The map above shows California and Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Africa Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Africa has 11,725,923 square miles (30,370,000 km²). Africa's land area is 75.2 times larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Africa is 6,079 miles (9,783 km). Africa's north-south length is 8.0 times (699%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Africa spans 5,141 miles (8,274 km). Africa's east-west width is 7.3 times (628%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Africa's is Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet (5,895 m). Mount Kilimanjaro is 4,857 feet higher than Mount Whitney.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Africa's is Lake Assal at -509 feet. Africa's lowest point is 230 feet lower.
California vs Africa Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Africa has 1,550,000,000 (2025 UN estimate). Africa's population is 39.3 times larger than California's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Africa: 132.2. California's population density is 1.9 times (91%) higher than Africa's.
Official Websites
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Africa size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.