A capital city (or just capital) is the area of a country, province, region, or state, regarded as enjoying primary status; although there are exceptions, a capital is almost always a city which physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of the seat of government and is fixed by law. An alternate term is political capital, but this phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital. Often, a capital city is the largest city in that country but not always. The seat of government is the location of the government for a political entity. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ...

The word capital is derived from the Latin caput meaning "head," and, in the United States, the related term Capitol refers to the building where government business is chiefly conducted. For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... This is a list of state capitols (buildings) in the United States, not to be confused with a list of state capitals. ...

The seats of government in major sub-state jurisdictions are often called "capitals", but this is typically the case only in countries with some degree of federalism, where major substate jurisdictions have an element of sovereignty. In unitary states, "administrative center" or other similar terms are typically used. For example, the seat of government in a U.S. state is usually called its "capital", but the main city in a region of England is usually not, even though in Ireland, a county's main town is usually regarded as its capital. At lower administrative subdivisions, terms such as county town, county seat, or borough seat are usually used. For theological federalism, see Covenant Theology. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to have control over an area of governance, people, or oneself. ... A map showing the unitary states. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... A county town is the capital of a county in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... A borough seat is the capital city of a borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ...

Historically, the major economic center of a state or region often becomes the focal point of political power, and becomes a capital through conquest or amalgamation. This was the case for London, Berlin, and Moscow. The capital naturally attracts the politically motivated and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of government such as lawyers, journalists, and public policy researchers. A capital that is the prime economic, cultural, or intellectual center is sometimes referred to as a primate city. Such is certainly the case with Paris, London and Madrid among national capitals, and Milan, Irkutsk or Phoenix in their respective state or province. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... For the fish called lawyer, see Burbot. ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... Public policy or ordre public is the body of fundamental principles that underpin the operation of legal systems in each state. ... A primate city is a major city that works as the financial, political, and population center of a country and is not rivaled in any of these aspects by any other city in that country. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... Irkutsk (Russian: ) is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, situated 5,185 kilometers (3,222 mi) by rail from Moscow. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area  - City  515. ...

Capitals are sometimes sited to discourage further growth in an existing major city. Brasília was situated in Brazil's interior because the old capital, Rio de Janeiro, and southeastern Brazil in general, were considered over-crowded.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the capital of Brazil. ... This article is about the Brazilian city. ...

The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals, as occurred with Nanjing by Shanghai. The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred with Babylon and Cahokia. Many present-day capital cities, such as New Delhi, Abuja, Ankara, Brasília, Canberra, Astana, Islamabad, Ottawa and Washington, D.C. are planned cities that were built as an alternative to the seat of government residing in an established population centre for various reasons. In many cases in their own right they have become gradually established as new business or commercial centres. For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... For a related concept in sociology, see Social disintegration. ... For other uses, see Babylon (disambiguation). ... Cahokia is the site of an ancient Native American city near Collinsville, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. ... , This article is about the capital city of India. ... Aso Rock Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. ... Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Ä°stanbul. ... This article is about the capital of Brazil. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Coordinates: Government  - Mayor Askar Mamin Population (estimated)  - City 600,000 Time zone BTT (UTC+6) This article is about the capital of Kazakhstan; for the article on the palace in Sarawak, see Astana (Sarawak); for the professional road-cycling team see Astana Team; for the Iranian city, see Astaneh-e... Location within Pakistan Coordinates: , Country Pakistan Province Constructed 1960s Union Council 40 UC (District Govt. ... -1... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... A New town or planned community or planned city is a city, town, or community that was designed from scratch, and grew up more or less following the plan. ...

Unorthodox capital city arrangements

A number of cases exist where states have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. In other cases, the official capital is not the effective one for pragmatic reasons. That is, the city known as the capital is not the seat of government. Occasionally, the official capital may host the seat of government, but is not the geographic origin of political decision-making.^{[citation needed]} The following list specifies the details observed in sovereign states. Countries with multiple capitals Some countries have multiple capitals; often one city is the seat of government while the other is the legal capital. ...

• Benin: Porto-Novo is the official capital, but Cotonou is the seat of government.
• Bolivia: Sucre is still the constitutional capital, but most of the national government long abandoned that region for La Paz.
• Chile: Santiago is the capital even though the National Congress of Chile is in Valparaíso.
• Côte d'Ivoire: Yamoussoukro was designated the national capital in 1983, but most government offices and embassies are still located in Abidjan.
• Czech Republic: Prague is the sole constitutional capital. However, Brno is home to all three of the country's highest courts, making it the de facto capital of the Czech judicial branch.
• France: The French constitution does not recognize any capital city in France. Paris is de facto capital of France (seat of the Presidency, the Government, the National Assembly and the Senate), but the parliament holds its joint congresses in Versailles.
• Germany: The official capital Berlin is home to seat to the parliament. However, various ministries are located in the former West German capital of Bonn, which has now the title Federal City. The judicial branch is divided between Karlsruhe, Kassel, and Leipzig.
• Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur is the constitutional capital but the federal administrative centre was moved 30 kilometres south to Putrajaya in the late 1990s. The parliament remains in Kuala Lumpur.
• Myanmar (Burma): Naypyidaw was designated the national capital in 2005, the same year it was founded, but most government offices and embassies are still located in Yangon (Rangoon).
• Nauru: Nauru, a tiny country of only 21 square kilometres (8 sq mi), has no distinct capital city, and thus has a capital district instead.
• Netherlands: Amsterdam is the constitutional national capital even though the Dutch government, parliament, supreme court and the residential palace of the queen are all located in The Hague. (For more details see: Capital of the Netherlands).
• Sri Lanka: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is the official capital and the location of the parliament, while the former capital, Colombo, is now designated as the "commercial capital". However, many government offices are still located in Colombo. Both cities are in the Colombo District.
• South Africa: The administrative capital is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein. This is the outcome of the compromise that created the Union of South Africa in 1910.
• Switzerland: Bern is the Federal City of Switzerland and functions as de facto capital. However, the Swiss Supreme Court is located in Lausanne.
• Tanzania: Dodoma was designated the national capital in 1973, but most government offices and embassies are still located in Dar es Salaam.
• Monaco, Singapore and the Vatican City are city-states, and thus do not have a capital city distinct from the country as a whole.

Capitals that are not the seat of government

Countries in the world where capital and seat of government are currently separated: Porto-Novo, population 179,138 (1992), is the official capital of Benin. ... Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ... Categories: South America geography stubs | Capitals in South America | Cities in Bolivia ... Central La Paz La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of La Paz Department. ... Motto: Location of Santiago commune in Greater Santiago Location of Santiago commune in Greater Santiago Coordinates: , Region Province Foundation February 12, 1541 Government  - Mayor Raúl Alcaíno Lihn Area 1  - City 22. ... Congress building The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile. ... For other places with the same name, see Valparaiso (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Freeway along the Ébrié Lagoon near the Plateau, Abidjans business district and centre of the city. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... , Country Czech Republic Region Parts 29  - Bohunice  - Bosonohy  - Bystrc  - Brno-Center  - ÄŒernovice  - Chrlice  - Ivanovice  - Jehnice  - Jundrov  - Kníničky  - Kohoutovice  - Komín  - Královo Pole  - Líšeň  - Maloměřice and ObÅ™any  - Medlánky  - Brno-North  - Nový Lískovec  - OÅ™ešín  - Å˜ečkovice and Mokrá Hora  - Slatina  - Brno-South... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... This article is about the capital of France. ... This article is about the city of Versailles. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... West Germany was the informal but almost universally used name for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 until 1990, during which years the Federal Republic did not yet include East Germany. ... Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. ... The term Federal City (German Bundesstadt) is the title for the cities of Bonn, Germany, and Bern, Switzerland. ... Karlsruhe (population 285,812 in 2006) is a city in the south west of Germany, in the Bundesland Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border. ... This article is about the city of Kassel in Hessen, Germany. ... Leipzig ( ; Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk from the Sorbian word for Tilia) is, with a population of over 506,000, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. ... Nickname: Motto: Maju dan makmur (English: Progress and Prosper) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: , Country State Establishment 1857 Granted city status 1974 Government  - Mayor (Datuk Bandar) Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan From 14 December 2006 Area  - Total 243. ... Motto: Bandar raya Taman, Bandar raya Bestari (English :Garden City, Intelligent City ) Coordinates: , Country State Establishment 1995, October 19th Made into Federal Territory 2001, February 1st Government  - Administered by Perbadanan Putrajaya Putrajaya Corporation  - Chairman Samsudin Osman Area  - City 46 km²  (17. ... Anthem: Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw , Largest city Yangon (Rangoon) Official languages Burmese Recognised regional languages Jingpho, Shan, Karen, Mon, Rakhine Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe  -  Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Vice-Senior General... Naypyidaw (also spelt Nay Pyi Taw, literally Royal City) is currently the national capital of Myanmar, located in Kyatpyae Village, Pyinmana Township of Mandalay Division. ... Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city of Burma. ... Yangôn, formerly Rangoon, population 4,504,000 (2001), is the capital of Myanmar. ... For other uses, see Amsterdam (disambiguation). ... Hoge Raad der Nederlanden is the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, situated in The Hague. ... Huis ten Bosch is one of the four official palaces of the Dutch Royal Family, located in the Hague in the Netherlands. ... Beatrix (born January 31, 1938 as Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld) has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since April 30, 1980. ... Hague redirects here. ... For other uses, see Netherlands (disambiguation). ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... Colombo is a district of Sri Lanka. ... Motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Country Province Established 1855 Area  - Total 1,644 km² (634. ... Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area [2]  - Total 2,454. ... Bloemfontein (pronounced , Afrikaans and Dutch for spring of Bloem (bloom), flower spring or fountain of flowers is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa. ... Motto Ex Unitate Vires (Latin: From Unity, strength} Anthem Die Stem van Suid-Afrika Capital Cape Town (legislative) Pretoria (administrative) Bloemfontein (judicial) Language(s) Afrikaans, Dutch, English Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch  - 1952-1961 Queen Elizabeth II Governor-General  - 1959-1961 Charles Robberts Swart Prime Minister  - 1958-1961 Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd... Location within Switzerland The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Bernese German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ... The term Federal City (German Bundesstadt) is the title for the cities of Bonn, Germany, and Bern, Switzerland. ... The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (Tribunal fédéral in French, Schweizerisches Bundesgericht in German, Tribunale federale in Italian) is the supreme court of Switzerland. ... Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ... Dodoma, population 324,347 (2002 census), is the national capital of Tanzania and also the capital of that countrys Dodoma Region. ... Dar es Salaam (دار السلام), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city (pop. ... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ...

• Benin
• Bolivia
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Netherlands

International entities

• European Union (see details): Brussels, Belgium is generally considered as the capital of the European Union^[1] because it hosts the major institutions of the EU. However, the judiciary and some of the executive's work is located in Luxembourg, the European Parliament has its main seat and votes in Strasbourg and other bodies and agencies are scattered across other cities. Although the main seats are fixed in the EU's treaties which form its legal basis, they do not use the term "capital" for any city.
• United Nations: New York City is the main meeting place of the highest bodies of the UN, but significant parts of its structure exist in other cities, such as Vienna, Geneva and The Hague.

Capital as symbol

With the rise of modern empires and the nation-state, the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government, and imbued with political meaning. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever a monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding or capture of a modern capital city is an emotional affair. For example: It has been suggested that oneseat. ... This article is about the settlement itself. ... There are currently five institutions of the European Union which govern the Union. ... Official emblem of the ECJ The Court of Justice of the European Communities, usually called the European Court of Justice (ECJ), is the highest court in the European Union (EU). ... Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... For other uses, see Strasburg. ... The Treaties of the European Union are effectively the basic constitutional texts of the Union. ... UN redirects here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation). ... Hague redirects here. ... This article is about the political and historical term. ... The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ... This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Louis XIV, king of France and Navarre (Painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1701). ...

• Ruined and almost uninhabited Athens was made capital of newly independent Greece with the romantic notion of reviving the glory of Ancient Greece. Similarly, following the Cold War and German reunification, Berlin is now once again the capital of Germany. Other restored capital cities include Moscow after the October Revolution.
• A symbolic relocation of a capital city to a geographically or demographically peripheral location may be for either economic or strategic reasons (sometimes known as a "forward capital" or spearhead capital). Peter I of Russia moved his government from Moscow to Saint Petersburg to give the Russian Empire a western orientation. The Ming Emperors moved their capital to Beijing from more central Nanjing as to better supervise the border with the Mongols and Manchus. During the 1857 war of independence, Indian rebels considered Delhi their capital and Bahadur Shah Zafar was proclaimed emperor, though the ruling British had their capital in Calcutta. In 1877 the British formally held a 'Durbar' in Delhi, proclaiming Queen Victoria as 'Empress of India'. Delhi finally became the colonial capital after the Coronation Durbar of King-Emperor George V, continuing as Independent India's capital from 1947. Other examples include Abuja, Astaná, Brasília, Helsinki, Islamabad, Naypyidaw and Yamoussoukro.
• The selection or founding of a "neutral" capital city—i.e. one unencumbered by regional or political identity—was meant to represent the unity of a new state when Bern, Canberra, Madrid, Ottawa, and Washington, D.C. became capitals. The British-built town of New Delhi represented a simultaneous break and continuity with the past — the location of Delhi being where many imperial capitals were built e.g. Indraprastha, Dhillika and Shahjahanabad, but the actual capital being the new British built town designed by Edwin Lutyens. Wellington, located on the southwestern tip of the North Island of New Zealand, replaced the much more northerly Auckland due to its proximity to the South Island.
• During the American Civil War, tremendous resources were expended to defend Washington, D.C., which bordered the Confederate States of America, from Confederate attack, even though the then-small federal government could have been moved relatively easily in the era of railroads and telegraph.^{[citation needed]} Likewise, great resourses were expended by the Confederacy, in defending, and by the Union, in attacking, the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

Capitals in military strategy

The capital city is almost always a primary target in a war, as capturing it usually guarantees capture of much of the enemy government, victory for the attacking forces, or at the very least demoralization for the defeated forces. This article is about the capital of Greece. ... The term ancient Greece refers to the periods of Greek history in Classical Antiquity, lasting ca. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... This article is about the 1990 German reunification. ... For other uses, see Berlin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ... Economic geography is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organisation of economic activities across the Earth. ... ... Peter the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov (Russian: Пётр I Алексеевич Pyotr I Alekse`yevich, Пётр Великий Pyotr Veli`kiy) (9 June 1672 – 8 February 1725 [30 May 1672–28 January 1725 O.S.][1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... Occident redirects here. ... Ming is a common personal name in China, It may also mean: Ming Dynasty, the ruling dynasty in China from 1368 to 1644 Ming class submarine, a class of diesel-electric submarines built by China Motorola MING, a smartphone released by Motorola Ming library, a C library with PHP bindings... Peking redirects here. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... Motto Satyameva Jayate (Sanskrit)  (Devanagari) Truth Alone Triumphs[1] Anthem Jana Gana Mana Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people[2] Vande Mataram I bow to thee, Mother[4] Capital New Delhi Largest city Mumbai Official Languages: Scheduled Languages: Hindi, English Hindi in the Devanagari script is... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... Bahadur Shah II (1775-1862) aka Bahadur Shah Zafar (Zafar was his nom de plume, or takhallus, as an Urdu poet) was the last of the Mughal emperors in India. ... Anthem God Save The Queen/King British India, circa 1860 Capital Calcutta (1858-1912), New Delhi (1912-1947) Language(s) Hindi, Urdu, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1877-1901 Victoria  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - January-December 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ... Delhi Durbar means Court of Delhi which took place in 1911. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... Signature of King Edward VIII The R and I after his name indicate king and emperor in Latin (Rex and Imperator, respectively). ... Delhi Durbar means Court of Delhi which took place in 1911. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Aso Rock Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. ... Coordinates: Government  - Mayor Askar Mamin Population (estimated)  - City 600,000 Time zone BTT (UTC+6) This article is about the capital of Kazakhstan; for the article on the palace in Sarawak, see Astana (Sarawak); for the professional road-cycling team see Astana Team; for the Iranian city, see Astaneh-e... This article is about the capital of Brazil. ... Location within Pakistan Coordinates: , Country Pakistan Province Constructed 1960s Union Council 40 UC (District Govt. ... Naypyidaw (also spelt Nay Pyi Taw, literally Royal City) is currently the national capital of Myanmar, located in Kyatpyae Village, Pyinmana Township of Mandalay Division. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Location within Switzerland The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Bernese German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... -1... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... , This article is about the capital city of India. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... For the first Duke of Wellington, see Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... For other uses, see Auckland (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see South Island (disambiguation). ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial)  States that seceded under CSA control  States and territories claimed by CSA without formal secession and/or control Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia... United States Government redirects here. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ... Nickname: Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: , Country State Government  - Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (I) Area  - City 62. ...

In ancient China, where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on the provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. In the Three Kingdoms period, both Shu and Wu fell when their respective capitals of Chengdu and Jianye fell. The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing, where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus. The Ming was destroyed when the Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century. After the Qing Dynasty's collapse, decentralization of authority and improved transportation and communication technologies allowed both the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists to rapidly relocate capitals and keep their leadership structures intact during the great crisis of Japanese invasion. China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ... The Three Kingdoms period (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties. ... The Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ) (221 – 263) was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty. ... The Kingdom of Wu (Chinese: 吳, pinyin: wú) refers to a historical nation and several states in a region of China. ... Not to be confused with Chengde. ... Jiankang (建康城 in pinyin: Jiànkāng chéng), formerly known as Jianye (建業 Jiànyè) until Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 – 420), was an ancient city in China, located west of present-day Nanjing, in south Jiangning County (江寧縣 Jiāngníng Xiàn). ... For other uses, see Ming. ... For other uses, see Nanjing (disambiguation). ... Peking redirects here. ... For other uses, see Mongols (disambiguation). ... The Manchu (manju in Manchu; 滿族 (pinyin: mǎnzú) in Chinese, often shortened to 滿 (pinyin: mǎn) are an ethnic group who originated in northeastern Manchuria. ... Lǐ Zìchéng (李自成) (September 22, 1606 - 1644), born Li HóngjÄ« (鴻基), was a rebel in late Ming Dynasty China who proclaimed himself ChuÇŽng Wáng (闖王), or The Roaming King. Born in Mizhi District (米脂縣), Yanan Subprefecture (延安府), Shaanxi, Li grew up as a shepherd. ... Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional Chinese: 中國國民黨; Simplified Chinese: 中国国民党; pinyin: Zhōnggu ndǎng; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang; literally the National Peoples Party of China) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: Zhōnggu ngchǎndǎng) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Belligerents China United States1 Empire of Japan Collaborationist Chinese Army2 Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Peng Dehuai, Joseph Stilwell, Claire Chennault, Albert Wedemeyer Hirohito, Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio...

National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, because of socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies. In 1204, after the Latin Crusaders captured the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, Byzantine forces were able to regroup in several provinces; provincial noblemen managed to reconquer the capital after 60 years and preserve the empire for another 200 years after that. The British forces sacked various American capitals repeatedly during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, but American forces could still carry on fighting from the countryside, where they enjoyed support from local governments and the traditionally independent frontiersmen-civilians. Exceptions to these generalizations include highly centralized states such as France, whose centralized bureaucracies could effectively coordinate far-flung resources, giving the state a powerful advantage over less coherent rivals, but risking utter ruin if the capital is taken; in their military strategies, traditional enemies of France such as Germany focused on the capture of Paris. Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste Feudalism, a term first used in the late modern period (17th century), in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval European political system comprised of a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the... Belligerents Crusaders Holy Roman Empire Republic of Venice Montferret Champagne Blois Amiens Île-de-France Saint-Pol Burgundy Flanders Balkans Byzantine Empire Kingdom of Hungary Croatia Dalmatia Commanders Otto IV Boniface I Theobald I Lois I Alexios V Doukas Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Emeric I The Fourth Crusade... Byzantine redirects here. ... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... This article is about military actions only. ... This article is about the U.S.–U.K. war. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

Relative size of capital cities

In most countries the seat of government is situated in the largest city; exceptions to this practice are listed below.

Capitals located in the 2nd largest city

• Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
• Ankara (Turkey)
• Astana (Kazakhstan)
• Beijing (China)
• New Delhi (India) (Delhi)
• Hanoi (Vietnam)
• Khartoum (Sudan)
• Mbabane (Swaziland) ^[2]
• Rabat (Morocco)
• Quito (Ecuador)
• Vaduz (Liechtenstein)
• Yaoundé (Cameroon)

Capitals located in the 3rd largest city

• Naypyidaw (Burma)
• Porto Novo (Benin) ^[3]
• Palikir (Federated States of Micronesia)
• Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) ^[4]
• San Marino (San Marino)
• Wellington (New Zealand)

Capitals located in the 4th largest city

• Belmopan (Belize) ^[5]
• Berne (Switzerland)
• Brasília (Brazil)
• Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

Capitals located in the 5th largest city

• Dodoma (Tanzania) ^[6]
• Pretoria (South Africa) (City of Tshwane)
• Sucre (Bolivia)
• Melekeok (Palau) ^[7]

Capitals located in the 6th largest city

• Yamoussoukro, (Cote d'Ivoire) ^[8]

Other capitals

• 7th largest city: Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte (Sri Lanka) ^[9]
• 8th largest city:Canberra, ACT (Australia)
• 10th largest city:Islamabad (Pakistan)
• 15th largest city:Abuja (Nigeria)
• 22nd largest city:Valletta (Malta) ^[10]
• 27th largest city:Washington, D.C. (United States)^[11]

Unless otherwise stated population data is based on figures presented in their respective Wikipedia articles. Abu Dhabi or Abu Zaby (Arabic language: أبوظبي) is the largest of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates and was also the largest of the former Trucial States. ... Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Ä°stanbul. ... Coordinates: Government  - Mayor Askar Mamin Population (estimated)  - City 600,000 Time zone BTT (UTC+6) This article is about the capital of Kazakhstan; for the article on the palace in Sarawak, see Astana (Sarawak); for the professional road-cycling team see Astana Team; for the Iranian city, see Astaneh-e... Peking redirects here. ... , This article is about the capital city of India. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... For the puzzle, see Tower of Hanoi. ... Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: , Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban 2. ... Location of Mbabane in Swaziland Mbabane, with an estimated population of 70,000 (2003), is the capital of Swaziland. ... Mausoleum of Mohammed V through mosque ruins NASA image of Rabat Rabat (Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ), population 1. ... For other uses, see Quito (disambiguation). ... Vaduz and its exclaves in Liechtenstein Coordinates: , Area  - City 6. ... View of Yaoundé Yaoundé, «yah oon DAY», estimated population 1,430,000 (2004), is the capital city of Cameroon and second largest city in the country after Douala. ... Naypyidaw (also spelt Nay Pyi Taw, literally Royal City) is currently the national capital of Myanmar, located in Kyatpyae Village, Pyinmana Township of Mandalay Division. ... “Porto Novo” redirects here. ... Palikir (population approx. ... Port of Spain, population 49,000 (2000), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the countrys second largest city by population, after San Fernando. ... For the first Duke of Wellington, see Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ... Belmopan, estimated population 12,300, is the capital of Belize. ... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of Brazil. ... -1... This article is about the Canadian province. ... Dodoma, population 324,347 (2002 census), is the national capital of Tanzania and also the capital of that countrys Dodoma Region. ... Motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Country Province Established 1855 Area  - Total 1,644 km² (634. ... The City of Tshwane (also known as the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality) [1] is a metropolitan municipality contained mostly in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, that includes the city of Pretoria. ... For other uses, see Sucre (disambiguation). ... Melekeok is one of Palaus sixteen states. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Côte dIvoire (often called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Location within Pakistan Coordinates: , Country Pakistan Province Constructed 1960s Union Council 40 UC (District Govt. ... Aso Rock Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. ... Valletta (Maltese: , commonly referred to as Il-Belt - The City) is the capital city of Malta. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...

Distance to the capital

The greatest distance between a capital and the remotest part of the country is from

• Paris to New Caledonia, France with 16,760 km (10,410 mi)

Other great distances are This article is about the capital of France. ...

• London to Pitcairn Islands, UK, 14,900 km (9,300 mi)
• Washington, DC to Attu Island, Alaska, US, 7,800 km (4,800 mi)
• Moscow to Kunashir Island, Russia, 7,050 km (4,380 mi)

Distances Between Capital Cities (Nearest & Farthest)

• Nearest

The closest two capital cities of two sovereign countries are Vatican City, Vatican, and Rome, Italy, one of which is inside the other (the distance between the middle points, St.Peter's Square/Piazza Venezia is about 2 km).

The second closest two capital cities between two sovereign countries are Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, which are about 1.6 km (1 mile) apart, one upstream from the other on different banks of the Congo River (the distance between the middle points is about 10 km).

Vienna and Bratislava, sometimes erroneously considered the two closest capitals, are actually 55 km (34 miles) apart.

• Farthest

The longest distance from one capital of a sovereign country to the one closest to it is 2330 km (1448 miles) between Wellington, New Zealand and Canberra, Australia. Each is nearer to the other than to the capital of any other sovereign country.

The greatest distance between the capitals of two sovereign countries that share a border is 6423 km (3991 miles), between Pyongyang, North Korea and Moscow, Russia.

References

See also

• List of capital cities
• Temporary capital