The map above shows Alaska and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alaska vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- Alaska has a land area of 571,242 square miles (1,479,509 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- Alaska's land area is 1.2 times (22%) larger than South Africa's.
Total area
- Alaska: 665,725 square miles (1,724,220 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Alaska's total area is 1.4 times (41%) larger than South Africa's.
Length
- Alaska is 1,201 miles (1,933 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- Alaska's north-south length is 1.1 times (14%) longer than South Africa's.
Width
- Alaska spans 1,544 miles (2,485 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- Alaska's east-west width is 1.5 times (53%) wider than South Africa's.
Highest point
- Alaska's highest point is Denali at 20,235 feet (6,168 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Denali is 8,916 feet higher than Mafadi.
Lowest point
- Alaska'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.
Alaska vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- Alaska has a population of 740,133 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 85.8 times larger than Alaska's.
Population density
- Alaska: 1.3 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- South Africa's population density is 104.2 times higher than Alaska's.
Biggest city
- Alaska's biggest city is Anchorage with 289,600 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 16.6 times larger than Anchorage's.
Largest metro area
- Alaska's largest metropolitan area is Anchorage, AK metro area (407,213 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 17.4 times larger than Anchorage, AK metro area's.
History
- Alaska: Admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, South Africa is the older of the two by 49 years.
Alaska vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- Alaska's GDP is $71.6 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- South Africa's economic output is 6.0 times (497%) larger than Alaska's.
GDP per capita
- Alaska: $96,695 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- Alaska's GDP per capita is 14.7 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- Alaska: $76,234 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Alaska's average income is 12.2 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
Alaska official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Alaska 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.