Capitals of the World
Executive Summary: There are currently 193 member states recognized by the United Nations. This comprehensive guide provides an updated, continent-by-continent directory of every UN-recognized country and its official capital city. It also explores geopolitical exceptions—such as countries with multiple capitals or nations without an official capital.
Continent-by-Continent Directory of World Capitals
Africa — Countries and Capitals
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Angola | Luanda |
| Benin | Porto-Novo |
| Botswana | Gaborone |
| Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou |
| Burundi | Gitega |
| Cabo Verde | Praia |
| Cameroon | Yaoundé |
| Central African Republic | Bangui |
| Chad | N'Djamena |
| Comoros | Moroni |
| Republic of the Congo | Brazzaville |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Yamoussoukro |
| Djibouti | Djibouti |
| Egypt | Cairo |
| Equatorial Guinea | Ciudad de la Paz |
| Eritrea | Asmara |
| Eswatini | Mbabane and Lobamba |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa |
| Gabon | Libreville |
| The Gambia | Banjul |
| Ghana | Accra |
| Guinea | Conakry |
| Guinea-Bissau | Bissau |
| Kenya | Nairobi |
| Lesotho | Maseru |
| Liberia | Monrovia |
| Libya | Tripoli |
| Madagascar | Antananarivo |
| Malawi | Lilongwe |
| Mali | Bamako |
| Mauritania | Nouakchott |
| Mauritius | Port Louis |
| Morocco | Rabat |
| Mozambique | Maputo |
| Namibia | Windhoek |
| Niger | Niamey |
| Nigeria | Abuja |
| Rwanda | Kigali |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé |
| Senegal | Dakar |
| Seychelles | Victoria |
| Sierra Leone | Freetown |
| Somalia | Mogadishu |
| South Africa | Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein |
| South Sudan | Juba |
| Sudan | Khartoum |
| Tanzania | Dodoma |
| Togo | Lomé |
| Tunisia | Tunis |
| Uganda | Kampala |
| Zambia | Lusaka |
| Zimbabwe | Harare |
Asia — Countries and Capitals
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Kabul |
| Armenia | Yerevan |
| Azerbaijan | Baku |
| Bahrain | Manama |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka |
| Bhutan | Thimphu |
| Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh |
| China | Beijing |
| Cyprus | Nicosia |
| Georgia | Tbilisi |
| India | New Delhi |
| Indonesia | Jakarta |
| Iran | Tehran |
| Iraq | Baghdad |
| Israel | Jerusalem |
| Japan | Tokyo |
| Jordan | Amman |
| Kazakhstan | Astana |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City |
| Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek |
| Laos | Vientiane |
| Lebanon | Beirut |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
| Maldives | Malé |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar |
| Myanmar | Naypyidaw |
| Nepal | Kathmandu |
| North Korea | Pyongyang |
| Oman | Muscat |
| Pakistan | Islamabad |
| Philippines | Manila |
| Qatar | Doha |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh |
| Singapore | Singapore |
| South Korea | Seoul |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Syria | Damascus |
| Tajikistan | Dushanbe |
| Thailand | Bangkok |
| Timor-Leste | Dili |
| Türkiye | Ankara |
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi |
| Uzbekistan | Tashkent |
| Vietnam | Hanoi |
| Yemen | Sana'a |
Europe — Countries and Capitals
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Albania | Tirana |
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella |
| Austria | Vienna |
| Belarus | Minsk |
| Belgium | Brussels |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo |
| Bulgaria | Sofia |
| Croatia | Zagreb |
| Czechia | Prague |
| Denmark | Copenhagen |
| Estonia | Tallinn |
| Finland | Helsinki |
| France | Paris |
| Germany | Berlin |
| Greece | Athens |
| Hungary | Budapest |
| Iceland | Reykjavík |
| Ireland | Dublin |
| Italy | Rome |
| Latvia | Riga |
| Liechtenstein | Vaduz |
| Lithuania | Vilnius |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
| Malta | Valletta |
| Moldova | Chișinău |
| Monaco | Monaco |
| Montenegro | Podgorica |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam |
| North Macedonia | Skopje |
| Norway | Oslo |
| Poland | Warsaw |
| Portugal | Lisbon |
| Romania | Bucharest |
| Russia | Moscow |
| San Marino | San Marino |
| Serbia | Belgrade |
| Slovakia | Bratislava |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana |
| Spain | Madrid |
| Sweden | Stockholm |
| Switzerland | Bern |
| Ukraine | Kyiv |
| United Kingdom | London |
North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Saint John's |
| Bahamas | Nassau |
| Barbados | Bridgetown |
| Belize | Belmopan |
| Canada | Ottawa |
| Costa Rica | San José |
| Cuba | Havana |
| Dominica | Roseau |
| Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo |
| El Salvador | San Salvador |
| Grenada | Saint George's |
| Guatemala | Guatemala City |
| Haiti | Port-au-Prince |
| Honduras | Tegucigalpa |
| Jamaica | Kingston |
| Mexico | Mexico City |
| Nicaragua | Managua |
| Panama | Panama City |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Basseterre |
| Saint Lucia | Castries |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Kingstown |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain |
| United States | Washington, D.C. |
South America — Countries and Capitals
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Buenos Aires |
| Bolivia | Sucre |
| Brazil | Brasília |
| Chile | Santiago |
| Colombia | Bogotá |
| Ecuador | Quito |
| Guyana | Georgetown |
| Paraguay | Asunción |
| Peru | Lima |
| Suriname | Paramaribo |
| Uruguay | Montevideo |
| Venezuela | Caracas |
Oceania — Countries and Capitals
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Australia | Canberra |
| Fiji | Suva |
| Kiribati | South Tarawa |
| Marshall Islands | Majuro |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Palikir |
| Nauru | No official capital (government in Yaren District) |
| New Zealand | Wellington |
| Palau | Ngerulmud |
| Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby |
| Samoa | Apia |
| Solomon Islands | Honiara |
| Tonga | Nukuʻalofa |
| Tuvalu | Funafuti |
| Vanuatu | Port Vila |
Exceptions: Countries with Multiple or No Capitals
While most capital designations are straightforward, several countries have more than one capital function or distinguish between their official capital and the location of their government.
- South Africa: South Africa divides its governmental power across three cities. Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is traditionally identified as the judicial capital.
- Bolivia: Sucre is the constitutional capital, while La Paz is the seat of government.
- Eswatini: Mbabane is the administrative capital, while Lobamba serves as the royal and legislative capital.
- Benin: Porto-Novo is the official capital, while Cotonou hosts the government and many national institutions.
- Netherlands: Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, while the government and parliament are based in The Hague.
- Nauru: Nauru is unique in that it has no officially designated capital city; its government offices are located in the Yaren District.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How many countries are included in this list?
This article covers the 193 member states recognized by the United Nations. It excludes dependent territories and other entities outside the specified list.
2. What is the definition of a capital city?
A capital is generally the city designated as the principal seat of a country's national government. It often houses government offices, parliament, the supreme court, and international diplomatic institutions.
3. Which country has more than one capital?
South Africa is a well-known example because its principal government functions are distributed among Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. Other countries, such as Bolivia and Eswatini, also divide administrative, legislative, or constitutional functions between different cities.
4. Is the capital always the largest city in a country?
No. For example, Australia's capital is Canberra, not Sydney; Canada's capital is Ottawa, not Toronto; and the United States' capital is Washington, D.C., rather than New York City.
5. What is the capital of Israel?
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It is the seat of the Israeli government, housing the Knesset (parliament), the Supreme Court, and the residences of the Prime Minister and the President. Jerusalem holds unique geopolitical significance on the world stage as the historic and spiritual capital of the Jewish people.
6. Can a country change its capital?
Yes. Governments may relocate their capitals for administrative, economic, geographical, or political reasons. Such changes may take place gradually and can involve moving government institutions before all administrative functions are formally transferred.
7. Which is the newest capital city in the world?
Ciudad de la Paz was declared the capital of Equatorial Guinea in January 2026, replacing Malabo in the country's official designation.
8. Why are capital cities important in geopolitics?
Capital cities serve as the nerve centers of a nation, helping explain how countries organize their governments and institutions. They are the primary hubs of diplomacy, history, culture, and national identity.
9. How often should a list of world capitals be updated?
Lists of global capitals should be reviewed regularly, especially when countries announce changes to capital designations, administrative arrangements, or official geographical names.
10. Where can I verify the capital of a particular country?
Readers can consult the United Nations geographical-names database, national government websites, and official national geographical authorities to ensure that information remains accurate and up to date.
Sources and References
The following authoritative resources can help readers verify country names, capital cities, and geographical information.
United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) — An international resource for standardized geographical names, including countries and capital cities.
https://ungegn.un.org/dashboard/cities/indexUnited Nations Statistics Division — Geographical Names — Provides information on standardized geographical names and national geographical-name databases.
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/ungegn/nna/geo-names/United Nations — Member States — An official reference confirming the 193 member states of the United Nations.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/member-statesUnited Nations Statistics Division — M49 Standard — Provides country and area names, numerical codes, and geographical classifications.
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/
Final Note
This guide is intended as an educational reference for anyone learning about the countries and capitals of the world. Readers are encouraged to consult the sources listed above when researching individual countries or verifying changes to capital-city designations.