List of national capitals
Lists of capitals |
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Of countries |
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Of country subdivisions |
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This is a list of national capitals, including capitals of territories and dependencies, non-sovereign states including associated states and entities whose sovereignty is disputed.
The capitals included on this list are those associated with states or territories listed by the international standard ISO 3166-1, or that are included in the list of states with limited recognition.
Sovereign states and observer states within the United Nations are shown in bold text.
City/Town | Country/Territory | Notes |
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Abidjan (former capital; still has many government offices) | ![]() |
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Yamoussoukro (official) | ||
Abu Dhabi | ![]() |
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Abuja | ![]() |
Lagos was the capital from 1914 to 1991. |
Accra | ![]() |
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Adamstown | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Addis Ababa | ![]() |
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Aden (de facto, temporary) | ![]() |
Sana'a has been occupied by Houthis rebels since February 2015. Aden, the former capital of South Yemen, is Yemen's acting capital. See also: Yemeni Civil War (2015–present). |
Sana'a (de jure) | ||
Algiers | ![]() |
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Alofi | ![]() |
Self-governing in free association with New Zealand. |
Amman | ![]() |
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Amsterdam (official) | ![]() |
The Dutch constitution refers to Amsterdam as the "capital". Also of the public bodies of: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Hague (de facto) | The Dutch government is located in The Hague, which also hosts the monarch, government ministries, judiciary and diplomatic missions. | |
Andorra la Vella | ![]() |
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Ankara | ![]() |
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Antananarivo | ![]() |
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Apia | ![]() |
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Ashgabat | ![]() |
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Asmara | ![]() |
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Asunción | ![]() |
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Athens | ![]() |
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Avarua | ![]() |
Self-governing in free association with New Zealand. |
Baghdad | ![]() |
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Baku | ![]() |
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Bamako | ![]() |
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Bandar Seri Begawan | ![]() |
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Bangkok | ![]() |
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Bangui | ![]() |
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Banjul | ![]() |
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Basseterre | ![]() |
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Beijing | ![]() |
See also: Historical capitals of China. Sub-divisions of ![]() ![]() |
Beirut | ![]() |
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Belgrade | ![]() |
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Belmopan | ![]() |
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Berlin | ![]() |
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Bern (de facto) | ![]() |
Switzerland has no de jure capital. |
Bishkek | ![]() |
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Bissau | ![]() |
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Bloemfontein (judicial) | ![]() |
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Cape Town (legislative) | ||
Pretoria (executive) | ||
Bogotá | ![]() |
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Brades (de facto) | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. Plymouth was abandoned after the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano in 1997. Government offices since then have been moved to Brades, which is in the northwestern part of Montserrat. |
Plymouth (official) | ||
Brasília | ![]() |
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Bratislava | ![]() |
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Brazzaville | ![]() |
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Bridgetown | ![]() |
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Brussels | ![]() |
Also the de facto capital of the ![]() |
Bucharest | ![]() |
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Budapest | ![]() |
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Buenos Aires | ![]() |
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Cairo | ![]() |
A new capital is being built at the New Administrative Capital. It will reportedly be named Wedian. |
Canberra | ![]() |
Planned city built to overcome the rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney, which were both put forward as potential capitals for the nation in the Australasia Federation Conventions of the 1890s. Section 125 of the Constitution gives basic details about the location of the capital, size of the encompassing territory and so forth, while the Seat of Government Act 1908 specified its precise location. |
Caracas | ![]() |
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Castries | ![]() |
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Cetinje (Old Royal Capital, present seat of the President) | ![]() |
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Podgorica (official) | ||
Charlotte Amalie | ![]() |
Territory of the United States. |
Chișinău | ![]() |
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Cockburn Town | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Colombo (executive, judicial) | ![]() |
Until the 1980s, the capital was Colombo, where many important governmental institutions still remain and which is still designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. |
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (official) | Also known as "Kotte". | |
Conakry | ![]() |
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Copenhagen | ![]() |
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Cotonou (de facto) | ![]() |
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Porto-Novo (official) | ||
Dakar | ![]() |
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Damascus | ![]() |
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Dar es Salaam (de facto, judicial) | ![]() |
Dar es Salaam, the former capital and largest city continues to serve as the de facto seat of government hosting the presidency, government ministries, judiciary and diplomatic missions. |
Dodoma (official, legislative) | ||
Dhaka | ![]() |
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Dili | ![]() |
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Djibouti | ![]() |
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Doha | ![]() |
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Douglas | ![]() |
British Crown Dependency. |
Dublin | ![]() |
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Dushanbe | ![]() |
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El Aaiún (declared) | ![]() |
The Sahrawi Republic, recognised by 82 states, claims the mostly Moroccan controlled Western Sahara. Moroccan controlled territory includes El Aaiún, and Morocco claims all Sahrawi controlled territory. Tifariti is now the temporary capital (instead of Bir Lehlou earlier) of the SADR. Some government and military structures reside in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.[1] See Politics of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. |
Tifariti (de facto) | ||
Flying Fish Cove | ![]() |
External territory of Australia. |
Freetown | ![]() |
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Funafuti | ![]() |
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Gaborone | ![]() |
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George Town | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Georgetown | ![]() |
Part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. |
Georgetown | ![]() |
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Gibraltar | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Gitega (official) | ![]() |
Bujumbura was the capital from 1962 to 2018. |
Bujumbura (de facto) | ||
Guatemala City | ![]() |
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Gustavia | ![]() |
Overseas collectivity of France. |
Hagåtña | ![]() |
Territory of the United States. |
Hamilton | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Hanoi | ![]() |
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Harare | ![]() |
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Hargeisa | ![]() |
Unrecognized and self-declared state, de jure part of Somalia. |
Havana | ![]() |
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Helsinki | ![]() |
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Honiara | ![]() |
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Islamabad | ![]() |
Karachi was selected as the first capital of Pakistan and served as such until the capital was shifted to Rawalpindi in 1958. Rawalpindi served as an interim capital for almost a decade until the construction in Islamabad was complete. |
Jakarta | ![]() |
A new purpose-built city named Nusantara in Kalimantan is planned to replace Jakarta as the national capital from the mid 2020s.[2] |
Jamestown | ![]() |
Part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. |
Jerusalem (disputed) | ![]() |
The Jerusalem Law states that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel" and the city serves as the seat of the Israeli government and its institutions. United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 declared the Jerusalem Law "null and void" and called on member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem. Most countries currently maintain their embassies in and around Tel Aviv. The United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital and moved its embassy there in May 2018. [3] Many countries officially adhere to the proposal that Jerusalem have international status, as called for in the 1947 Partition Plan.[4] The State of Palestine, a de jure state, claims East Jerusalem as its capital. See Status of Jerusalem and Positions on Jerusalem. |
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Ramallah (de facto) | ||
Juba | ![]() |
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Kabul | ![]() |
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Kampala | ![]() |
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Kathmandu | ![]() |
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Khartoum | ![]() |
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Kigali | ![]() |
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King Edward Point | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Kingston | ![]() |
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Kingston | ![]() |
External territory of Australia. |
Kingstown | ![]() |
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Kinshasa | ![]() |
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Kuala Lumpur (official, legislative and royal) | ![]() |
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Putrajaya (administrative and judicial) | ||
Kuwait City | ![]() |
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Kyiv | ![]() |
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La Paz (administrative) | ![]() |
La Paz is the highest administrative capital (3,650 m) in the world, higher than Quito.[5] |
Sucre (constitutional) | ||
Libreville | ![]() |
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Lilongwe | ![]() |
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Lima | ![]() |
Cusco is declared as the "Historical Capital" (Spanish: Capital Historica), a merely symbolic statement, by Article 49 of the Peruvian Constitution. |
Lisbon | ![]() |
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Ljubljana | ![]() |
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Lobamba (royal and legislative) | ![]() |
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Mbabane (administrative) | ||
Lomé | ![]() |
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London | ![]() |
Prior to the Acts of Union in 1707, London was the capital of England only; Edinburgh was the capital of the Kingdom of Scotland. Sub-divisions of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales |
Luanda | ![]() |
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Lusaka | ![]() |
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Luxembourg | ![]() |
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Madrid | ![]() |
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Majuro | ![]() |
Self-governing in free association with the United States. |
Malabo | ![]() |
Ciudad de la Paz is currently under construction and will become the new capital when complete.[6] |
Malé | ![]() |
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Managua | ![]() |
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Manama | ![]() |
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Manila | ![]() |
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Maputo | ![]() |
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Mariehamn | ![]() |
Autonomous province of Finland. |
Marigot | ![]() |
Overseas collectivity of France. |
Maseru | ![]() |
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Mata Utu | ![]() |
Overseas collectivity of France. |
Mexico City | ![]() |
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Minsk | ![]() |
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Mogadishu | ![]() |
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Monaco | ![]() |
City-state. The Principality of Monaco does not have an official capital designated in its constitution, however, the Commune of Monaco, the country's only commune, is coterminous with the nation, making it the de facto capital.[7][8] |
Monrovia | ![]() |
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Montevideo | ![]() |
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Moroni | ![]() |
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Moscow | ![]() |
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Muscat | ![]() |
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Nairobi | ![]() |
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Nassau | ![]() |
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Naypyidaw | ![]() |
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N'Djamena | ![]() |
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New Delhi | ![]() |
Kolkata was the capital of India until 1911 during the British Raj. |
Ngerulmud | ![]() |
Self-governing in free association with the United States. Koror was the capital of Palau until 2006. |
Niamey | ![]() |
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Nicosia | ![]() |
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Nouakchott | ![]() |
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Nouméa | ![]() |
Overseas territory of France. |
Nukuʻalofa | ![]() |
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Nur-Sultan | ![]() |
Formerly known as Astana; the name was changed on 20 March 2019. |
Nuuk | ![]() |
Self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark. |
Oranjestad | ![]() |
Self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
Oslo | ![]() |
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Ottawa | ![]() |
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Ouagadougou | ![]() |
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Pago Pago | ![]() |
Territory of the United States. |
Palikir | ![]() |
Self-governing in free association with the United States. |
Panama City | ![]() |
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Papeete | ![]() |
Overseas collectivity of France. |
Paramaribo | ![]() |
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Paris | ![]() |
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Philipsburg | ![]() |
Self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
Phnom Penh | ![]() |
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Port Louis | ![]() |
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Port Moresby | ![]() |
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Port of Spain | ![]() |
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Port Vila | ![]() |
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Port-au-Prince | ![]() |
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Prague | ![]() |
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Praia | ![]() |
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Pristina | ![]() |
De facto independent state that is recognised by 112 UN member states and by Taiwan. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Serbia as part of its Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Republic of Kosovo has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo. |
Pyongyang | ![]() |
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Quito | ![]() |
Highest official capital (2,850 m).[5] |
Rabat | ![]() |
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Reykjavík | ![]() |
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Riga | ![]() |
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Riyadh | ![]() |
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Road Town | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Rome | ![]() |
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Roseau | ![]() |
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Saipan | ![]() |
Territory of the United States. |
San José | ![]() |
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San Juan | ![]() |
Territory of the United States. |
San Marino | ![]() |
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San Salvador | ![]() |
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Santiago (official) | ![]() |
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Valparaíso (legislative) | The National Congress of Chile is located in Valparaíso. | |
Santo Domingo | ![]() |
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São Tomé | ![]() |
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Sarajevo | ![]() |
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Seoul | ![]() |
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Singapore | ![]() |
City-state. |
Skopje | ![]() |
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Sofia | ![]() |
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South Tarawa | ![]() |
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St. George's | ![]() |
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St. Helier | ![]() |
British Crown Dependency. |
St. John's | ![]() |
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St. Peter Port | ![]() |
British Crown Dependency. |
St. Pierre | ![]() |
Overseas collectivity of France. |
Stanley | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Stepanakert | ![]() |
The self-declared country remains diplomatically unrecognised by UN-member states, including Armenia. Transnistria, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia all recognise the state. Claimed in whole by Azerbaijan. |
Stockholm | ![]() |
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Sukhumi | ![]() |
De facto independent state recognised by Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Ossetia and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by Republic of Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. |
Suva | ![]() |
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Taipei | ![]() |
Officially the Republic of China (ROC), it has been competing for recognition with the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole Chinese government since 1949. Taiwan controls the island of Taiwan and its associated islands, Quemoy, Matsu, the Pratas, and part of the Spratly Islands.[Note 1] The territory of Taiwan is claimed in whole by the People's Republic of China.[Note 2] The Republic of China participates in the World Health Organization and a number of non-UN international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, International Olympic Committee and others under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly Chinese Taipei. |
Tallinn | ![]() |
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Tashkent | ![]() |
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Tbilisi | ![]() |
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Tegucigalpa | ![]() |
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Tehran | ![]() |
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Thimphu | ![]() |
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Tirana | ![]() |
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Tiraspol | ![]() |
De facto independent state, not recognized by any UN-member, but by Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Moldova as the Territorial Unit of Transnistria. |
Tokyo | ![]() |
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Tórshavn | ![]() |
Self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark. |
Tripoli | ![]() |
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Tskhinvali | ![]() |
De facto independent state recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Venezuela, Abkhazia and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia. |
Tunis | ![]() |
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Ulaanbaatar | ![]() |
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Vaduz | ![]() |
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Valletta | ![]() |
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The Valley | ![]() |
British Overseas Territory. |
Vatican City | ![]() |
City-state. |
Victoria | ![]() |
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Vienna | ![]() |
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Vientiane | ![]() |
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Vilnius | ![]() |
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Warsaw | ![]() |
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Washington, D.C. | ![]() |
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Wellington | ![]() |
See also: Capital of New Zealand. |
West Island | ![]() |
External territory of Australia. |
Willemstad | ![]() |
Self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
Windhoek | ![]() |
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Yaoundé | ![]() |
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Yaren (de facto) | ![]() |
Country does not have an official capital; however, the government offices are in Yaren. |
Yerevan | ![]() |
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Zagreb | ![]() |
Notes[]
- ^ The sovereignty over the Spratly Islands is disputed by the PRC, the ROC, Vietnam, the Philippines (part), Malaysia (part), and Brunei (part). Except Brunei, each of these countries occupies part of the islands (see List of territorial disputes).
- ^ In 1949, the Republic of China government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communist Party of China (CPC) and set up a provisional capital in Taipei. The CPC established the People's Republic. As such, the political status of the ROC and the legal status of Taiwan (alongside the territories under ROC jurisdiction) are in dispute. In 1971, the United Nations gave the China seat to the PRC instead of the ROC: most states recognize the PRC to be the sole legitimate representative of all China, and the UN classifies Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". The ROC has de facto relations with most sovereign states. A significant political movement within Taiwan advocates Taiwan independence.
References[]
- ^ "CIA - The World Factbook -- Western Sahara". June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12.
- ^ "Indonesia announces site of capital city to replace sinking Jakarta". The Guardian. 26 August 2019.
- ^ See the CIA Factbook and Map of Israel
- ^ Sharkansky, Ira (1996). Governing Jerusalem: Again on the world's agenda. Wayne State University Press. p. 23. ISBN 0-8143-2592-0.
- ^ a b Jacobs, Frank (19 June 2012). "Amazonia or Bust!". New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ Fortin, Jacey (19 December 2012). "Poverty-Stricken Equatorial Guinea Builds Expensive Capital City In The Middle Of Nowhere". International Business Times.
- ^ "Constitution of the Principality". Gouvernement Princier Principauté de Monaco. Principauté de Monaco. 17 December 1962. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ^ "Monaco". Britannica. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
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