Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
China
Australia
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 1.7x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 3.5x more people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 1.7x the size of Guangzhou. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) — a difference of 4,934 km².
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
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 Sydney, that's about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Also known as "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. It was established in 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Guangzhou is dramatically more crowded, with 5.9x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 10:00 AM in Guangzhou — a 2-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Guangzhou is 5.9x more densely populated
History
Guangzhou is ~2,002 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).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Sydney is 7,502 km (4,661 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 20m.
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