Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Johannesburg
1,644 km²
China
South Africa
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 4.5x larger than Johannesburg
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 3.9x more people than Johannesburg
Yes — Guangzhou is 4.5x larger than Johannesburg by area. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² (635 mi²) — a difference of 5,790 km². You could fit Johannesburg inside Guangzhou approximately 4 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Johannesburg at 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, Guangzhou's 7,434 km² is about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris. Johannesburg works out to about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "Canton", Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² with a population of 18.7 million. The city was founded around 214 BC. Guangzhou is known for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
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. 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.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 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 Johannesburg is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Johannesburg fits inside Guangzhou ~4 times
History
Guangzhou is ~2,100 years older
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).
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 Guangzhou to Johannesburg is 10,676 km (6,634 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 4m.
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