The map above shows Massachusetts and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Massachusetts vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- Massachusetts has a land area of 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 60.1 times larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area
- Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 44.7 times larger than Massachusetts'.
Length
- Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 8.5 times (754%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width
- Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 5.5 times (447%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point
- Massachusetts's highest point is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mafadi is 7,830 feet higher than Mount Greylock.
Lowest point
- Massachusetts's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Massachusetts vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- Massachusetts has a population of 7,136,171 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 8.9 times (790%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Population density
- Massachusetts: 914.8 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- Massachusetts' population density is 6.8 times (575%) higher than South Africa's.
Biggest city
- Massachusetts's biggest city is Boston with 673,458 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 7.1 times (613%) larger than Boston's.
Largest metro area
- Massachusetts's largest metropolitan area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's.
History
- Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, Massachusetts is the older of the two by 122 years.
Massachusetts vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- Massachusetts's GDP is $778.5 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- Massachusetts' economic output is 1.8 times (82%) larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita
- Massachusetts: $109,095 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 16.5 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- Massachusetts: $93,607 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Massachusetts' average income is 14.9 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
Massachusetts official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Massachusetts 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.