Editing Capital city

{{Short description|Seat of government of a country or subnational division}}
{{Redirect|Capital cities|the capital city of a county|county seat|other uses|Capital City (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
[[File:Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Tokyo]], the capital of [[Japan]], and the [[List of largest cities|most populous metropolitan area]] in the world]]
A '''capital city''', or just '''capital''', is the [[municipality]] holding primary status in a [[country]], [[state (polity)|state]], [[province]], [[department (administrative division)|department]], or other [[administrative division|subnational division]], usually as its [[Seat of government|seat of the government]]. A capital is typically a [[city]] that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status as capital is often designated by its law or [[constitution]]. In some [[jurisdiction]]s, including several countries, different branches of government are in different settlements, sometimes meaning multiple official capitals. In some cases, a distinction is made between the official ([[constitution]]al) capital and the seat of government, which is in [[list of countries with multiple capitals|another place]].

[[English language|English-language]] media often use the name of the capital [[metonymy|metonymically]] to refer to the government sitting there. Thus, "London-Washington relations" is widely understood to mean [[United Kingdom–United States relations|diplomatic relations between Great Britain and the United States]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Panther|first1=Klaus-Uwe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94hH2u4rQVUC&pg=PA230|title=Metonymy and Metaphor in Grammar|last2=Thornburg|first2=Linda L.|last3=Barcelona|first3=Antonio|date=2009|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|isbn=978-90-272-2379-1|language=en|access-date=17 June 2020|archive-date=3 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403180244/https://books.google.com/books?id=94hH2u4rQVUC&pg=PA230|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Terminology and etymology ==
[[File:Tavares.Forum.Romanum.redux.jpg|thumb|[[Rome]], as the capital of the [[Roman Empire]], acquired the nickname of ''[[Caput Mundi]]'' ("Capital of the world").]]

The word ''capital'' derives from the Latin word {{lang|la|caput}} (genitive {{lang|la|capitis}}), meaning 'head', later borrowed from [[Medieval Latin]] ''{{lang|la|capitālis}}'' ('of the head').<ref>{{Cite dictionary |title=Capital |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital |access-date=2024-05-07 |dictionary=Merriam-Webster  |language=en}}</ref> The Latin phrase {{lang|la|[[Caput Mundi|Roma Caput Mundi]]}} ({{literal|Rome head of the world}}) was already used by the poet [[Ovid]] in the 1st century&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ovidius Naso|first1=Publius|title=Amores|translator-last=Bishop|translator-first=Tom|publisher=Taylor & Francis|date=2003|isbn=0415967414|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qnZIGZV5kRgC}}</ref> It originates out of a [[classical antiquity|classical European]] understanding of the [[Ecumene|known world]]: [[Europe]], [[North Africa]], and [[Southwest Asia]]. The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the [[Roman Republic|Republic]] and the [[Roman Empire|Empire]], and later as the centre of the [[Catholic Church]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Understanding China Today: An Exploration of Politics, Economics, Society, and International Relations |first=Silvio |last=Beretta |year=2017 |isbn=9783319296258 |page=320 |publisher=Springer }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Christianity: Religions of the World |first=Ann Marie B. |last=Bahr |year=2009 |isbn=9781438106397 |page=139 |publisher=Infobase Publishing }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Rome in America: Transnational Catholic Ideology from the Risorgimento to Fascism |first=Peter R. |last= D'Agostino |year=2005 |isbn=9780807863411 |page= |publisher=Univ of North Carolina Press }}</ref>

In several English-speaking [[Constituent state|state]]s, the terms [[county town]] and [[county seat]] are also used in lower [[administrative division]]s. In some [[unitary state]]s, subnational capitals may be known as 'administrative centres'. The capital is often the largest city of its constituent, though [[List of countries whose capital is not their largest city|not always]].

== Origins ==
[[File:The Forbidden City - View from Coal Hill.jpg|thumb|[[Beijing]], as the last of the [[Historical capitals of China|Four Great Ancient Capitals]] of [[China]], has served as the country's political centre for most of the past eight centuries.]]
Historically, the major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through [[Conquest (military)|conquest]] or [[federation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kinooze.com/what-does-a-capital-city-mean/|title=What does a Capital City Mean?|date=5 December 2012|access-date=9 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531161615/http://kinooze.com/what-does-a-capital-city-mean/|archive-date=31 May 2017}}</ref> Historical examples are [[Babylon|ancient Babylon]], [[ancient Athens]], [[ancient Rome]], [[Baghdad#History|Abbasid Baghdad]], [[Constantinople]], [[Chang'an]], and [[Cusco|ancient Cusco]]. The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an [[itinerant court|itinerant (wandering) government]] was common.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/capital-city-relocation-1435389|title=Where Next: The Reasons Why (Some) Countries Move Their Capitals|access-date=9 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010151019/https://www.thoughtco.com/capital-city-relocation-1435389|archive-date=10 October 2017}}</ref>

The capital city attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient [[Administration (government)|administration]] of national or imperial governments, such as [[lawyer]]s, [[political scientist]]s, [[banking|banker]]s, [[journalist]]s, and [[public policy (law)|public policy maker]]s. Some of these cities are or were also [[Holy city|religious centres]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_aMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA22|title=Capital Cities in the Aftermath of Empires: Planning in Central and Southeastern Europe|first1=Emily Gunzburger|last1=Makas|first2=Tanja Damljanovic|last2=Conley|date=4 December 2009|publisher=Routledge|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010151840/https://books.google.com.au/books?id=M_aMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=religious+centres+capital+cities&source=bl&ots=VEfFJF9hdI&sig=PtLmMxFTErkNm-Qor7fGibCfr6g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirz6OC3rDUAhVIVbwKHWM_B_AQ6AEITTAL#v=onepage&q=religious+centres+capital+cities&f=false|archive-date=10 October 2017|isbn=9781135167257}}</ref> e.g. [[Constantinople]] (more than one religion), [[Rome]]/[[Vatican City]] (the [[Roman Catholic Church]]), [[Jerusalem]] (more than one religion), Babylon, Moscow (the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]), Belgrade (the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]]), Paris, and Beijing. In some countries, the capital has been changed for [[Geopolitics|geopolitical]] reasons; [[Finland]]'s first city, [[Turku]], which had served as the country's capital since the Middle Ages under the Swedish rule, lost its position during the [[Grand Duchy of Finland]] in 1812, when [[Helsinki]] was made the current capital of Finland by the Russian Empire.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Turku |title=Turku, Finland – Britannica |access-date=1 August 2021 |archive-date=11 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711193234/https://www.britannica.com/place/Turku |url-status=live }}</ref>

The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals as is the case with [[Nanjing]] by [[Shanghai]], [[Quebec City]] by [[Montreal]], and several [[US state capitals]]. The [[societal collapse|decline]] of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred at Babylon<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Cl4BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35|title=Babylon: Legend, History and the Ancient City|first=Michael|last=Seymour|date=29 August 2014|publisher=I.B.Tauris|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010153333/https://books.google.com.au/books?id=6Cl4BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=extinction+babylon&source=bl&ots=hoHWZ95wMC&sig=Q12hEn29qFcbg6YrAtc84Xts-1g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjk05-P37DUAhWCgLwKHbIcBOsQ6AEILjAC#v=onepage&q=extinction+babylon&f=false|archive-date=10 October 2017|isbn=9780857736079}}</ref> and [[Cahokia]]. "Political nomadism" was practiced in [[ancient Near East]] to increase ties between the ruler and the subjects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bahadori |first1=Ali |last2=Miri |first2=Negin |title=The So-called Achaemenid Capitals and the Problem of Royal Court Residence |journal=Iran |date=2021 |volume=62 |pages=1–31 |doi=10.1080/05786967.2021.1960881|s2cid=238840732 }}</ref>

Although many capitals are defined by constitution or legislation, many long-time capitals have no such legal designation, including [[Bern]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Lisbon]], [[London]], [[Paris]], and [[Wellington]].{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} They are recognized as capitals as a matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them.

== Modern capitals ==
[[File:Palace of Westminster from the dome on Methodist Central Hall.jpg|thumb|[[London]], the capital of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]], and the largest [[London metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] in [[Western Europe]]]]
[[File:La Tour Eiffel vue de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris août 2014 (2).jpg|thumb|[[Paris]], the capital of [[France]], and the largest metropolitan area in the [[European Union]]]]
[[File:Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Red Square.jpg|thumb|[[Moscow]], the capital of [[Russia]], and the former capital of the [[Soviet Union]]]]

Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions. {{Crossreference|selfref=no|(See also {{Section link|nopage=y||Capitals in military strategy}})}} The location may also be based on a compromise between two or more cities or other political divisions, historical reasons, or enough land was needed to deliberately build a new [[planned city]] for the capital.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42258989|title=Capital cities: How are they chosen and what do they represent?|website=BBC News|date=6 December 2017|access-date=26 June 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323205410/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42258989|archive-date=23 March 2022}}</ref> The majority of national capitals are also the largest city in their respective countries. Modern examples are [[Berlin]], [[Cairo]], [[London]], [[Madrid]], [[Mexico City]], [[Moscow]], [[Paris]], [[Rome]], [[Jakarta]], [[Metro Manila]], [[Seoul]], and [[Tokyo]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Major urban areas - population - The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/major-urban-areas-population/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=www.cia.gov}}</ref>

[[Counties of the United Kingdom|Counties]] in the [[United Kingdom]] have historic county towns, which are often not the largest settlement within the county and often are no longer administrative centres, as many historical counties are now only ceremonial, and administrative boundaries are different. The number of new capitals in the world increased substantially since the [[Renaissance]] period, especially with the founding of independent nation-states since the eighteenth century.<ref>''Berlin – Washington, 1800–2000: Capital Cities, Cultural Representation, and National Identities'', ed. [[Andreas Daum]] and Christof Mauch. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-521-84117-7}}, pp. 4–7.</ref>

In [[Canada]], there is a [[Ottawa|federal capital]], while the ten [[provinces of Canada|provinces]] and three [[Territories of Canada#Territories|territories]] each have capital cities. The states of such countries as [[Mexico]], [[Brazil]] (including the famous cities of [[Rio de Janeiro]] and [[São Paulo]], capitals of their respective states), and [[Australia]] also each have capital cities. For example, the six state capitals of Australia are [[Adelaide]], [[Brisbane]], [[Hobart]], [[Melbourne]], [[Perth]], and [[Sydney]]. In Australia, the term "capital cities" is regularly used to refer to those six state capitals plus the federal capital [[Canberra]], and [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], the capital of the [[Northern Territory]]. [[Abu Dhabi]] is the capital city of the [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi]] and also of the [[United Arab Emirates]] overall.

In unitary states which consist of multiple constituent nations, such as the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[Kingdom of Denmark]], each will usually have its own capital city. Unlike in [[federation]]s, there is usually not a separate national capital, but rather the capital city of one constituent nation will also be the capital of the state overall, such as [[London]], which is the capital of [[England]] and of the United Kingdom. Similarly, each of the [[autonomous communities of Spain]] and [[regions of Italy]] has a capital city, such as [[Seville]] and [[Naples]], while [[Madrid]] is the capital of the [[Community of Madrid]] and of the [[Kingdom of Spain]] as a whole and [[Rome]] is the capital of [[Italy]] and of the region of [[Lazio]].

In the [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]], each of its constituent [[Federated state|state]]s (or [[States of Germany|''Länder'']], plural of ''Land'') has its own capital city, such as [[Dresden]], [[Wiesbaden]], [[Mainz]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Stuttgart]], and [[Munich]], as do all of the republics of the [[Russian Federation]]. The national capitals of Germany and Russia (the [[City-state#Non-sovereign city-states|Stadtstaat]] of [[Berlin]] and the [[Federal cities of Russia|federal city]] of [[Moscow]]) are also constituent states of both countries in their own right. Each of the [[states of Austria]] and [[cantons of Switzerland]] also have their own capital cities. [[Vienna]], the national capital of [[Austria]], is also one of the states, while [[Bern]] is the (''de facto'') capital of both [[Switzerland]] and of the [[Canton of Bern]].

== Planned capitals ==
[[File:L'Enfant plan.svg|thumb|[[L'Enfant Plan]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], the capital of the [[United States]]]]
[[File:Nusantara, June 2024.png|thumb|The construction process of the future capital city of [[Indonesia]], namely the [[Nusantara (city)|city of Nusantara]], is currently underway. ]]
Governing entities sometimes plan, design and build new capital cities to house the seat of government of a [[polity]] or of a subdivision. Deliberately [[List of purpose-built national capitals|planned and designed capitals]] include:
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* [[Abuja]], Nigeria (1991)
* [[Aracaju]], [[Sergipe]], Brazil (1855)
* [[Ankara]], Turkey (1923)
* [[Astana]], Kazakhstan (1997)
* [[Austin, Texas]], [[United States|US]] (1839)
* [[Belmopan]], Belize (1970)
* [[Belo Horizonte]], [[Minas Gerais]], Brazil (1897)
* [[Brasília]], Brazil (1960)
* [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Odisha]], India (1948)
* [[Boa Vista, Roraima|Boa Vista]], [[Roraima]], Brazil (1890)
* [[Canberra]], Australia (1927)
* [[Chandigarh]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and [[Haryana]], India (1966)
* [[Columbia, South Carolina]], [[United States|US]] (1786)
* [[Constantinople]], [[Roman Empire]] (330)
* [[Frankfort, Kentucky]], US (1792)
* [[Gaborone]], [[Botswana]] (1964)
* [[Gandhinagar]], [[Gujarat]], India (1960)
* [[Goiânia]], [[Goiás]], Brazil (1933)
* [[Huambo]] (Nova Lisboa), [[Huambo]], Angola (1912)
* [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]], US (1825)
* [[Islamabad]], Pakistan (1960)
* [[Jefferson City, Missouri]], US (1821)
* [[Karlsruhe]], [[Baden-Durlach]] (1715)
* [[La Plata]], [[Buenos Aires Province]], Argentina (1882)
* [[Naya Raipur|Nava Raipur]] or [[Atal Nagar]], [[Chhattisgarh]], India (2003)
* [[Naypyidaw]], [[Myanmar]] (2005)
* [[New Delhi]], [[British India]] (1911)
* [[Nusantara (proposed city)|Nusantara]], Indonesia (2024)
* [[Oklahoma City]], [[Oklahoma]], US (1889)
* [[Palmas, Tocantins]], Brazil (1989)
* [[Putrajaya]], Malaysia (1995)
* [[Quezon City]], Philippines (1948–76)
* [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], US (1792)
* [[Seoul]], Korea (1394)
* [[Smederevo]], [[Serbian Despotate]] (1428–1459)
* [[Soltaniyeh]], [[Ilkhanate]] (1306–1335)
* [[Teresina]], [[Piauí]], Brazil (1852)
* [[Valletta]], Malta (1571)
* [[Washington, D.C.]], US (1800)
* [[Zhongxing New Village]], [[Nantou County]], [[Taiwan Province]], Rep. of China (1956)
}}

These cities satisfy one or both of the following criteria:

# A deliberately [[planned city]] that was built expressly to house the [[seat of government]], superseding a capital city that was in an established [[Center of population|population center]]. There have been various reasons for this, including overcrowding in that major metropolitan area, and the desire to place the capital city in a location with a better climate (usually a less tropical one).
# A town that was chosen as a compromise among two or more cities (or other political divisions), none of which was willing to concede to the {{Not a typo|other(s)}} the privilege of being the capital city. Usually, the new capital is geographically located roughly equidistant between the competing population centres.

===Compromise locations===
[[File:Parliamenthouse2.jpg|thumb|The [[Australian Parliament]] opened in the small town of [[Canberra]] in 1927 as a compromise between the largest cities, [[Sydney]] and [[Melbourne]].]]
Some examples of the second situation (compromise locations) are:
* [[Canberra]], Australia, chosen as a compromise location between Melbourne and Sydney.
* [[Washington, D.C.]], United States, founded as a compromise between more urbanized [[Northern United States|Northern states]] and agrarian [[Southern United States|Southern]][[Slave states and free states|slave states]] to share national power. The [[Compromise of 1790]], resulted in the passage of the [[Residence Act]], which approved the creation of a national capital on the [[Potomac River]] on land ceded from [[Maryland]] and [[Virginia]].<ref name="Crew124">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5Q81AAAAIAAJ|title=Centennial History of the City of Washington, D.C.|last1=Crew|first1=Harvey W.|last2=Webb|first2=William Bensing|last3=Wooldridge|first3=John|publisher=United Brethren Publishing House|year=1892|location=Dayton, OH|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5Q81AAAAIAAJ/page/n131 124]}}</ref>
* [[Frankfort, Kentucky]], midway between [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] and [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington]].
* [[Ottawa]], Ontario, Canada, along the boundary between the two former colonies that formed the core of pre-[[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] Canada—primarily English-speaking [[Upper Canada]] and primarily French-speaking [[Lower Canada]]. Today, this border separates the two most populous of Canada's ten modern provinces, [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]].
* [[Tallahassee, Florida]], chosen as the midpoint between [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]] and [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], Florida – then the two largest cities in Florida.
* [[Wellington]] became the [[Capital of New Zealand|capital city of New Zealand]] in 1865. It lies at the southern tip of the [[North Island]] of New Zealand, the smaller of New Zealand's two main islands (which subsequently became the more populous island)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/population/page-5|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031204625/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/population/page-5|url-status=dead|title=Geographical distribution of population|first1=Alexander Hare|last1=McLintock|first2=M. A.|last2=John Victor Tuwhakahewa Baker|first3=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|last3=Taonga|archivedate=31 October 2016|website=An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966.}}</ref> immediately across [[Cook Strait]] from the [[South Island]]. The previous capital, [[Auckland]], lies much further north in the North Island; the move followed a long argument for a more central location for parliament.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1= Levine |first1= Stephen |title= Capital city – A new capital |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/capital-city/page-3 |encyclopedia= [[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date= 4 May 2015 |date= 13 July 2012 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150505170521/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/capital-city/page-3 |archive-date= 5 May 2015}}</ref>
* [[Managua]], Nicaragua, chosen to appease rivals in [[León (Nicaragua)|León]] and [[Granada (Nicaragua)|Granada]], which also were associated with the liberal and conservative political factions respectively
* [[Jefferson City, Missouri]] was selected as the state capital in 1821, the year after Missouri was admitted to the Union, due to its central location within the state. It is almost halfway between Missouri's two largest cities, [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]] in the west and [[St. Louis]] in the east, although Kansas City was not incorporated until 1850.

Changes in a nation's political regime sometimes result in the designation of a new capital. [[Astana|Akmola]] (renamed Astana in 1998) became the capital of [[Kazakhstan]] in 1997, following the [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|collapse of the Soviet Union]] in 1991. [[Naypyidaw]] was founded in [[Myanmar|Burma]]'s interior as the former capital, [[Rangoon]], was claimed to be overcrowded.<ref name="pedrosa">
{{cite news |first= Veronica |last= Pedrosa |title= Burma's 'seat of the kings' |url= http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/80733C47-7F1C-45EB-BB8E-805DB15BFE67.htm |publisher= [[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |date= 20 November 2006 |access-date= 21 November 2006 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061123141200/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/80733C47-7F1C-45EB-BB8E-805DB15BFE67.htm |archive-date= 23 November 2006}}
</ref>

== Unusual capital city arrangements ==
{{See also|List of countries with multiple capitals}}
[[File:Bundesgericht-VD.jpg|thumb|The [[Supreme Court of Switzerland|Supreme Court]], the seat of [[Switzerland]]'s judiciary, is in [[Lausanne]], although the executive and legislature are located in [[Bern]].]]
[[File:Parliament House Singapore.jpg|thumb|[[Parliament House, Singapore|Parliament House]] in [[Singapore]]; as a [[city-state]], Singapore requires no specific capital.]]
[[File:Цетиње, Црна Гора.jpg|thumb|The [[Blue Palace]], the official residence of [[Montenegro]]'s president, is in [[Cetinje]], although the executive and legislature are located in [[Podgorica]].]]

A few nation-states have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. Some have a city as the capital but with most government agencies elsewhere.

There is also a [[ghost town]] which is currently the ''[[de jure]]'' capital of a territory: [[Plymouth, Montserrat|Plymouth]] in [[Montserrat]].

* [[Belize]]: [[Belmopan]] was designated the national capital of the then [[British Honduras]] in 1971, but most government offices and embassies are still located in [[Belize City]].
* [[Canary Islands]] ([[Spain]]): Until 1927, the capital of the [[Province of Canary Islands|Province of Canarias]] was [[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]]. When the Canary Islands became an autonomous community in 1982, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]] were both given capital status.<ref name=repetida_3>[[:m:s:es:Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833|''Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833'']] en wikisource</ref><ref name=repetida_1>[http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/tuestatuto./docs/1833-12-03%20Decreto%20de%20division%20provincial.pdf ''Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833''] en el sitio web oficial del Gobierno de Canarias{{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> There is currently a balance of institutions between the two capitals; the Canary Islands is the only autonomous community in Spain which has two capitals.
* [[Chile]]: [[Santiago]] is the capital even though the [[National Congress of Chile]] meets in [[Valparaíso]].
* [[Czech Republic]]: [[Prague]] is the capital city, however the [[Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic|Constitutional Court]], [[Supreme Court of the Czech Republic|Supreme Court]] and [[Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic|Supreme Administrative Court]] are all located in [[Brno]].
* [[Estonia]]: the [[Supreme Court of Estonia|Supreme Court]] and the [[Ministry of Education and Research (Estonia)|Ministry of Education and Research]] are located in [[Tartu]].
* [[France]]: The French constitution does not recognize any capital city in France. By law<ref>''[http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000705067 Ordonnance n° 58–1100 du 17 novembre 1958 relative au fonctionnement des assemblées parlementaires] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430041323/http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000705067 |date=30 April 2013 }}'' article 1</ref> [[Paris]] is the seat of both houses of Parliament (the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] and the [[Senate (France)|Senate]]), but their joint congresses are held at the [[Palace of Versailles]]. In case of emergency, the seat of the constitutional powers can be transferred to another town, in order for the Houses of Parliament to sit in the same location as the [[President of France|President]] and [[Cabinet of France|Cabinet]].
* [[Germany]]: The official capital [[Berlin]] is home to the parliament and the highest bodies of the executive branch (consisting of the ceremonial [[President of Germany|presidency]] and effective [[Chancellor of Germany|chancellery]]). Various ministries are located in the former [[West Germany|West German]] capital of [[Bonn]], which now has the title "[[Federal City]]". The [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany|Federal Constitutional Court]] has its seat in [[Karlsruhe]] which, as a consequence, is sometimes called Germany's "judicial capital"; none of Germany's highest judicial organs are located in Berlin. Various German government agencies are located in other parts of Germany.
* [[India]]:
** [[Andhra Pradesh]]: [[Hyderabad]] is the ''de jure'' capital of the state until 2024, while [[Amaravati]] is the ''de facto'' seat of government since 2014. The Governor of Andhra Pradesh has his official residence in [[Vijayawada]]
** [[Chhattisgarh]]: [[Raipur]] is the administrative and legislative capital, while the high court (judiciary capital) is located in [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]]. The proposed future capital is [[Naya Raipur|Nava Raipur]].
** [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]: [[Srinagar]] serves as the summer capital of the state while [[Jammu]] is the winter capital. Every six months, the entire state machinery [[Darbar Move|shifts]] from one city to another.
** [[Kerala]]: [[Thiruvananthapuram]] is the administrative and legislative capital of the state, while the high court is located in [[Ernakulam]].
** [[Himachal Pradesh]]: [[Shimla]] is the primary capital city. [[Dharamshala]], which is also the headquarters of the [[Central Tibetan Administration]], is the second winter capital of the state.
** [[Madhya Pradesh]]: [[Bhopal]] is the administrative and legislative capital of the state, while the high court is located in [[Jabalpur]].
** [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and [[Haryana]]: Both states share [[Chandigarh]] as their capital city. The city itself is administered as a [[Union territory]].
** [[Odisha]]: [[Bhubaneswar]] is the administrative and legislative capital of the state, while the high court is located in [[Cuttack]].
** [[Rajasthan]]: [[Jaipur]] is the administrative and legislative capital of the state, while the high court is located in [[Jodhpur]].
** [[Uttarakhand]]: [[Dehradun]] is the administrative and legislative capital, while the high court is located in [[Nainital]]. The proposed future capital is [[Gairsain]].
** [[Ladakh]]: [[Leh]] and [[Kargil district|Kargil]] serve as joint capitals of the Union Territory.
* [[South Korea]]: [[Seoul]] remains as the capital and seat of the government's branches, but many government agencies have moved to [[Sejong City]].
* [[Malaysia]]: [[Kuala Lumpur]] is the [[Constitution of Malaysia|constitutional]] capital, home of the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong|King]], and seat of [[Parliament of Malaysia|Parliament]], but the federal administrative centre and judiciary have been moved {{convert|30|km}} south to [[Putrajaya]].
* [[Monaco]], [[Singapore]], and the [[Vatican City]] are [[city-state]]s, and thus do not contain any distinct capital city as a whole. However, in Singapore's case, the main judiciary and legislative offices are located in the [[Downtown Core]]. Similarly, while [[Victoria, Hong Kong|Victoria]] was the capital of colonial Hong Kong, the heart of old Victoria, now known as [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]], serves as the seat of government offices today. Vatican City, however, is the [[Holy city|religious centre]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and houses the offices and departments of [[Holy See]] which serves as the government of both the city-state and worldwide Catholic Church.
* [[Montenegro]]: The official capital [[Podgorica]] is home to the parliament and the executive, but the seat of the [[President of Montenegro|presidency]] is in the former royal capital of [[Cetinje]].
* [[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 [[microstate]] of only {{convert|21|km2|sqmi}}, has no distinct capital city, but has a capital district instead.
*[[Philippines]]:
** National capital: Presidential Decree No. 940, issued on 24 June 1976, designates the whole of [[Metro Manila|National Capital Region]] (NCR) or Metro Manila as the seat of government, with the [[Manila|City of Manila]] as the country's capital.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chanrobles.com/presidentialdecrees/presidentialdecreeno940.html|title=Presidential Decree No. 940 : Philippine Laws, Statutes and Codes|date=24 June 1976|publisher=Chan Robles Virtual Law Library|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906224944/http://www.chanrobles.com/presidentialdecrees/presidentialdecreeno940.html|archive-date=6 September 2014|access-date=20 April 2014}}</ref> Some national government institutions and agencies are located within the Manila capital city, while others are scattered on other parts of the metropolitan area. The presidential palace ([[Malacañang Palace]], serving as the seat of the [[President of the Philippines]]) and the [[Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court]] are located within the capital city while the two houses of Congress are located outside the capital Manila but within the metropolis of the same name.
** [[Cavite]]: [[Imus]] is designated as the provincial capital, while government offices are in [[Trece Martires]].<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/where-is-the-capital-of-cavite-a00293-20200702 |title= Where the Heck Is the Capital of Cavite? |date= 2 July 2020 |access-date= 25 December 2023 |last= Limos |first= Mario Alvaro |work= Esquire Philippines |publisher= [[Summit Media]] |location= [[Mandaluyong]] }}</ref>
* [[Portugal]]:
** National capital: the [[Constitution of Portugal|Portuguese constitution]] has no reference to a capital. Although [[Lisbon]] is home to the [[Assembly of the Republic (Portugal)|Parliament]], the [[President of Portugal|President]]'s and the [[Prime Minister of Portugal|Prime Minister]]'s official residences, all the [[Portuguese Government|Government]]'s departments, all the [[List of diplomatic missions in Portugal|embassies]] and the highest courts, no Portuguese official document states that Lisbon is the national capital.<ref>{{Citation|title = Lisboa não tem documento que a oficialize como capital de Portugal|url = https://comunidadeslusofonas.pt/lisboa-nao-tem-documento-que-a-oficialize-como-capital-de-portugal/|access-date = 5 November 2016|periodical = Comunidades Lusófonas|date = 13 April 2015|language = pt|archive-date = 8 December 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201208042035/https://comunidadeslusofonas.pt/lisboa-nao-tem-documento-que-a-oficialize-como-capital-de-portugal/|url-status = live}}</ref>
** [[Azores]]: since the establishment of local autonomy in 1976, the Azores has three designated regional capital cities: [[Ponta Delgada]] at [[São Miguel Island]] (seat of the [[Presidents of the Government of the Azores|Autonomous Government]]); [[Horta, Azores|Horta]] at [[Faial Island]] (seat of the [[Legislative Assembly of the Azores|Legislative Assembly]]); and [[Angra do Heroísmo]] at [[Terceira Island]] (seat of the judiciary and the historical capital of the Azores, in addition to being the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Angra]]).
* [[Sri Lanka]]: [[Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]] is designated the administrative capital and the location of the parliament, while the former capital, [[Colombo]], is now designated as the "commercial capital".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lansford|first1=Tom|title=Political Handbook of the World 2015|date=24 March 2015|publisher=CQ Press|location=Singapore|isbn=978-1-4833-7157-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yNGfBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT5793|access-date=30 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830152655/https://books.google.lk/books?id=yNGfBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT5793&dq=sri+lanka+commercial+capital+colombo+administrative+capital&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiV0aH2wv7VAhWIOo8KHcyVBmAQ6AEIPzAF#v=onepage&q=sri%20lanka%20commercial%20capital%20colombo%20administrative%20capital&f=false|archive-date=30 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Boxall|first1=Sheryl|editor1-last=DeRouen|editor1-first=Karl|editor2-last=Bellamy|editor2-first=Paul|title=International Security and the United States: An Encyclopedia, Volume 2|date=2008|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|location=Westport, Connecticut, US|isbn=978-0-275-99255-2|page=728|language=en}}</ref> 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. Despite Bloemfontein's status as the judicial capital, the country's highest court, the [[Constitutional Court of South Africa]], sits in its largest city, [[Johannesburg]].
* [[Switzerland]]: [[Bern]] is the ''[[Federal City]]'' of Switzerland and functions as ''de facto'' capital. However, the [[Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland|Swiss Supreme Court]] is located in [[Lausanne]] which is also the [[International Olympic Committee|Olympic Capital]].
** [[Canton of Zürich]]: [[Zürich]] is the ''de facto'' capital of the canton, but the cantonal constitution makes no mention of a capital city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2006/14_fga/de|title=Verfassung des Kantons Zürich|trans-title=Constitution of the Canton of Zürich|date=2022-03-16|access-date=2022-05-28|website=admin.ch|archive-date=28 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528093007/https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2006/14_fga/de|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Tanzania]]: [[Dodoma]] was designated the national capital in 1996, but some of the government offices and almost all embassies are still located in [[Dar es Salaam]].<ref>{{cite web |work=The World Factbook |title=Tanzania |date=16 November 2021 |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tanzania/ |access-date=24 January 2021 |archive-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331130911/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tanzania/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/tanzania-has-moved-its-capital-from-dar-after-a-50-year-wait-but-is-dodoma-ready-206508 |title=Tanzania has moved its capital from Dar after a 50-year wait - but is Dodoma ready? |last=Adetunji |first=Jo |date=2023-06-04 |website= |publisher=The Conversation |access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref>
* [[United States]]:
** [[California]]: The state executive and legislative branches and most government agencies are based in [[Sacramento]] but the [[California Supreme Court]] is headquartered in [[San Francisco]] with secondary meeting places in Sacramento and [[Los Angeles]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}
** [[Illinois]]: [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]] has the seats of the branches of state government and serves as the official state capital. However various Illinois government officials primarily reside in or are primarily active in [[Chicago]].<ref name="INN">Reeder, Scott. "[http://ilnews.org/2831/what-does-it-cost-taxpayers-to-pay-for-lawmakers-empty-springfield-residences/ What does it cost taxpayers to pay for lawmakers' empty Springfield residences?]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160617094836/http://ilnews.org/2831/what-does-it-cost-taxpayers-to-pay-for-lawmakers-empty-springfield-residences/ Archive]). ''Illinois News Network''. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2016.</ref><ref name="Gauen">Gauen, Pat. "[http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/pat-gauen/illinois-corruption-explained-the-capital-is-too-far-from-chicago/article_c38d21b7-0134-5124-b56f-3bc99a60c327.html Illinois corruption explained: the capital is too far from Chicago]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160915191211/http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/pat-gauen/illinois-corruption-explained-the-capital-is-too-far-from-chicago/article_c38d21b7-0134-5124-b56f-3bc99a60c327.html Archive]). ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]''. Retrieved 26 May 2016.</ref> (see: {{Section link|Government of Illinois|Capital city}} for a further explanation)
** [[Louisiana]]: The state executive and legislative branches and most government agencies are based in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]], but the [[Louisiana Supreme Court]] is located in [[New Orleans]].
** [[New York (state)|New York]]: The state capital and government are headquartered in [[Albany, New York|Albany]], but many officials are mostly active in or live in [[New York City]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}
** [[Pennsylvania]]: The state capital is [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]] but each one of the state Supreme Court and its two appellate courts holds hearings in the three cities of Harrisburg, [[Philadelphia]], and [[Pittsburgh]]. Also, most statewide elected officials and officers who are based in Southeast Pennsylvania (City of Philadelphia, [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks County]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]], [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]], and [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester County]]) prefer working mostly in [[Philadelphia]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

=== Capitals that are not the seat of government ===
There are several countries where, for various reasons, the official capital and [[seat of government]] are separated:
* [[Benin]]: [[Porto-Novo]] is the official capital, but [[Cotonou]] is the seat of government.
* [[Bolivia]]: [[Sucre]] is the [[Constitution of Bolivia|constitution]]al capital, and the [[Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Bolivia)|supreme tribunal of justice]] is located in Sucre, making it the judicial capital. The {{lang|es|[[Palacio Quemado]]}}, the [[Plurinational Legislative Assembly|national congress]] and [[Plurinational Electoral Organ|national electoral court]] are located in [[La Paz]], making it the seat of government.
* [[Ivory Coast]]: [[Yamoussoukro]] was designated the national capital in 1983, but most government offices and embassies are still located in [[Abidjan]].
* [[Netherlands]]: [[Amsterdam]] is the constitutional national capital even though the [[Cabinet of the Netherlands|Dutch government]], the [[States General of the Netherlands|parliament]], the [[Hoge Raad der Nederlanden|supreme court]], the [[Council of State of the Netherlands|Council of State]], and the [[Noordeinde Palace|work palace]] of the [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|King]] are all located in [[The Hague]], as are all the [[List of diplomatic missions in the Netherlands|embassies]]. (''For more details see: [[Capital of the Netherlands]]''.)

Some historical examples of similar arrangements, where the recognized capital was not the official seat of government:
* [[Kingdom of England]]: The traditional capital was the [[City of London]], while [[Westminster]], outside of the boundaries of the City of London, was the seat of government. They are both today part of the urban core of [[Greater London]].
* [[Kingdom of France]]: The traditional capital was [[Paris]], though from 1682 to 1789 the seat of government was at the [[Palace of Versailles]], located in a rural area southwest of Paris.

=== Disputed capitals ===
* [[Cyprus]] and [[Northern Cyprus]]: [[Nicosia]], "the last divided capital",<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-01-15|title=In Nicosia, the world's last divided capital, a spirit of reconciliation is stirring across the fence|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/15/in-nicosia-cyprus-spirit-of-reconciliation-is-stirring|access-date=2021-08-15|website=the Guardian|language=en|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816183609/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/15/in-nicosia-cyprus-spirit-of-reconciliation-is-stirring|url-status=live}}</ref> is divided in two by the [[United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus]] (Green Line). Both the [[Republic of Cyprus]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nicosia Municipality - Nicosia, capital of the Republic of Cyprus|url=https://www.nicosia.org.cy/en-GB/discover/nicosia/the-capital/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.nicosia.org.cy|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709193607/https://www.nicosia.org.cy/en-GB/discover/nicosia/the-capital/|url-status=live}}</ref> which has ''de facto'' control of the south, and the largely unrecognized [[Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Constitution of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus|url=http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/main/polsyst/constitution/|access-date=2021-08-15|website=www.cypnet.co.uk|archive-date=25 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525163715/http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/main/polsyst/constitution/|url-status=live}}</ref> which has ''de facto'' control of [[North Nicosia]], claim the entire city as their capital.
* [[Israel]] and [[Palestine]]: Both the [[Government of Israel]]<ref>See [[Jerusalem Law]]</ref> and the [[Palestinian Authority]]<ref>[http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/basic-law/2003-amended-basic-law 2003 Basic Law of Palestine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211183132/http://www.palestinianbasiclaw.org/basic-law/2003-amended-basic-law |date=11 February 2016 }}, Title One: Article 3</ref> claim [[Jerusalem]] as their capital. Jerusalem serves as Israel's capital, with the presidential residence, government offices, supreme court and parliament ([[Knesset]]) located there, while the Palestinian Authority has no ''de facto'' or ''de jure'' control over any of Jerusalem. Many countries, with the notable exception of the United States, which recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Landler|first1=Mark|title=Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital.html|access-date=6 December 2017|work=The New York Times|date=6 December 2017|archive-date=17 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617225602/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital.html|url-status=live}}</ref> take [[Status of Jerusalem|the position that the final status of Jerusalem]] is unsettled pending future [[Israeli-Palestinian negotiations|negotiations]]. Most countries maintain their [[List of diplomatic missions in Israel|diplomatic missions to Israel]] in [[Tel Aviv]], while [[List of diplomatic missions in Palestine|diplomatic missions to Palestine]] are in various places such as [[Ramallah]], [[Gaza City]], [[Cairo]] and [[Damascus]].

== Capital as symbol<span class="anchor" id="capital as symbol"></span> ==
<!-- "Forward capital" redirects here -->
[[File:View of Mariehamn, 2022.jpg|thumb|[[Mariehamn]], capital city of [[Åland]], a [[demilitarized]] archipelago with [[self-governance]]]]
With the rise of the modern [[Nation state|nation-state]], the capital city has become a [[symbol]] for the [[sovereign state|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 a highly symbolic event. For example:

* The ruined and almost uninhabited [[Athens]] was made capital of [[Independence of Greece|newly independent]] [[Greece]] in 1834, four years after the country gained its independence, with the [[Romanticism|romantic]] notion of reviving the glory of [[Ancient Greece]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/09/18/september-18-1834-athens-becomes-the-capital-of-greece/|title=September 18, 1834: Athens Becomes the Capital of Greece|website=GreekReporter.com|last=Chrysopoulos|first=Philip|date=18 September 2018|language=en-US|access-date=21 December 2018|archive-date=21 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221182448/https://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/09/18/september-18-1834-athens-becomes-the-capital-of-greece/|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, following the [[Cold War]] and [[German reunification]], [[Berlin]] once again became the capital of Germany.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.introducingberlin.com/history-of-berlin|title=History of Berlin – Past and present of Berlin|website=introducingberlin.com|access-date=21 December 2018|archive-date=21 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221182616/https://www.introducingberlin.com/history-of-berlin|url-status=live}}</ref> 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 geography|economic]] or [[military geography|strategic]] reasons (sometimes known as a '''forward capital''' or spearhead capital). [[Peter the Great]] moved his government from [[Moscow]] to [[Saint Petersburg]] to give the [[Russian Empire]] a [[Europe]]an orientation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cityvision2000.com/history/peterthe.htm|title=History of St. Petersburg, Russia: Peter the Great (short biography)|website=cityvision2000.com|access-date=7 January 2019|archive-date=23 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123135146/http://www.cityvision2000.com/history/peterthe.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The economically significant city of [[Nafplion]] became the first capital of [[Greece]], when Athens was an unimportant village.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mikellides|first=Byron|date=1 June 2001|title=The Creation of Modern Athens, Planning the Myth|journal=Urban Design International|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=119|doi=10.1057/palgrave.udi.9000029|issn=1468-4519|doi-access=free}}</ref> The [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] emperors moved their capital to [[Beijing]] from the more central [[Nanjing]] to help supervise the border with the Mongols. During the 1857 rebellion, [[India|Indian rebels]] considered [[Delhi]] their capital, and [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]] was proclaimed emperor, but the ruling [[British India|British]] had their capital in [[Kolkata|Calcutta]]. In 1877, the British formally held a '[[Delhi Durbar|Durbar]]' in Delhi, proclaiming [[Queen Victoria]] as '[[Empress of India]]'. Delhi finally became the colonial capital after the [[Delhi Durbar|Coronation Durbar]] of King-Emperor [[George V]] in 1911, continuing as independent India's capital from 1947. Other examples include [[Abuja]], [[Astana]], [[Brasília]], [[Helsinki]], [[Islamabad]], [[Naypyidaw]], and [[Yamoussoukro]].
* The selection or founding of a "neutral" capital city, one unencumbered by regional or political identities, was meant to represent the unity of a new state when [[Ankara]], [[Bern]], [[Brasília]], [[Canberra]], [[Madrid]], [[Ottawa]] and [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] became capital cities. Sometimes, the location of a new capital city was chosen to terminate actual or potential squabbling between various entities, such as in the cases of Brasília, Canberra, Ottawa, Washington, Wellington and [[Managua]].
* 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 (Indraprastha, Dhillika, and Shahjahanabad) but the actual capital being the new British-built town designed by [[Edwin Lutyens]]. 
* Wellington, on the southwestern tip of the [[North Island]] of New Zealand, replaced the much more northerly city of [[Auckland]] to place the national capital close to the [[South Island]] and hence to placate its residents, many of whom had sympathies with separatism.
* During the [[American Civil War]], tremendous resources were expended to defend Washington, D.C., which bordered on the [[Confederate States of America]] (with the [[Virginia|Commonwealth of Virginia]]), from Confederate attack even though the relatively small federal government could easily have been moved elsewhere. Likewise, great resources were expended by the Confederacy in defending the Confederate capital from attack by the Union, in its exposed location of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], Virginia, barely {{convert|100|mi}} south of Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/washington-capital-of-the-union.html|title=Washington: Capital of the Union – Essential Civil War Curriculum|website=essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com|access-date=7 January 2019|archive-date=7 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107124816/https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/washington-capital-of-the-union.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Two national capitals refer to another sovereign state. The name of [[Tallinn]], the capital of [[Estonia]], is thought to be derived from ''Taani linn'', originally meaning "Danish Castle" and now "Danish Town" in [[Estonian language|Estonian]], named after the [[Toompea Castle]], which [[Denmark]] controlled in 1219–1227, 1238–1332 and in 1340–1346.<ref>[https://www.eki.ee/dict/knr/index.cgi?Q=Tallinn&F=M&C06=en Tallinn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005131416/https://www.eki.ee/dict/knr/index.cgi?Q=Tallinn&F=M&C06=en |date=5 October 2021 }}. ''[KNR] Dictionary of Estonian Place names.'' Retrieved 5 October 2021</ref> [[Port of Spain]], the capital of [[Trinidad and Tobago]], was named so in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] by the first settlers from [[Spain]] in the 16th century.<ref>[https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-capital-of-trinidad-and-tobago.html What Is The Capital Of Trinidad And Tobago?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005131415/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-capital-of-trinidad-and-tobago.html |date=5 October 2021 }}. ''www.worldatlas.com'' Retrieved 5 October 2021</ref> See [[List of national capital city name etymologies]] for more.

== Capitals in military strategy ==
[[File:Fall-of-constantinople-22.jpg|thumb|[[Constantinople]], the capital of the [[Byzantine Empire]], was the final part of the empire to fall to the [[Ottoman Turks]] due to its strong defences.]]
The capital city is usually but not 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.

In [[ancient China]], where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on the provincial level, a [[Chinese Dynasties|dynasty]] could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. In the [[Three Kingdoms]] period, both [[Shu Han|Shu]] and [[Eastern Wu|Wu]] fell when their respective capitals of [[Chengdu]] and [[Jianye District|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 [[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 [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invasion]].

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 [[Fourth Crusade|Crusaders]] captured the [[Byzantine Empire|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 Empire|British]] forces sacked various [[United States|American]] capitals repeatedly during the [[American Revolutionary War|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 civilian frontiersmen. 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 were taken.

== See also ==
*[[Capital region]]
*[[Lists of capitals]]
*[[List of countries whose capital is not their largest city]]
*[[List of countries with multiple capitals]]
*[[Primate city]]
*[[Temporary capital]]

==Further reading==
* [[Andreas Daum]], "Capitals in Modern History: Inventing Urban Spaces for the Nation", in ''Berlin – Washington, 1800–2000: Capital Cities, Cultural Representation, and National Identities'', ed. Andreas Daum and Christof Mauch. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp.&nbsp;3–28.
* ''Capital Cities: International Perspectives – Les capitales: Perspectives internationales'', ed. John Taylor, Jean G. Lengellé and Caroline Andrew. Ottawa: Carleton University Press, 1993, {{ISBN|978-0-7735-8496-9}}.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}

{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities}}
{{Cities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Capitals| ]]
[[Category:Types of administrative division]]