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkmenistan.
Armenia (might have small
glaciers)
|
10 |
| Europe |
Albania, Andorra,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands,
Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, UK, Ukraine. |
29 |
| North America |
Guatemala
(cover believed to be reliable, but might class as occasional) |
1 |
| Oceania |
Australia
Papua
(cover believed to be reliable, but might class as
occasional) |
2 |
| South America |
Brazil
(cover believed to be reliable, but might class as occasional) |
1 |
| TOTAL |
|
48 |
Countries with occasional snow |
|
| Africa |
Cameroon, Rwanda, Tunisia.
Also see countries noted above and below |
3 |
| Asia |
Jordan (cover might class as reliable) |
1 |
| Europe |
Malta, Monaco, Vatican. |
3 |
| North America |
no candidates |
0 |
| Oceania |
no candidates |
0 |
| South America |
Uruguay (snow recorded
2007) |
1 |
| TOTAL |
|
8 |
Countries with no snow |
|
| Africa |
Angola, Benin, Botswana,
Burkina, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Congo, Comoros,
Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Senegal,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Zambia. plus ....
Madagascar, Chad, Zimbabwe (which might have occasional snow) |
39 |
| Asia |
Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Oman, Philippines, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor, UAE.
plus.... Malaysia, Vietnam,
Yemen (which might all
have occasional snow) |
20 |
| Europe |
Malta might fall into
this category - but it has been provisionally placed above. |
0 |
| North America |
Antigua, Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St Kitts, St Lucia, St
Vincent, Trinidad. plus....Costa Rica
(an outside bet for occasional snow) |
18 |
| Oceania |
Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall
Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,
Tuvalu, Vanuatu. |
11 |
| South America |
Guyana, Paraguay, Surinam. |
3 |
| TOTAL |
|
91 |
Countries with
Ski Resorts |
|
| Africa |
Morocco. |
1 |
| Asia |
Armenia, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Japan, Lebanon,
Kazakhstan, Pakistan, South Korea, Turkey. |
11 |
| Europe |
Austria, Bosnia,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia,
Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland,
Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine. |
27 |
| North America |
Canada, USA. |
2 |
| Oceania |
Australia, New Zealand. |
2 |
| South America |
Argentina, Chile. |
2 |
| TOTAL |
|
45 |
Countries with ski-fields |
|
| Africa |
South
Africa. |
1 |
| Asia |
Mongolia, Uzbekistan (may
have a larger resort) Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal,
North Korea, Tajikistan.
(may not have anything) |
7 |
| Europe |
Belgium,
England, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal.
Iceland. (may not have anything) |
6 |
| North America |
no candidates |
0 |
| Oceania |
no candidates |
0 |
| South America |
Bolivia, Colombia, Peru. |
3 |
| TOTAL |
|
17 |
See our Worldwide Ski Resorts
page for further information on resorts in quite a few of these countries.
See
Snoweye for
pictures of many of these resorts.
