Beijing
16,411 km²
Edinburgh
259 km²
China
United Kingdom
Area Comparison
Beijing is 63.4x larger than Edinburgh
Population Comparison
Beijing has 44.0x more people than Edinburgh
Yes — Beijing is 63.4x larger than Edinburgh by area. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 16,152 km². You could fit Edinburgh inside Beijing approximately 63 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Edinburgh at 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam.
In more relatable units, Beijing's 16,411 km² is about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. Edinburgh works out to about 36,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 76 times the area of Central Park.
Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city, as well as China's second-largest city by urban area, after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban districts.
Known as "Northern Capital", Beijing covers 16,411 km² with a population of 21.5 million. The city was founded around 1045 BC. Beijing is known for Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Beijing Subway.
With over 22 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.
Also known as "Auld Reekie", Edinburgh has an area of 259 km² and is home to 0.5 million people. Its history stretches back to 601. Visitors come for Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, and much more.
Edinburgh is bounded by the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Edinburgh, with 1,892 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Edinburgh is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Edinburgh fits inside Beijing ~63 times
Density Gap
Edinburgh is 1.4x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~1,646 years older
Beijing covers 16,411 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hangzhou (16,854 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Edinburgh covers 259 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Taipei (272 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Boston (232 km²), Osaka (225 km²), or Amsterdam (219 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Edinburgh is 7,936 km (4,931 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 50m.
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