South Africa is 18.6 times bigger by total area compared to Sri Lanka: 471,445 sq mi vs 25,332 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of South Africa is 468,377 sq mi vs 23,884 sq mi for Sri Lanka — a 19.6 times difference in territory size.
- South Africa is ranked 24/197 by total surface area vs 120/197 for Sri Lanka.
- South Africa occupies 0.81% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.04% for Sri Lanka.
- 79.4% of area in South Africa is agricultural land vs 48.6% in Sri Lanka.
- South Africa has 2.02% of the world's agricultural land area — Sri Lanka has 0.06%.
- 14% of South Africa is covered by forests, compared to 34% in Sri Lanka.
- 0.42% of the world's forests are in South Africa, and 0.05% are in Sri Lanka.
Total size and land area comparison
South Africa
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
471,445 sq mi |
25,332 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 18.6 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 24/197 | 120/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.24% | 0.01% |
| Land area |
468,377 sq mi |
23,884 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 19.6 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 24/197 | 122/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.81% | 0.04% |
| Population | 64,007,187 | 21,916,000 |
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 918 ppl/mi² |
Size of territories by type
|
South Africa
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
65,409 sq mi |
8,122 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 14% | 34% |
| Forest area rank | 39/196 | 107/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.42% | 0.05% |
Agricultural land area
|
371,975 sq mi |
11,610 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 79.4% | 48.6% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 13/194 | 103/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 2.02% | 0.06% |
|
Arable land
|
46,332 sq mi |
5,297 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 9.89% | 22.2% |
| Arable land area rank | 24/191 | 94/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
1,595 sq mi |
4,614 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 0.34% | 19.3% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 57/192 | 31/192 |
|
Water area
|
3,068 sq mi |
1,448 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0.65% | 5.72% |
| Water area rank | 57/197 | 78/197 |
| Roads length |
466,028 mi |
70,894 mi |
| Borders length |
3,258 mi |
0 mi |
| Coastline length |
1,739 mi |
833 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 15.4% | 0.1% |
South Africa vs Sri Lanka size on the map
Land area in square miles
Land area
The map above outlines the borders of South Africa and Sri Lanka 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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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.