Capital cities: the ones nobody guesses
A capital is not always the biggest city, not always the oldest, and not always the only one. Several countries run three at once. Several more built theirs from nothing in the middle of the country, precisely so it would not be any of the existing rivals.
Which country has two capital cities, one for government and one for the courts?
Bolivia
La Paz holds the executive and legislature; Sucre remains the constitutional capital and seat of the Supreme Court. The split dates from a civil war in 1899.
Source: Bolivian constitution
How many capital cities does South Africa have?
Three
Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town the legislative, and Bloemfontein the judicial. It was a compromise struck when the four colonies united in 1910 and none would concede to another.
Source: South African government structure
Why was Canberra built as Australia's capital?
It was a compromise
The 1901 federation deadlocked between the two largest cities, so the constitution required a new capital in New South Wales but at least 100 miles from Sydney. Canberra was purpose-built from 1913.
Source: Australian Constitution, section 125
Which is the most northerly capital city of a sovereign state?
Reykjavik
Reykjavik sits at about 64.1 degrees north. Nuuk is further north but Greenland is not sovereign; Helsinki is about 60.2 and Oslo about 59.9.
Source: National geographic coordinates
In which of these countries is the capital not the largest city?
Turkey
Ankara is the capital but Istanbul is far larger, with roughly 15 million people to Ankara's 5.7 million. Paris, Tokyo and Buenos Aires are each both capital and largest.
Source: Turkish Statistical Institute
What is unusual about Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar?
It is largely empty
Built in secret and revealed in 2005, it has twenty-lane highways that are usually deserted and a population density a fraction of Yangon's. The move was never fully explained publicly.
Source: Myanmar government announcements, 2005-06
Which capital city entirely contains another country's capital?
Rome, which contains Vatican City
Vatican City is a sovereign state of 0.49 km2 sitting inside Rome, so Rome contains a foreign capital within its city limits. San Marino and Andorra are separate territories entirely.
Source: Lateran Treaty, 1929
Which country moved its capital in 2024 to a purpose-built city called Nusantara?
Indonesia
Jakarta is sinking (parts by over 10 cm a year) and is badly congested, so Indonesia began relocating its capital to Nusantara on Borneo. Egypt, Kazakhstan and Nigeria all made similar moves earlier.
Source: Indonesian Law 3/2022 on the State Capital
Kazakhstan's capital has changed name repeatedly. What is it now?
Astana
Akmola became Astana in 1998, Nur-Sultan in 2019, and Astana again in 2022. Almaty was the capital until 1997 and remains the largest city.
Source: Kazakh presidential decrees
Brasilia was built from nothing in the 1950s for what reason?
To develop the interior
Rio was the capital and almost all Brazilians lived near the coast. Brasilia was inaugurated in 1960 on empty highland, laid out by Lucio Costa in the shape of an aeroplane.
Source: Brazilian federal records; UNESCO World Heritage listing
What is the capital of Switzerland?
Bern
Switzerland has no legally designated capital. Bern is the Bundesstadt, seat of government, chosen in 1848 partly because it was not Zurich or Geneva.
Source: Swiss Federal Constitution; 1848 federal decisions
Which national capital has the largest population within the city proper?
Beijing
Beijing's municipality holds over 21 million. Tokyo's metropolitan area is larger overall, but its administrative city proper is smaller.
Source: Chinese and Japanese census data
Which national capital has the smallest population?
Ngerulmud, Palau
Ngerulmud has a few hundred residents and was purpose-built in 2006, largely to house government buildings. Vatican City is smaller still but is a whole state, not a capital of one.
Source: Republic of Palau government
Which country's capital is on an island while most of the country is not?
Equatorial Guinea, with Malabo
Malabo sits on Bioko island, about 200 km from the mainland where most Equatoguineans live. A new mainland capital, Ciudad de la Paz, has been under construction for years.
Source: Government of Equatorial Guinea
Which country moved its capital from Lagos in 1991?
Nigeria, to Abuja
Abuja was built in the geographic centre, chosen partly as neutral ground between regions and partly because Lagos was severely congested.
Source: Nigerian federal government records
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, but where does the government sit?
The Hague
The constitution names Amsterdam as capital, but parliament, the ministries, the supreme court and the monarch's working palace are all in The Hague.
Source: Dutch Constitution, article 32
In Europe, which capital sits at the greatest altitude?
Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella sits at about 1,020 m in the Pyrenees. Madrid, at about 650 m, is the highest capital of a large European country.
Source: National elevation data
Which capital city is often said to have the most museums per resident?
Reykjavik
With a population of around 140,000 and dozens of museums, Reykjavik has an unusually high ratio, including institutions devoted to punk, phalluses and the Settlement Age.
Source: Icelandic Museum Council listings