Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Riyadh
1,798 km²
China
Saudi Arabia
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 4.1x larger than Riyadh
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 2.7x more people than Riyadh
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 4.1x the size of Riyadh. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Riyadh covers 1,798 km² (694 mi²) — a difference of 5,636 km². You could fit Riyadh 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, Riyadh at 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London.
Guangzhou's footprint is roughly about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Riyadh, that's about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 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
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
Riyadh has an area of 1,798 km² and is home to 7.0 million people. It was established in 1746. Visitors come for Kingdom Centre Tower, Masmak Fortress, Al Faisaliah Tower, and much more.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, sitting on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Riyadh, with 3,899 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Riyadh is noticeably denser, packing 1.6 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Riyadh fits inside Guangzhou ~4 times
Density Gap
Riyadh is 1.6x more densely populated
History
Guangzhou is ~1,960 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).
Riyadh covers 1,798 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Houston (1,725 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), or London (1,572 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Riyadh is 6,698 km (4,162 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 23m.
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