Amsterdam
219 km²
Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Netherlands
China
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 33.9x smaller than Guangzhou
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 20.3x fewer people than Guangzhou
Yes — Guangzhou is 33.9x larger than Amsterdam by area. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 7,215 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Guangzhou approximately 33 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Guangzhou at 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai.
Amsterdam's footprint is roughly about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Guangzhou, by comparison, equals about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris.
Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Located in the Dutch province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", for its large number of canals, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Known as "Venice of the North", Amsterdam covers 219 km² with a population of 0.9 million. The city was established in 1275. Amsterdam is known for Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the GVB (Metro & Tram).
Amsterdam's historic canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning it the nickname Venice of the North
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Also known as "Canton", Guangzhou has an area of 7,434 km² and is home to 18.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 214 BC. Visitors come for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 2.9x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Guangzhou, with 2,513 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Amsterdam is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus Guangzhou in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while Guangzhou experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Guangzhou averages 29°C compared to 17°C in Amsterdam. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 5:00 AM in Amsterdam — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Guangzhou ~33 times
Density Gap
Amsterdam is 1.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,489 years older
Amsterdam covers 219 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Helsinki (214 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Boston (232 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), or Kuala Lumpur (243 km²).
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Guangzhou is 9,150 km (5,685 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 16m.
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