The map above shows Washington and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Washington vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- Washington has a land area of 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 7.1 times (606%) larger than Washington's.
Total area
- Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 6.6 times (561%) larger than Washington's.
Length
- Washington is 238 miles (383 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 4.4 times (341%) longer than Washington's.
Width
- Washington spans 399 miles (641 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 2.5 times (154%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point
- Washington's highest point is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mount Rainier is 3,090 feet higher than Mafadi.
Lowest point
- Washington's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Washington vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- Washington has a population of 7,958,180 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 8.0 times (698%) larger than Washington's.
Population density
- Washington: 119.8 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- South Africa's population density is 1.1 times (13%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest city
- Washington's biggest city is Seattle with 780,995 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 6.2 times (515%) larger than Seattle's.
Largest metro area
- Washington's largest metropolitan area is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 1.7 times (71%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History
- Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, Washington is the older of the two by 21 years.
Washington vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- Washington's GDP is $856.0 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- Washington's economic output is 2.0 times (100%) larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita
- Washington: $107,564 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- Washington's GDP per capita is 16.3 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- Washington: $85,187 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Washington's average income is 13.6 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
Washington official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Washington 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.