South Africa is 2.38 times bigger by total area compared to Thailand: 471,445 sq mi vs 198,117 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of South Africa is 468,377 sq mi vs 197,256 sq mi for Thailand — a 2.37 times difference in territory size.
- South Africa is ranked 24/197 by total surface area vs 50/197 for Thailand.
- South Africa occupies 0.81% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.34% for Thailand.
- 79.4% of area in South Africa is agricultural land vs 43.8% in Thailand.
- South Africa has 2.02% of the world's agricultural land area — Thailand has 0.47%.
- 14% of South Africa is covered by forests, compared to 38.7% in Thailand.
- 0.42% of the world's forests are in South Africa, and 0.49% are in Thailand.
Total size and land area comparison
South Africa
|
Thailand
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
471,445 sq mi |
198,117 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 2.38 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 24/197 | 50/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.24% | 0.1% |
| Land area |
468,377 sq mi |
197,256 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 2.37 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 24/197 | 50/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.81% | 0.34% |
| Population | 64,007,187 | 71,668,011 |
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 363 ppl/mi² |
Size of territories by type
|
South Africa
|
Thailand
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
65,409 sq mi |
76,313 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 14% | 38.7% |
| Forest area rank | 39/196 | 31/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.42% | 0.49% |
Agricultural land area
|
371,975 sq mi |
86,394 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 79.4% | 43.8% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 13/194 | 49/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 2.02% | 0.47% |
|
Arable land
|
46,332 sq mi |
61,140 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 9.89% | 31% |
| Arable land area rank | 24/191 | 20/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
1,595 sq mi |
22,165 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 0.34% | 11.2% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 57/192 | 8/192 |
|
Water area
|
3,068 sq mi |
861 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0.65% | 0.43% |
| Water area rank | 57/197 | 93/197 |
| Roads length |
466,028 mi |
436,817 mi |
| Borders length |
3,258 mi |
3,525 mi |
| Coastline length |
1,739 mi |
2,000 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 15.4% | 5% |
South Africa vs Thailand size on the map
Land area in square miles
Land area
The map above outlines the borders of South Africa and Thailand 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.