Author: Adam DuVander

Picture 100,000 people in your head. Now visualize those 100,000 people as very specific types of individuals: sports fans. We mapped 537 of the world’s largest sports stadiums by their capacity. These notable venues range from holding 40,000 sports fans to holding more than 100,000. Which stadiums seat the most sports aficionados, and which seat the least? Which city is home to more than five of the largest sports stadiums in the world? And once and for all, are there more massive soccer stadiums or American football stadiums? Find out the answers to these questions and more as you continue reading about over 500 of the world’s largest sports stadiums.

View Largest Sports Stadiums in a full screen map

The map above provides the opportunity to sort the world’s largest sports stadiums — those with a capacity of 40,000 or more — by capacity. See the largest and smallest sports stadiums, and sort them by their main use. From soccer, American football, and cricket to all forms of rugby, select the sport you’re interested in and then select the range of capacity you wish to see, for example, “117K-74,624.”

100,000 Fans & More: Ten of the Most Spacious Sports Stadiums

There are only ten stadiums in the world that can hold over 100,000 people. These ten spacious stadiums are:

• Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
• Michigan Stadium
• Beaver Stadium
• Kyle Field
• Neyland Stadium
• Tiger Stadium
• Ohio Stadium
• Bryant-Denny Stadium
• Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
• Melbourne Cricket Ground

Eight of the ten most spacious stadiums are located in the Southern or Midwestern regions of the United States. Michigan Stadium, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, holds up to 110,601 people. Pennsylvania’s Beaver Stadium doesn’t reach its maximum capacity until person #106,572 enters the building. The fourth and ninth most spacious stadiums, Kyle Field and Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium are both located in Texas. Kyle Field can hold 102,733 Aggie fans while Austin’s Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium fills up at 100,119 people. Neyland, Tiger, Ohio, and Bryant-Denny stadiums are in Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio, and Alabama, respectively. They each can hold between 101,821 and 102,455 fans. And, as you may have guessed from the many stadiums located in the country where football is the #1 sport, all of these stadiums were built specifically for American football.

That just leaves the #1 and #10 most spacious stadiums. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, located in Pyongyang, North Korea, is the most spacious stadium in the world. This enormous building holds up to 114,000 soccer fans. The main tenant of the stadium also known as the May Day Stadium is the Korea DPR national soccer team. This team has appeared in the World Cup two times but has yet to win, which is why they aren’t on the FIFA World Cup Finals Winners and Runners Up map. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is one of the only two stadiums in the top ten not used for American football. The second is Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground or the #10 most spacious stadium in the world. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, you’ll witness cricket being played. The stadium holds no more than 100,024 people.

The Smaller of the Largest-Capacity Stadiums

In contrast to the ten most spacious stadiums in the world, there are 25 smaller stadiums on the map that hold no more than 40,000 people. While these stadiums are nearly three times smaller than the #1 most spacious stadium on the map, they still tower over the many stadiums below 40,000-capacity that didn’t make the map.

Over 60% of the smaller stadiums can be found in or near Southeast Asia. Bo’an Stadium, Kunming Tuodong Sports Center, Riverside Sports Center, and Wuhu Olympic Stadium are 40,000 max capacity stadiums located in China. Malaysian stadiums including Darul Makmur, Hang Jebat, Negeri Pulau Pinang, and Sarawak stadiums are also among those that can hold no more than 40,000 people. There are also three smaller stadiums in India and Pakistan. Plus, Sri Lanka, Burma, Indonesia all have at least one small stadium. The majority of these places are reserved for soccer. We could include the OSC Metalist stadium in Kharkiv, Ukraine in this list of smallest-capacity stadiums, but their precise 40,003 people limit puts them three people above the cut-off.

Cities with the Most Stadiums & Their Main Uses

Some cities have more large stadiums than others. London, England, for example, is home to six stadiums that range in capacity between 42,055 and 90,000. Wembley Stadium is at the larger end of that range. It’s also the 16th highest capacity stadium in the world. Another city with multiple notable stadiums is Buenos Aires. The capital of Argentina has five large stadiums where various Club Atlético soccer teams play. They vary in capacity, the smallest holding no more than 43,494 people while the largest can hold up to 74,624 fans.

Mexico City, Istanbul, Houston, and São Paulo each have four larger stadiums. Istanbul, Turkey and Houston, Texas’s four stadiums are similar in size to the five stadiums in Buenos Aires. Istanbul’s stadiums range from 41,903 and 76,092 while Houston’s hold between 40,000 and 71,500 people. Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca is one of only three stadiums to host the FIFA World Cup more than once. This largest of the city’s four stadiums at 87,000 max-capacity, Estadio Azteca hosted the World Cup in 1970 and then again in 1986. The other three stadiums in Mexico City range between 41,262 and 65,000. São Paulo, Brazil’s four soccer stadiums can hold between 40,199-67,052 futebol fans.

The Main Uses of Stadiums Everywhere

American football may be the #1 sport in the U.S., but worldwide soccer is supreme. Of the over 530 notable stadiums on the map, more than 320 of them are dedicated to soccer. This includes 22 soccer stadiums that are ranked within the top 50 stadiums with the highest capacity and 43 soccer stadiums in the top 100. American football has just 115 stadiums.

While stadiums meant for American football are far fewer than those meant for soccer, American football stadiums tend to rank higher when it comes to capacity. Twenty-eight American football stadiums rank within the top top 50 stadiums with the highest capacity, compared to soccer’s 22 stadiums. This trend occurs again as 53 American football stadiums appear in the top 100 compared to soccer’s 43 stadiums that rank that high.

Twenty-nine stadiums are used for baseball while 25 are for cricket. If you were to combine stadiums meant for Rugby union and Rugby league, you’d get 17 stadiums. Shocking, there is only one 40,000+ basketball stadium, the Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria, located in the Philippines. It holds 51,898 people.

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Now that you know the May Day Stadium in North Korea holds the most sports fans, it’s time to pay it a visit. Or at least, add it to your map of where you want to go. Don’t have one yet? Create one now for free with the help of our simple data mapping tool.

You can probably name the United States’ national animal: the bald eagle. But did you know the U.S. has another national mammal, the bison? About 35% of countries worldwide have multiple national animals representing them. These animals range from general national animals to more descriptive categories like national birds, national aquatic animals, and even a national horse or two. Some countries even share the same national or heraldic animal as other countries. There is one animal 17 different countries list as their national symbol. Plus, more countries than you might think are represented by mythical creatures. The world’s national animals include more dragons, double-tailed lions, phoenixes, and unicorns than appear in Harry Potter and throughout all eight seasons of Game of Thrones combined. Read on to discover more about the national animals of every country.

View National Animals of Every Country in a full screen map

The map contains 158 national animals. Sort them by the categories our data source noted, which includes national insects, reptiles, heraldic symbols, and more.

Categories & Common Animals

The national animals can be grouped into ten categories. The most frequent category is simply “national animal,” of which there are 87 on the map. Typically, each country has just one official national animal that is the ultimate representation of the country. Some places may also have a national bird. In fact, 33 countries list national birds. Plus, there are 16 national heraldry animals. Heraldic national animals are drawings of animals that may have appeared on a shield throughout the country’s history. There are also ten national aquatic animals and five national insects, along with national dogs, heritage animals, horses, predators, and reptiles.

You can sort the map above by these ten national animal categories, just as you can do with any map made with BatchGeo. It’s called map grouping, which allows you to use groups to break down your data and see trends on a map.

Countries with Common Animals

Seventeen countries have the same national animal: the lion. However, there are some differences between the lions that represent these countries. Five countries list the lion as a heraldic national animal. Belgium’s is the mythical Belgic lion, while the double-tailed lion, another mythological creature, represents the Czech Republic. In addition to Belgium and the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, and Norway also have heraldic lion national animals.

Iran’s national lion is more specific: the Persian lion. Compared to the typical African lion, the Persian lion is smaller and less hairy. However, aside from the five countries with heraldic national lions and Iran, the following 11 countries have the exact same African lion as their national animal:

• England
• Ethiopia
• The Gambia
• Kenya
• Libya
• Luxembourg
• Morocco
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Togo

You’ll note that seven out of the 11 countries are in Africa. This makes sense seeing as it is the African lion that represents them all. Then we have the second most common national animal: the Arabian oryx. This little antelope is the national animal of Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Countries with Multiple National Animals

Pakistan, Finland, India, and Mexico each have more than four national animals. Pakistan has six distinct animals. The country is ultimately represented by their main national animal: the Markhor. However, Pakistan also lists a national aquatic animal, the Indus river dolphin, a national bird, the Chukar, and a national reptile, the Indus crocodile. They also have a national heritage bird: the Shaheen falcon, which we categorized as a national bird on the map. Plus, Pakistan is the only country with a national predator: the Snow leopard.

Finland, India, and Mexico have five different national animal symbols. Finland’s national animal is the Brown bear. The country also has a national bird, the Whooper swan, and a national aquatic animal, the European perch. Plus, they have a national insect, the Seven-spot ladybird, and a national butterfly, the Holly blue, that we paired with the other insects on the map.

India is much the same as Finland, with the addition of a national reptile, the King cobra and a national heritage animal, the Indian elephant. India’s #1 national animal is the Royal Bengal tiger. Mexico also has a similar makeup as the other two countries with five national animal symbols. However, Mexico also has a national dog, the Xoloitzcuintli, and a national mammal, the Jaguar, which for mapping purposes, we paired with other national animals. Mexico’s main national animal is the Golden eagle, which also appears on the national flag.

Overall, 35 out of the 102 countries represented on the map have more than one national animal. Breaking it down, 23 countries have two national animal symbols. Eight countries have three national animals, three places have five, while only Pakistan boasts six national animals.

Dragons & Phoenixes & Unicorns, Oh My: the Mythical Creatures

We found it fascinating that the following 15 countries have mythical national animals:

• Austria — Austrian Bundesadler “Federal Eagle”
• Belgium — Leo Belgicus “Belgic lion”
• Bhutan — Druk
• China — Chinese dragon
• Czech Republic — Double-tailed lion
• Germany — Bundesadler “Federal Eagle”
• Greece — Phoenix
• Hungary — Turul
• Indonesia — Garuda
• North Korea — Chollima
• Portugal — Cock of Barcelos
• Russia — Double-headed eagle
• Scotland — Unicorn
• Serbia — White eagle
• Wales — Y Ddraig Goch (Welsh Dragon)

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Now that you know the national animals of every country, it’s time to expand your knowledge even further. Check out our map of the state birds, capitals, and flowers of each of the 50 United States. It will even show you how to make your own flashcard maps to help you visualize your data. With BatchGeo, the visual learning options are endless.

Twin towns or sister cities are part of a diplomacy effort to develop relationships between cities in the United States and international countries. Sister cities hope to promote cooperation, cultural understanding, and economic benefits to each of the participating places. In the U.S., there are over 700 cities dedicated to bridging the cultural gap of their international counterparts. In fact, several U.S. cities maintain relationships with over 20 international cities. Some of these pairings are more interesting than others. For example, one international travel destination known for its tall, twinkling tower is officially committed to just one other international city. However, many cities in the U.S. claim they’re paired with the Ville Lumière. When it comes to international relations, more issues may arise, like the time a Japanese city severed ties with a city in California after over 60 years together. Thankfully, that burned bridge didn’t impact the relationships between other Japanese and American cities because there are over 200 sister city relationships between the two. Is Japan the country the U.S. pairs with the most? Find out the answer to that question and more as you read about the twin towns and sister cities of the U.S.

View Twin Towns and Sister Cities in a full screen map

The map above contains hoards of information about the almost 2,000 international sister cities of over 700 U.S. cities. Find out where in the world your city has ties by taking advantage of the search bar in the upper right-hand corner of the map.

Tons of Twins & a Surplus of Sisters

The idea of twin towns and sister cities came about near the end of World War II to foster friendship and understanding among different cultures and former foes as an act of peace and reconciliation, and to encourage trade and tourism. Now, not every city in the U.S. partakes in this cultural exchange, nor does every state. Arizona and Hawaii, for example, have more in common than eschewing Daylight Savings Time. According to Wikipedia, they also don’t have any sister cities. The same goes for Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, at least, according to where we got our data. Don’t fret though. There are still nearly 2,000 international sister cities that pair with more than 700 U.S. cities on the map. Obviously, many U.S. cities must have more than one sister city to get numbers that high.

The following seven places each have over 20 international partners, making them the U.S. cities with the most international ties:

• Laredo, Texas
• Chicago, Illinois
• Miami-Dade County, Florida
• Los Angeles, California
• Miami, Florida
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Seattle, Washington

Laredo, Texas cultivates relationships with 41 international cities, most of which are located in the same country. Thirty of Laredo’s sister cities are located in Mexico, which makes sense as Laredo is right on the Mexico–U.S. border. Chicago is the second of the largest and most active sister city organizations in the U.S pairing with 28 cities. However, some of these cities are mere “friendship cities,” not sister cities. The most notable of Chicago’s pairs is Paris, France, a city we’ll touch more on later. Miami-Dade County, Los Angeles, Miami, Cleveland, and Seattle, each have multiple sister cities. Miami-Dad and Miami pair with 27 and 24 cities, respectively. The City of Angels partners with 25 cities, Cleveland maintains 22 relationships, and Seattle does the same with 21 cities around the world. It’s worth noting that while San Francisco does not have over 20 sister cities like the above, it still has an impressive number: 19. Like Chicago, San Francisco has a friendship pact with Paris.

Riveting Relationships

We pointed out that two of the U.S. cities with the most partnerships, Chicago and San Francisco, include Paris, France, on their list of sister cities. But tell that to France. Paris dubs its relationship with other cities as merely “friendship pacts.” Since 1956, Paris has only ever officially been partnered with Rome, which gave way to the phrase “only Paris is worthy of Rome; only Rome is worthy of Paris.” Paris keeps friendship pacts with plenty of cities but will only ever officially belong to Rome.

One year after Paris and Rome made their relationship exclusive, San Francisco developed a partnership with Osaka, Japan. But in 2018, the Mayor of Osaka severed ties with San Fran after a controversy over a statue. The statue in question commemorates the thousands of women who were raped by Japanese soldiers during World War II, and the Mayor of Osaka, Japan, was clearly not pleased.

On a lighter note, did you know there’s a city of Dublin in the U.S.? It’s located in California, and its sister city is Dublin, Ireland. Similarly, Orange, California, is sister cities with all things orange — Orange, France, and Orange, Australia. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find evidence of a city named Naranja in any Spanish-speaking country, otherwise, we’re sure Orange, CA would extend an invitation to join the group.

We’ve saved the best riveting sister city relationship for last. The city of Boring, Oregon has but one sister city: Dull, Scotland. If you ever face that question on Jeopardy, you’ll be prepared.

Most Paired Countries

More than anywhere else in the world, cities in the U.S. partner with international cities in Japan the most. Whether it’s because of a close allyship or trade, cities in the U.S. have over 200 distinct relationships with Japan. The second country cities in the U.S. have ties to the most is Mexico. U.S. cities have more than 120 sister city connections to cities in Mexico. Then comes China. Cities in the U.S. pair together with the country over 100 different times.

On the other hand, we have U.S. cities that didn’t stray too far from home when it came time to find a sister city. For example, Anaheim, California is sister cities with another city in the U.S. — Orlando, Florida. Anaheim and Orlando aren’t the only ones, there are thirteen total U.S.-U.S. pairs.

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Have you ever visited one of your city’s sister cities? If so, you can make a map of where you’ve visited to easily remember your traveling memories. If you have fewer travel experiences than you’d like, you can use BatchGeo to make a map of where you want to go. Your map can motivate you to get out and see the world — consider it your own digital adventure book! If you’d rather read about the voyages of others, you can check out our map of all the international travels of U.S. presidents.