List of countries with multiple capitals
Some countries have multiple capitals. In some cases, one city is the capital for some purposes, and one or more others are capital for other purposes, without any being considered an official capital in preference to the others.
There are also cases where there is a single legally defined capital, but one or more other cities operate as the seat of government of some or all parts of the national government.
More than one capital at present[]
Country | Capitals | Details |
---|---|---|
Bolivia | Sucre | Constitutional capital |
La Paz | Executive capital | |
Eswatini | Mbabane | Administrative capital |
Lobamba | Legislative (Parliament) and royal capital | |
South Africa | Pretoria | Administrative and executive capital |
Cape Town | Legislative capital (Parliament) | |
Bloemfontein | Judicial capital | |
Malaysia | Putrajaya | Administrative capital |
Kuala Lumpur | Executive capital (Parliament) |
More than one capital in the past[]
These countries have had two cities that served as administrative capitals at the same time, for various reasons such as war, weather or partition. In some cases, the second capital is considered a temporary capital.
Country | Years | Capitals | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 1776–1818 | Kabul | Summer capital |
Peshawar | Winter capital | ||
Republic of China | 1937–1945 | Nanjing | Capital of Japanese-controlled puppet state |
Chongqing | Provisional capital of the Kuomintang-controlled Republic of China | ||
1945–1991 | Nanjing | Administrative, legislative, and judicial capital (claimed between the 1949 evacuation and the 1992 Consensus) | |
Taipei | Provisional capital of the Kuomintang-ruled Republic of China in Taiwan | ||
British India | 1858–1947 | Calcutta (1858–1911) | Administrative capital |
Delhi (1911–1947) | |||
Simla | Summer capital | ||
France | 1940-1944 | Vichy | de facto administrative capital |
Paris | de jure constitutional capital, also capital for the German military administration | ||
Kingdom of Italy | 1943-1944 | Brindisi (1943–Feb 1944) | de facto provisional capital |
Salerno (Feb-Jun 1944) | |||
Rome | de jure capital until 1944 when it got Liberated by the Allies | ||
Italian Social Republic | 1943-1944 | Salò | de facto capital until 1944 when it became the Primary Capital |
Rome | de jure capital until 1944 when it got Liberated by the Allies | ||
Laos | 1947–1975 | Vientiane | Administrative capital |
Luang Prabang | Royal capital | ||
Libya | 1951–1969 | Tripoli | One of two official capitals of the Kingdom of Libya |
Benghazi | |||
Malawi | 1974–1994 | Lilongwe | Administrative and judiciary capital |
Zomba | Legislative capital | ||
Norway | 1940 | Oslo | Official capital |
Hamar | Temporarily one-day capital that seated the parliament[1] | ||
Philippines | 1948–1976 | Quezon City | Official capital |
Manila | De facto seat of government | ||
1901–1976 | Baguio | Summer capital (still known as summer capital, outside of political use) | |
Serbia and Montenegro | 2003–2006 | Belgrade | Administrative and legislative |
Podgorica | Judicial |
^A Bonn had been the de facto capital of West Germany before. With the German reunification Berlin became capital of the united Germany. The government moved to Berlin 9 years later.
See also[]
- List of capitals outside the territories they serve
- List of historical capitals of China
- List of national capitals
- List of former national capitals
- List of purpose-built national capitals
- List of countries whose capital is not their largest city
References[]
- ^ Kongens nei - 9. april (Norwegian)
- Lists of countries
- Lists of capitals