Capital cities are not necessarily the biggest when compared to all the other cities in a particular country. They may not be the most populous, either.
A capital city is considered the most important city or town in a country, where you can usually find the seat of the government and administrative center. I took that definition straight from the Oxford Languages Dictionary box, might I add!
There are many capital cities that always seem to catch people out. Take Australia, for instance. What’s the capital? If you thought Syndey, yikes. What about Turkey? I hate to break it to you, but if you thought Istanbul, you are one of the many people who got that wrong, too. Read more about capital cities that everyone gets wrong, and challenge your family and friends!
Capital cities list
If you want to learn more about capital cities around the world, fear not; I have an awesome table for you. We have listed all 197 countries along with their capital cities.
You can sort this alphabetical order of countries by capital or continent, covering everything you need to know. Check it out!
| Country | Capital City | Continent |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Kabul | Asia |
| Albania | Tirana | Europe |
| Algeria | Algiers | Africa |
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | Europe |
| Angola | Luanda | Africa |
| Antigua and Barbuda | St. John's | North America |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | South America |
| Armenia | Yerevan | Asia |
| Australia | Canberra | Australia |
| Austria | Vienna | Europe |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | Asia, Europe |
| Bahamas, The | Nassau | North America |
| Bahrain | Manama | Asia |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Asia |
| Barbados | Bridgetown | North America |
| Belarus | Minsk | Europe |
| Belgium | Brussels | Europe |
| Belize | Belmopan | North America |
| Benin (Dahomey) | Porto-Novo | Africa |
| Bhutan | Thimphu | Asia |
| Bolivia | La Paz (administrative capital), Sucre (constitutional capital) | South America |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | Europe |
| Botswana | Gaborone | Africa |
| Brazil | Brasilia | South America |
| Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan | Asia |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | Europe |
| Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) | Ouagadougou | Africa |
| Burundi | Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital) | Africa |
| Cabo Verde | Praia | Africa |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Asia |
| Cameroon | Yaoundé | Africa |
| Canada | Ottawa | North America |
| Central African Republic | Bangui | Africa |
| Chad | N'Djamena | Africa |
| Chile | Santiago | South America |
| China | Beijing | Asia |
| Colombia | Bogota | South America |
| Comoros | Moroni | Africa |
| Cook Islands | Avarua | Australia |
| Costa Rica | San Jose | North America |
| Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative capital) | Africa |
| Croatia | Zagreb | Europe |
| Cuba | Havana | North America |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | Asia |
| Czechia (Czech Republic) | Prague | Europe |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa | Africa |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | Europe |
| Djibouti | Djibouti city | Africa |
| Dominica | Roseau | North America |
| Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | North America |
| Ecuador | Quito | South America |
| Egypt | Cairo | Africa, Asia |
| El Salvador | San Salvador | North America |
| Equatorial Guinea | Malabo | Africa |
| Eritrea | Asmara | Africa |
| Estonia | Tallinn | Europe |
| Eswatini (Swaziland) | Mbabane (administrative capital), Lobamba (royal and legislative capital) | Africa |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | Africa |
| Fiji | Suva | Australia |
| Finland | Helsinki | Europe |
| France | Paris | Europe |
| Gabon | Libreville | Africa |
| Gambia, The | Banjul | Africa |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | Europe, Asia |
| Germany | Berlin | Europe |
| Ghana | Accra | Africa |
| Greece | Athens | Europe |
| Grenada | Saint George's | North America |
| Guatemala | Guatemala City | North America |
| Guinea | Conakry | Africa |
| Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | Africa |
| Guyana | Georgetown | South America |
| Haiti | Port-au-Prince | North America |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | Vatican City | Europe |
| Honduras | Tegucigalpa | North America |
| Hungary | Budapest | Europe |
| Iceland | Reykjavík | Europe |
| India | New Delhi | Asia |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Asia, Oceania |
| Iran | Tehran | Asia |
| Iraq | Baghdad | Asia |
| Ireland | Dublin | Europe |
| Israel | Jerusalem | Asia |
| Italy | Rome | Europe |
| Jamaica | Kingston | North America |
| Japan | Tokyo | Asia |
| Jordan | Amman | Asia |
| Kazakhstan | Astana | Asia, Europe |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Africa |
| Kiribati | Tarawa | Australia |
| Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | Pyongyang | Asia |
| Kosovo | Pristina | Europe |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | Asia |
| Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek | Asia |
| Laos | Vientiane | Asia |
| Latvia | Riga | Europe |
| Lebanon | Beirut | Asia |
| Lesotho | Maseru | Africa |
| Liberia | Monrovia | Africa |
| Libya | Tripoli | Africa |
| Liechtenstein | Vaduz | Europe |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | Europe |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Europe |
| Madagascar | Antananarivo | Africa |
| Malawi | Lilongwe | Africa |
| Malaysia | Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur | Asia |
| Maldives | Malé | Asia |
| Mali | Bamako | Africa |
| Malta | Valletta | Europe |
| Marshall Islands | Majuro | Australia |
| Mauritania | Nouakchott | Africa |
| Mauritius | Port Louis | Africa |
| Mexico | Mexico City | North America |
| Micronesia | Palikir | Australia |
| Moldova | Chișinău | Europe |
| Monaco | Monaco | Europe |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | Asia |
| Montenegro | Podgorica | Europe |
| Morocco | Rabat | Africa |
| Mozambique | Maputo | Africa |
| Myanmar (Burma) | Naypyidaw | Asia |
| Namibia | Windhoek | Africa |
| Nauru | Yaren (de facto) | Australia |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | Asia |
| Netherlands, The | Amsterdam | Europe |
| New Zealand | Wellington | Australia |
| Nicaragua | Managua | North America |
| Niger | Niamey | Africa |
| Nigeria | Abuja | Africa |
| Niue | Alofi | Australia |
| North Macedonia | Skopje | Europe |
| Norway | Oslo | Europe |
| Oman | Muscat | Asia |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | Asia |
| Palau | Ngerulmud | Australia |
| Panama | Panama City | North America |
| Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | Australia |
| Paraguay | Asunción | South America |
| Peru | Lima | South America |
| Philippines | Manila | Asia |
| Poland | Warsaw | Europe |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Europe |
| Qatar | Doha | Asia |
| Republic of Korea (South Korea) | Seoul | Asia |
| Republic of the Congo | Brazzaville | Africa |
| Romania | Bucharest | Europe |
| Russia | Moscow | Asia, Europe |
| Rwanda | Kigali | Africa |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Basseterre | North America |
| Saint Lucia | Castries | North America |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Kingstown | North America |
| Samoa | Apia | Australia |
| San Marino | San Marino | Europe |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé | Africa |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | Asia |
| Senegal | Dakar | Africa |
| Serbia | Belgrade | Europe |
| Seychelles | Victoria | Africa |
| Sierra Leone | Freetown | Africa |
| Singapore | Singapore | Asia |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | Europe |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | Europe |
| Solomon Islands, The | Honiara | Australia |
| Somalia | Mogadishu | Africa |
| South Africa | Pretoria (administrative capital), Bloemfontein (judicial capital), Cape Town (legislative capital) | Africa |
| South Sudan | Juba | Africa |
| Spain | Madrid | Europe |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital), Colombo (judicial capital) | Asia |
| Sudan | Khartoum | Africa |
| Suriname | Paramaribo | South America |
| Sweden | Stockholm | Europe |
| Switzerland | Bern | Europe |
| Syria | Damascus | Asia |
| Tajikistan | Dushanbe | Asia |
| Tanzania | Dodoma | Africa |
| Thailand | Bangkok | Asia |
| Timor-Leste | Dili | Asia |
| Togo | Lomé | Africa |
| Tonga | Nukuʻalofa | Australia |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | North America |
| Tunisia | Tunis | Africa |
| Türkiye (Turkey) | Ankara | Asia, Europe |
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | Asia |
| Tuvalu | Funafuti | Australia |
| Uganda | Kampala | Africa |
| Ukraine | Kyiv | Europe |
| United Arab Emirates, The | Abu Dhabi | Asia |
| United Kingdom, The | London | Europe |
| United States, The | Washington D.C. | North America |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | South America |
| Uzbekistan | Tashkent | Asia |
| Vanuatu | Port-Vila | Australia |
| Venezuela | Caracas | South America |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | Asia |
| Yemen | Sana'a | Asia |
| Zambia | Lusaka | Africa |
| Zimbabwe | Harare | Africa |
Limited international recognition
Are some countries missing? There are some countries I haven’t listed because their sovereignty is up for much debate. For instance, I did not include Palestine, Taiwan, or The Sahrawi Republic (SADR) because many countries, including the United States, do not recognize them. If you want to know their capital city, here is the extended list.
| Country | Capital City | Continent |
|---|---|---|
| Palestine | Jerusalem | Asia |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) | El Aaiún (also known as Laayoune) | Africa |
| Taiwan | Taipei City | Asia |
Other lists
- Capital cities of Africa
- Capital cities of Asia
- Capital cities of Europe
- Capital cities of Oceania and Australia
- Capital cities of North America
- Capital cities of South America
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.