Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Moscow
2,511 km²
China
Russia
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 3.0x larger than Moscow
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 1.5x more people than Moscow
Yes — Guangzhou is 3.0x larger than Moscow by area. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Moscow covers 2,511 km² (970 mi²) — a difference of 4,923 km². You could fit Moscow inside Guangzhou approximately 2 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Moscow at 2,511 km² is roughly the same size as Luxembourg.
Picture Guangzhou another way: its area is large enough to fit about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris. Moscow works out to about 352,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 24 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
Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 19.1 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in its metropolitan area. The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 mi2), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 mi2), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 mi2).
Often called "Third Rome", Moscow has an area of 2,511 km² and is home to 12.5 million people. The city dates back to 1147. Visitors come for Red Square, Kremlin, Saint Basil's Cathedral, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Moscow Metro.
Moscow's metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest metropolitan footprints in Europe.
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 1.3x larger than greater Moscow at 5,891 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 17.1 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Moscow, with 4,994 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Moscow is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus Moscow in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Moscow experiences humid continental conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Guangzhou stays around 14°C while Moscow drops to -8°C. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 7:00 AM in Moscow — a 5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Moscow fits inside Guangzhou ~2 times
Density Gap
Moscow is 2.0x more densely populated
Time Difference
5 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,361 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).
Moscow covers 2,511 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Cape Town (2,455 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), or Cairo (3,085 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Moscow is 7,012 km (4,357 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 45m.
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