World Capital Cities: Full List by Country

Countries A–E

This page is alphabetized by country for quick lookup. Its scope is the 193 UN member states plus the Holy See and the State of Palestine, the two UN non-member observer states.

Find a country from A to Z

Choose a letter to jump directly to that part of the list. W and X are disabled because no country in this 195-entry scope begins with either letter.

A

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B

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C

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D

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E

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Countries F–J

F

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G

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H

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I

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J

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Countries K–O

K

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L

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M

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N

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O

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Countries P–T

P

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Q

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R

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S

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T

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Countries U–Z

U

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V

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Y

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Z

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Capital-city cases that need a note

Most countries have one straightforward capital answer. The note column is for the smaller group where constitutional status, government location, diplomacy, conflict, or a still-unfinished transfer means that one city name alone would be misleading.

Multiple-capital and split-seat cases

South Africa formally divides national functions among Pretoria, the administrative capital; Cape Town, the legislative capital; and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. The Constitutional Court sits in Johannesburg. Bolivia is another classic case: Sucre is the constitutional capital, while La Paz is the seat of government. The Netherlands similarly names Amsterdam as its capital while the national government sits in The Hague.

Benin, Eswatini, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Côte d’Ivoire also require a distinction between the formal capital and another city that retains major administrative, legislative, royal, or commercial functions. The separate guide to countries with more than one capital compares these arrangements in more detail.

Political-status, conflict, and transition notes

Jerusalem is the most politically sensitive entry. Israel designates Jerusalem as its capital and locates its principal national institutions there, while Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine. Sovereignty over the city remains internationally disputed, and Palestinian administration is centered mainly in Ramallah.

Indonesia’s move is unfinished. Jakarta remains the legal capital until a presidential decree transfers that status to Nusantara, even as construction and relocation continue. Equatorial Guinea made a legal change on January 2, 2026, when a decree named Ciudad de la Paz as the capital and gave state bodies one year to arrange their transfer from Malabo.

Conflict can separate a constitutional capital from a temporary government base. Sana’a remains Yemen’s constitutional capital, while Aden has served as a temporary seat during the war. Sudan’s government operated from Port Sudan during its civil war and returned to Khartoum in January 2026; Khartoum remains the capital.

Technical exceptions that simple lists miss

Nauru has no formally designated capital, but Yaren District is the standard practical answer because the main government offices are there. Switzerland presents a different technical issue: Bern is officially the federal city and functions as the de facto capital, although the country has no formally designated de jure capital.

The two Congos are separate countries and separate entries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo has Kinshasa as its capital, while the Republic of the Congo has Brazzaville. Palau’s capital is Ngerulmud, not the older answer Koror or the broader state name Melekeok.

How this list works

What counts as a country and capital here

This page uses a transparent UN-based scope: the 193 current UN member states plus the Holy See and the State of Palestine, the two UN non-member observer states. It does not add dependent territories, constituent countries, or other entities outside that scope. The Holy See entry uses Vatican City as its territorial seat, while the State of Palestine entry distinguishes its claimed capital from its main administrative center.

Where one city is clearly accepted as the capital, the table gives that answer directly. Where state functions are divided, no official capital is designated, a relocation is incomplete, government has shifted temporarily during conflict, or political status is disputed, the note column explains the distinction.

Why some lists show 196 or 197 countries

A total of 195 is a convention, not a claim that every sovereignty question is settled. Lists showing 196 or 197 commonly add Kosovo, Taiwan, or both; some sources also count the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic or Western Sahara separately. Those lists use a different recognition rule, not a larger UN membership total. The explanation of how many countries there are in the world compares the main conventions.

For speed, use the sticky alphabet bar or your browser’s find function. For precision, read the note column and the exception section before treating every country–capital pair as legally or politically identical.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Did We Learn Today?

The standard 195-entry convention combines 193 UN members with the Holy See and the State of Palestine. Most country–capital pairs are straightforward, but a dependable list must distinguish constitutional capitals from government seats and flag split arrangements, disputed claims, wartime bases, and unfinished relocations rather than forcing every case into one unqualified answer.

Sources & Data Notes

Country scope and routine capital pairs were checked against United Nations membership records and World Bank country metadata. Official government or legal sources from Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Switzerland, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka were used for important exceptions, with current reporting consulted for conflict-related government locations. This article was prepared and editorially reviewed by Z.K. Atlas, who completed the final factual checks and publication approval. AI tools may have assisted during the editorial process, including with language refinement and the creation or editing of visual materials.