Cape Town
2,455 km²
Istanbul
5,461 km²
South Africa
Turkey
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 2.2x smaller than Istanbul
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 4.1x fewer people than Istanbul
Istanbul is significantly larger, covering 2.2 times the area of Cape Town. Istanbul spans 5,461 km² (2,109 mi²) while Cape Town covers 2,455 km² (948 mi²) — a difference of 3,006 km². You could fit Cape Town inside Istanbul approximately 2 times.
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Istanbul at 5,461 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Shanghai.
Picture Cape Town another way: its area is large enough to fit about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris. For Istanbul, that's about 765,000 American football fields, 92 times the area of Manhattan, or 52 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "The Mother City", Cape Town covers 2,455 km² with a population of 3.8 million. The city was established in 1652. Cape Town is known for Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, among other attractions.
Cape Town is South Africa's oldest city, founded in 1652 and home to the seat of the national Parliament.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. With a population of over 15 million, it is home to 18% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is among the largest cities in Europe and in the world by population. It is a city on two continents; about two-thirds of its population live in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Often called "City on Two Continents", Istanbul has an area of 5,461 km² and is home to 15.5 million people. It was founded around 660 BC. Visitors come for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Istanbul Metro.
Istanbul is one of the only major cities to span two continents, with about two-thirds of its population living in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Istanbul, with 2,831 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Istanbul is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Cape Town fits inside Istanbul ~2 times
Density Gap
Istanbul is 1.8x more densely populated
History
Istanbul is ~2,312 years older
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).
Istanbul covers 5,461 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shanghai (6,341 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Karachi (3,527 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Istanbul is 8,402 km (5,221 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 23m.
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