Abu Dhabi
972 km²
Cape Town
2,455 km²
United Arab Emirates
South Africa
Area Comparison
Abu Dhabi is 2.5x smaller than Cape Town
Population Comparison
Abu Dhabi has 2.4x fewer people than Cape Town
In terms of area, Cape Town is 2.5x the size of Abu Dhabi. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² (375 mi²) — a difference of 1,483 km². You could fit Abu Dhabi inside Cape Town approximately 2 times.
To put Abu Dhabi's size in perspective, its area of 972 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin. Meanwhile, Cape Town at 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow.
Picture Abu Dhabi another way: its area is large enough to fit about 136,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris. For Cape Town, that's about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's second-most populous city, after Dubai. The city is situated on a T-shaped island, extending into the Persian Gulf from the central-western coast of the UAE.
Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² with a population of 1.6 million. Abu Dhabi is known for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, among other attractions.
Abu Dhabi sits on a T-shaped island extending into the Persian Gulf from the UAE's central-western coast.
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.
Often called "The Mother City", Cape Town has an area of 2,455 km² and is home to 3.8 million people. It was established in 1652. Visitors come for Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, and much more.
Cape Town is South Africa's oldest city, founded in 1652 and home to the seat of the national Parliament.
Abu Dhabi has a population density of 1,615 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Cape Town, with 1,540 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Abu Dhabi is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Abu Dhabi fits inside Cape Town ~2 times
Abu Dhabi covers 972 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Diego (964 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
Cape Town covers 2,455 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Moscow (2,511 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), or Shenzhen (1,997 km²).
The straight-line distance from Abu Dhabi to Cape Town is 7,522 km (4,674 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 21m.
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