South Africa's land area is 468,377 sq mi, and the total size is 471,445 sq mi, with inland water included. South Africa is ranked 24/197 by total surface area.
- Occupies 0.81% of the land mass of all countries.
- 79.4% of territory is agricultural land.
- South Africa has 2.02% of the world's agricultural land area.
- 14% of area is covered by forests.
- Has 0.42% of the world's forests.
South Africa total size and land area
South Africa
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Total surface area |
471,445 sq mi |
24/197 |
| Share all of all countries' surface area | 0.24% | N/A |
| Land area |
468,377 sq mi |
24/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.81% | N/A |
| Population | 64,007,187 | 24/197 |
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 136/197 |
Area of South Africa territories by type
|
South Africa
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
65,409 sq mi |
39/196 |
| Forest area as share of land | 14% | 137/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.42% | N/A |
Agricultural land
|
371,975 sq mi |
13/194 |
| Agricultural land share | 79.4% | 6/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 2.02% | N/A |
|
Arable land
|
46,332 sq mi |
24/191 |
| Arable land share | 9.89% | 102/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
1,595 sq mi |
57/192 |
| Permanent cropland share | 0.34% | 149/192 |
|
Water area
|
3,068 sq mi |
57/197 |
| Water as share of total area | 0.65% | 134/197 |
| Roads length |
466,028 mi |
12/175 |
| Borders length |
3,258 mi |
35/197 |
| Coastline length |
1,739 mi |
39/197 |
| Share of marine protected waters | 15.4% | 34/155 |
South Africa size on the map
Land area in square miles
Land area
The map above outlines the borders of South Africa but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it gets. More about countries' size projections.
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Size comparisons
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.