Among the following countries, which one shares land borders with the largest number of neighbouring countries?

Introduction / Context:
Some countries share borders with many neighbours, which gives them complex geopolitical and economic relationships. Questions about which country has the most land borders test your map knowledge and understanding of world geography. This question asks you to identify the country that has the largest number of neighbouring countries sharing a land border among the options given.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are considering land borders only, not maritime boundaries.
• The countries listed are Sudan, Brazil, China, and Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
• We assume current international borders as recognised in standard atlases.
• The correct answer must be the country with the highest count of land neighbours among these options.

Concept / Approach:
China is located in East Asia and has an extensive land frontier touching many countries including India, Pakistan, Russia, Mongolia, and several Southeast and Central Asian states. In total, China shares land borders with around fourteen different countries, making it one of the most connected states in the world in terms of land neighbours. Brazil also has many neighbours in South America, but fewer than China. Sudan and Zaire have multiple neighbours but still do not match China's count. Therefore, China is the correct answer to this question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that China lies at the intersection of East Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Step 2: Note some of China's neighbours such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Step 3: Count that these neighbours together give China a very high number of land borders. Step 4: Compare with Brazil, which borders many South American countries but fewer than China. Step 5: Recognise that Sudan and Zaire have several neighbours but still less than China, confirming China as the answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
An atlas or a political map of the world can easily demonstrate the number of countries touching China's border. When you list them, you will usually reach a count around fourteen, depending on how small territories are counted. Similar mapping for Brazil shows a smaller number of neighbours, and for Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo the counts are also lower. This map based verification confirms that China has the largest number of neighbours among the given options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sudan in northeastern Africa shares borders with several countries like Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya, but this total is still less than China's count, so option A is incorrect. Brazil borders many South American nations such as Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and others, yet the number is fewer than China's, so option B is not correct in this set. Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also has multiple neighbours but again does not match China's high count, so option D is incorrect. Only China clearly leads the group in terms of land neighbours.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes assume that Brazil has the most neighbours because it dominates the map of South America. Others may not have updated knowledge that Zaire is the former name of Democratic Republic of the Congo and may be unsure about its borders. To avoid such confusion, it is useful to memorise that China and Russia are among the most connected countries by land borders, with China appearing in many exam questions about the maximum number of neighbouring countries.

Final Answer:
Among the options given, the country that shares land borders with the largest number of neighbours is China.