South Africa is 6.36× the size of Karnataka
South Africa (Africa) covers about 1,220,000 km² (471,000 mi²) and Karnataka (state of India) about 192,000 km² (74,100 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.
- 1,220,000km²South Africa
- 192,000km²Karnataka
500 km
- South Africa
- Karnataka
What fits
- Karnataka fits inside South Africa about 6.36 times by area.
- South Africa is larger by 1,028,000 km² (397,000 mi²), which is 536% of the area of Karnataka.
- Measured in Belgiums: South Africa is about 39.8, Karnataka about 6.26.
How they differ
- South Africa also has the larger population: 62.0 million against 61.1 million, 1.01× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 319 in Karnataka against 51 in South Africa: Karnataka is 6.27× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 7,320 km apart.
- A standard web map misstates the comparison: South Africa at 29°S is drawn about 1.3× too large and Karnataka at 15°N about 1.1×, so the map shows South Africa as 7.77× the size of Karnataka instead of 6.36×.
- Together South Africa and Karnataka cover 1,411,000 km², close to the size of Peru (1,290,000 km², 8.6% smaller).
- The gap between them, 1,028,000 km², is about the size of Mauritania (1,036,000 km²).
- At Karnataka's density, South Africa would have 388.7 million people (it has 62.0 million). At South Africa's density, Karnataka would have 9.8 million (it has 61.1 million).
- Karnataka's centre is 43.7° of latitude, about 4,860 km, farther north than South Africa's.
- South Africa ranks 25th of 246 countries and territories by area.
- Karnataka is the 5th largest of the 36 states and union territories of India and covers 6.1% of its area; it is the 19th most densely populated of them.
- Karnataka lies about 44° of latitude (roughly 4,860 km) north of South Africa, on the other side of the equator.
- Shared out evenly, each person in South Africa would have about 19,670 m² and each person in Karnataka about 3,140 m².
- Laid side by side, South Africa and Karnataka would cover 1,411,000 km², 1.09× the size of Peru.
- Together they have 123.2 million people, about as many people as Japan.
- Counted as a country, Karnataka would rank 88th by area and 24th by population.
Side by side
| South Africa | Karnataka | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | CountryAfrica | StateIndia |
| Area, measured | 1,220,000 km²471,000 mi² | 192,000 km²74,100 mi² |
| Official area | 1,221,000 km²Wikidata | 192,000 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 24th of 239worldwide | 5th of 36in India |
| Population | 62.0 millionWikidata, 2022 | 61.1 millionWikidata, 2011 |
| Rank by population | 23rd of 237worldwide | 8th of 36in India |
| Density | 51 per km² | 319 per km² |
| Capital | Pretoria; Cape Town; Bloemfontein | Bengaluru; Belgaum |
| Latitude range | 35°S to 22°S | 12°N to 18°N |
Population: Wikidata 2022 and Wikidata 2011. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Wikidata's official figure of 1,221,000 km² agrees with our measured area of 1,220,000 km², to within 2%.
- Wikidata's official figure of 192,000 km² agrees with our measured area of 192,000 km², to within 2%.
Similar in size to South Africa
Similar in size to Karnataka
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Sources and method
- Outlines
- Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain for the region; Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 0 - Countries, public domain
- Boundary
- De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. A region is drawn whole, every island included; a country is its main territory.
- Area
- Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outlines, shown rounded.
- Drawing
- Each outline is projected with an equal-area projection centred on its own centroid, so areas stay true and the two can be laid over each other.
- Data built
- 2026-11-12