The map above shows United States and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
United States vs South Africa Geography
Land area: United States has a land area of 3,533,467 square miles (9,151,637 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²). United States' land area is 7.5 times (654%) larger than South Africa's.
Total area: United States: 3,802,784 square miles (9,849,165 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water. United States' total area is 8.1 times (707%) larger than South Africa's.
Length: United States is 3,628 miles (5,839 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km). United States' north-south length is 3.5 times (246%) longer than South Africa's.
Width: United States spans 4,824 miles (7,763 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km). United States' east-west width is 4.8 times (377%) wider than South Africa's.
Highest point: United States's highest point is Denali at 20,308 feet (6,190 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m). Denali is 8,989 feet higher than Mafadi.
Lowest point: United States's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet. United States's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
United States vs South Africa Population and History
Population: United States has a population of 340,110,988 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026). United States' population is 5.4 times (435%) larger than South Africa's.
Population density: United States: 96.3 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5. South Africa's population density is 1.4 times (41%) higher than United States'.
Biggest city: United States's biggest city is New York with 8,478,072 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262. New York's population is 1.8 times (77%) larger than Johannesburg's.
Largest metro area: United States's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 2.8 times (182%) larger than Johannesburg's.
History: United States: Declared independence on July 4, 1776. South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961. In its current form, United States is the older of the two by 134 years.
United States vs South Africa Economy
GDP: United States's GDP is $30,769.7 billion (2025) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion. United States' economic output is 72.0 times larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita: United States: $89,599 per person vs South Africa: $6,598. United States' GDP per capita is 13.6 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
United States official website · South Africa official website
More Size Comparisons
All United States size comparisons · All South 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.