Athens
39 km²
Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Greece
South Africa
Area Comparison
Athens is 42.2x smaller than Johannesburg
Population Comparison
Athens has 7.5x fewer people than Johannesburg
Johannesburg is significantly larger, covering 42.2 times the area of Athens. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Athens covers 39 km² (15 mi²) — a difference of 1,605 km². You could fit Athens inside Johannesburg approximately 42 times.
To put Athens's size in perspective, its area of 39 km² is about 1.5x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Johannesburg at 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, Athens's 39 km² is about 5,500 American football fields, 80 times the area of Vatican City, or 19 times the area of Monaco. For Johannesburg, that's about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in the European Union (EU).
Known as "Cradle of Western Civilization", Athens covers 39 km² with a population of 0.6 million. The city was founded around 7000 BC. Athens is known for Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Plaka neighborhood, among other attractions.
Athens is the southernmost capital on the European mainland and capital of the Attica region.
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.
Often called "Jozi", Johannesburg has an area of 1,644 km² and is home to 4.8 million people. The city dates back to 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.
Athens has a population density of 16,410 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Johannesburg, with 2,920 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Athens is dramatically more crowded, with 5.6x the population density.
Size Ratio
Athens fits inside Johannesburg ~42 times
Density Gap
Athens is 5.6x more densely populated
History
Athens is ~8,886 years older
Athens covers 39 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Manila (43 km²), Tel Aviv (52 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 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 Athens to Johannesburg is 7,152 km (4,444 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 55m.
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