The map above shows North Carolina and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 9.6 times (864%) larger than North Carolina's.
Total area
- North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 8.8 times (776%) larger than North Carolina's.
Length
- North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 4.1 times (307%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width
- North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 2.1 times (108%) wider than North Carolina's.
Highest point
- North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mafadi is 4,645 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point
- North Carolina'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.
North Carolina vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 5.8 times (475%) larger than North Carolina's.
Population density
- North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- North Carolina's population density is 1.7 times (68%) higher than South Africa's.
Biggest city
- North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 5.1 times (409%) larger than Charlotte's.
Largest metro area
- North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 2.5 times (145%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History
- North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 121 years.
North Carolina vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- North Carolina's economic output is 2.0 times (98%) larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita
- North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- North Carolina's GDP per capita is 11.6 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- North Carolina: $65,634 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- North Carolina's average income is 10.5 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina 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.