Luxembourg vs South Africa

South Africa is 471 times larger than Luxembourg. Luxembourg would fit into South Africa about 471 times.

LuxembourgSouth AfricaLuxembourg moved onto South Africa · Equal-area projection
0.0×
Luxembourg is 0.0× the area of South Africa. Put the other way, South Africa is 471× the size of Luxembourg.
LuxembourgSouth Africa
Area2,593 km²1,221,037 km²
Population686,97064,747,319
Density265 / km²53 / km²
CapitalLuxembourgPretoria
RegionWestern EuropeSouthern Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours36

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Luxembourg sits at about 50°N and is stretched to 2.4× its true area; South Africa at 29° S is stretched to 1.31×. That difference is why Luxembourg looks so much bigger than it is next to South Africa. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Luxembourg bigger than South Africa?
No. Luxembourg is 471 times smaller than South Africa. Luxembourg covers 2,593 km² and South Africa covers 1,221,037 km².
How many times does Luxembourg fit into South Africa?
About 471 times: South Africa has 471× the area of Luxembourg.
Why do Luxembourg and South Africa look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Luxembourg is drawn about 2.4× its true area there and South Africa about 1.31×. That is why Luxembourg looks so much bigger than it really is next to South Africa. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Luxembourg or South Africa?
South Africa: 64,747,319 people against 686,970. Density: Luxembourg 265 per km², South Africa 53 per km².