South Africa vs France: size comparison
South Africa is 2.2 times the size of France.
- South Africa 1,221,040 km²
- France 551,700 km²
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Drag the coloured shape anywhere on the map. It keeps its real size on the globe, so the map redraws it bigger near the poles and smaller near the equator.
Why they look different on a map
South Africa is centred around 29°S and France around 47°N. At those latitudes the Mercator projection used by most world maps draws South Africa 1.3 times and France 2.1 times larger than they would appear at the equator.
So on a typical world map, South Africa looks 1.4 times the size of France. In reality South Africa is 2.2 times the size of France.
| Country | True area | Centred around | Mercator enlargement |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1,221,040 km² | 29°S | ×1.3 |
| France | 551,700 km² | 47°N | ×2.1 |
The stretch is 1 divided by the cosine of the latitude, squared. At 60° north a country is drawn four times larger than the same country would be at the equator.
More size comparisons
- United Kingdom vs France
- France vs Spain
- Germany vs France
- Ukraine vs France
- Turkey vs France
- Egypt vs France
- Nigeria vs France
- Kenya vs France
- Thailand vs France
- Greenland vs DR Congo
- Greenland vs Australia
- Greenland vs United States
- Greenland vs Brazil
- Greenland vs India
- Greenland vs Mexico
- Greenland vs Saudi Arabia
- Greenland vs Algeria
- Russia vs Canada
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South Africa vs France: questions
Which is bigger, South Africa or France?
South Africa is 2.2 times the size of France. South Africa covers 1,221,040 km² and France covers 551,700 km².
Why do South Africa and France look a different size on world maps?
South Africa is centred around 29°S and France around 47°N. At those latitudes the Mercator projection used by most world maps draws South Africa 1.3 times and France 2.1 times larger than they would appear at the equator. So on a typical world map, South Africa looks 1.4 times the size of France.
How many times does France fit into South Africa?
By area, France would fit into South Africa about 2.2 times.