The map above shows North Dakota and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Dakota vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- North Dakota has a land area of 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 6.8 times (580%) larger than North Dakota's.
Total area
- North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 6.7 times (567%) larger than North Dakota's.
Length
- North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 3.1 times (211%) longer than North Dakota's.
Width
- North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 2.5 times (148%) wider than North Dakota's.
Highest point
- North Dakota's highest point is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mafadi is 7,819 feet higher than White Butte.
Lowest point
- North Dakota's lowest point is Red River of the North at 754 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet.
- South Africa's lowest point is 754 feet lower.
North Dakota vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- North Dakota has a population of 796,568 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 79.7 times larger than North Dakota's.
Population density
- North Dakota: 11.5 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- South Africa's population density is 11.8 times higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city
- North Dakota's biggest city is Fargo with 136,285 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 35.2 times larger than Fargo's.
Largest metro area
- North Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 26.4 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History
- North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, North Dakota is the older of the two by 21 years.
North Dakota vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- North Dakota's GDP is $80.1 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- South Africa's economic output is 5.3 times (433%) larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- North Dakota: $100,504 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- North Dakota's GDP per capita is 15.2 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- North Dakota: $71,749 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- North Dakota's average income is 11.4 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
North Dakota official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All North Dakota 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.