The map above shows Pennsylvania and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Pennsylvania vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- Pennsylvania has a land area of 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 10.5 times larger than Pennsylvania's.
Total area
- Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 10.2 times larger than Pennsylvania's.
Length
- Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 3.7 times (270%) longer than Pennsylvania's.
Width
- Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 3.3 times (230%) wider than Pennsylvania's.
Highest point
- Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mafadi is 8,109 feet higher than Mount Davis.
Lowest point
- Pennsylvania's lowest point is Delaware River at 0 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Pennsylvania vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- Pennsylvania has a population of 13,078,751 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 4.9 times (386%) larger than Pennsylvania's.
Population density
- Pennsylvania: 292.3 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- Pennsylvania's population density is 2.2 times (116%) higher than South Africa's.
Biggest city
- Pennsylvania's biggest city is Philadelphia with 1,573,916 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 3.1 times (205%) larger than Philadelphia's.
Largest metro area
- Pennsylvania's largest metropolitan area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's.
History
- Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 123 years.
Pennsylvania vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- Pennsylvania's GDP is $1,007.9 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- Pennsylvania's economic output is 2.4 times (136%) larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita
- Pennsylvania: $77,062 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- Pennsylvania's GDP per capita is 11.7 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- Pennsylvania: $70,678 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Pennsylvania's average income is 11.3 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
Pennsylvania official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Pennsylvania 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.