World capitals: the list and a quiz

Porto-Novo is the official capital; the government sits in Cotonou.

Sucre is the constitutional capital; La Paz is the seat of government.

Gitega became the political capital in 2019; Bujumbura, the capital before it, remains the economic capital.

Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983; Abidjan, the largest city, is the economic capital.

Ciudad de la Paz was declared the capital in January 2026, replacing Malabo on Bioko island.

Mbabane is the administrative capital; Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital.

Jakarta is the capital; Nusantara, on Borneo, is being built to replace it.

Israel designates Jerusalem as its capital, and its government and parliament sit there. The UN and most countries do not recognise it as Israel's capital pending a negotiated settlement, and most embassies are in Tel Aviv.

Kuala Lumpur is the official capital, with the parliament and the King's palace; the government and the highest courts sit in Putrajaya.

Nauru has no official capital; the government offices are in Yaren District.

Amsterdam is the capital under the constitution; the government and parliament sit in The Hague.

The State of Palestine proclaims East Jerusalem as its capital; its government works in Ramallah. The status of Jerusalem is disputed and, in the UN's position, is to be settled by negotiation.

South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial).

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a suburb of Colombo, is the official capital and the seat of parliament; Colombo is the executive and commercial capital.

Switzerland's constitution names no capital; Bern is the “federal city”, the seat of the government and parliament.

Dodoma is the official capital; Dar es Salaam, the former capital and largest city, still hosts some ministries and many embassies.

Sanaa is the constitutional capital; since 2015 the internationally recognised government has worked from Aden as a temporary capital.