Capital cities are not always the largest cities in their countries, and they are not necessarily the most populous.
A capital city is considered the most important city or town in a country, where the seat of government and main administrative institutions are usually located.
Many capital cities catch people out. Take Australia, for example. What’s the capital? If you thought Sydney, you’re not alone — but it’s not the correct answer.
List of capital cities
The table below lists all 198 internationally recognized countries along with their capital cities. Several countries have more than one capital city, which is why the total number of capitals worldwide exceeds 210.
You can sort the list by country, capital, or continent to quickly find the information you’re looking for.
Download: Printable list of capital cities worldwide.
Countries with limited international recognition
Are some countries missing? A small number are not included because their sovereignty is widely disputed.
For example, Taiwan and Western Sahara are not included because they are not universally recognized as sovereign states. If you would like to see their capital cities, they are listed in the extended table below.
More capital city 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. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.