Amsterdam
219 km²
Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Netherlands
South Africa
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 7.5x smaller than Johannesburg
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 5.2x fewer people than Johannesburg
Johannesburg is significantly larger, covering 7.5 times the area of Amsterdam. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 1,425 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Johannesburg approximately 7 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Johannesburg at 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, Amsterdam's 219 km² is about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park. Johannesburg, by comparison, equals about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 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
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Also known as "Jozi", Johannesburg has an area of 1,644 km² and is home to 4.8 million people. It was established in 1886. Visitors come for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, and much more.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Johannesburg, with 2,920 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Amsterdam is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Johannesburg ~7 times
Density Gap
Amsterdam is 1.4x more densely populated
History
Amsterdam is ~611 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).
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Johannesburg is 9,022 km (5,606 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 7m.
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