Countries and Capitals List 2026: All 195 Countries and Their Capital Cities
There are 195 countries in the world, and each one has at least one capital city. Some countries even have two or three.
This guide gives you the complete countries and capitals list for 2026, organized both alphabetically and by continent. Beyond the list, we also cover the capitals that people always get wrong, the countries with multiple capitals, and the fascinating stories behind purpose-built capital cities like Brasília and Canberra.
At World Guesser, we build geography games played by millions of people every month. Our team works with country data, borders, flags, and capital cities every day. We used that experience to create a countries and capitals list that goes deeper than a simple table — because geography is more interesting when you understand the "why" behind the facts.
If you already know your capitals, skip straight to our capital cities quiz guide and test yourself. Otherwise, keep reading for the complete list plus dozens of facts you probably did not know.
Complete List of All Countries and Their Capitals (A–Z)
Below is the full alphabetical list of all 195 countries and their capital cities. This includes 193 United Nations member states plus 2 observer states (Vatican City and Palestine). Where a country has multiple capitals or a complicated situation, we have added an explanatory note.
| # | Country | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan | Kabul |
| 2 | Albania | Tirana |
| 3 | Algeria | Algiers |
| 4 | Andorra | Andorra la Vella |
| 5 | Angola | Luanda |
| 6 | Antigua and Barbuda | St. John's |
| 7 | Argentina | Buenos Aires |
| 8 | Armenia | Yerevan |
| 9 | Australia | Canberra |
| 10 | Austria | Vienna |
| 11 | Azerbaijan | Baku |
| 12 | Bahamas | Nassau |
| 13 | Bahrain | Manama |
| 14 | Bangladesh | Dhaka |
| 15 | Barbados | Bridgetown |
| 16 | Belarus | Minsk |
| 17 | Belgium | Brussels |
| 18 | Belize | Belmopan |
| 19 | Benin | Porto-Novo(seat of government: Cotonou) |
| 20 | Bhutan | Thimphu |
| 21 | Bolivia | Sucre(seat of government: La Paz) |
| 22 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo |
| 23 | Botswana | Gaborone |
| 24 | Brazil | Brasília |
| 25 | Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| 26 | Bulgaria | Sofia |
| 27 | Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou |
| 28 | Burundi | Gitega(former capital: Bujumbura) |
| 29 | Cabo Verde | Praia |
| 30 | Cambodia | Phnom Penh |
| 31 | Cameroon | Yaoundé |
| 32 | Canada | Ottawa |
| 33 | Central African Republic | Bangui |
| 34 | Chad | N'Djamena |
| 35 | Chile | Santiago(Congress sits in Valparaíso) |
| 36 | China | Beijing |
| 37 | Colombia | Bogotá |
| 38 | Comoros | Moroni |
| 39 | Congo (Republic of the) | Brazzaville |
| 40 | Congo (Democratic Republic of the) | Kinshasa |
| 41 | Costa Rica | San José |
| 42 | Côte d'Ivoire | Yamoussoukro(de facto seat: Abidjan) |
| 43 | Croatia | Zagreb |
| 44 | Cuba | Havana |
| 45 | Cyprus | Nicosia |
| 46 | Czechia | Prague |
| 47 | Denmark | Copenhagen |
| 48 | Djibouti | Djibouti |
| 49 | Dominica | Roseau |
| 50 | Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo |
| 51 | Ecuador | Quito |
| 52 | Egypt | Cairo |
| 53 | El Salvador | San Salvador |
| 54 | Equatorial Guinea | Ciudad de la Paz(moved from Malabo in 2026) |
| 55 | Eritrea | Asmara |
| 56 | Estonia | Tallinn |
| 57 | Eswatini | Mbabane(legislative capital: Lobamba) |
| 58 | Ethiopia | Addis Ababa |
| 59 | Fiji | Suva |
| 60 | Finland | Helsinki |
| 61 | France | Paris |
| 62 | Gabon | Libreville |
| 63 | Gambia | Banjul |
| 64 | Georgia | Tbilisi |
| 65 | Germany | Berlin |
| 66 | Ghana | Accra |
| 67 | Greece | Athens |
| 68 | Grenada | St. George's |
| 69 | Guatemala | Guatemala City |
| 70 | Guinea | Conakry |
| 71 | Guinea-Bissau | Bissau |
| 72 | Guyana | Georgetown |
| 73 | Haiti | Port-au-Prince |
| 74 | Honduras | Tegucigalpa |
| 75 | Hungary | Budapest |
| 76 | Iceland | Reykjavik |
| 77 | India | New Delhi |
| 78 | Indonesia | Jakarta(new capital Nusantara under construction) |
| 79 | Iran | Tehran |
| 80 | Iraq | Baghdad |
| 81 | Ireland | Dublin |
| 82 | Israel | Jerusalem(disputed; many embassies in Tel Aviv) |
| 83 | Italy | Rome |
| 84 | Jamaica | Kingston |
| 85 | Japan | Tokyo |
| 86 | Jordan | Amman |
| 87 | Kazakhstan | Astana |
| 88 | Kenya | Nairobi |
| 89 | Kiribati | Tarawa |
| 90 | Korea (North) | Pyongyang |
| 91 | Korea (South) | Seoul |
| 92 | Kuwait | Kuwait City |
| 93 | Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek |
| 94 | Laos | Vientiane |
| 95 | Latvia | Riga |
| 96 | Lebanon | Beirut |
| 97 | Lesotho | Maseru |
| 98 | Liberia | Monrovia |
| 99 | Libya | Tripoli |
| 100 | Liechtenstein | Vaduz |
| 101 | Lithuania | Vilnius |
| 102 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg City |
| 103 | Madagascar | Antananarivo |
| 104 | Malawi | Lilongwe |
| 105 | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur(administrative capital: Putrajaya) |
| 106 | Maldives | Malé |
| 107 | Mali | Bamako |
| 108 | Malta | Valletta |
| 109 | Marshall Islands | Majuro |
| 110 | Mauritania | Nouakchott |
| 111 | Mauritius | Port Louis |
| 112 | Mexico | Mexico City |
| 113 | Micronesia | Palikir |
| 114 | Moldova | Chișinău |
| 115 | Monaco | Monaco |
| 116 | Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar |
| 117 | Montenegro | Podgorica |
| 118 | Morocco | Rabat |
| 119 | Mozambique | Maputo |
| 120 | Myanmar | Naypyidaw |
| 121 | Namibia | Windhoek |
| 122 | Nauru | Yaren(de facto; no official capital) |
| 123 | Nepal | Kathmandu |
| 124 | Netherlands | Amsterdam(seat of government: The Hague) |
| 125 | New Zealand | Wellington |
| 126 | Nicaragua | Managua |
| 127 | Niger | Niamey |
| 128 | Nigeria | Abuja |
| 129 | North Macedonia | Skopje |
| 130 | Norway | Oslo |
| 131 | Oman | Muscat |
| 132 | Pakistan | Islamabad |
| 133 | Palau | Ngerulmud |
| 134 | Palestine | Ramallah(declared capital: East Jerusalem) |
| 135 | Panama | Panama City |
| 136 | Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby |
| 137 | Paraguay | Asunción |
| 138 | Peru | Lima |
| 139 | Philippines | Manila |
| 140 | Poland | Warsaw |
| 141 | Portugal | Lisbon |
| 142 | Qatar | Doha |
| 143 | Romania | Bucharest |
| 144 | Russia | Moscow |
| 145 | Rwanda | Kigali |
| 146 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Basseterre |
| 147 | Saint Lucia | Castries |
| 148 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Kingstown |
| 149 | Samoa | Apia |
| 150 | San Marino | San Marino |
| 151 | São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé |
| 152 | Saudi Arabia | Riyadh |
| 153 | Senegal | Dakar |
| 154 | Serbia | Belgrade |
| 155 | Seychelles | Victoria |
| 156 | Sierra Leone | Freetown |
| 157 | Singapore | Singapore |
| 158 | Slovakia | Bratislava |
| 159 | Slovenia | Ljubljana |
| 160 | Solomon Islands | Honiara |
| 161 | Somalia | Mogadishu |
| 162 | South Africa | Pretoria(legislative: Cape Town; judicial: Bloemfontein) |
| 163 | South Sudan | Juba |
| 164 | Spain | Madrid |
| 165 | Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte(commercial capital: Colombo) |
| 166 | Sudan | Khartoum |
| 167 | Suriname | Paramaribo |
| 168 | Sweden | Stockholm |
| 169 | Switzerland | Bern(officially "federal city"; no de jure capital) |
| 170 | Syria | Damascus |
| 171 | Tajikistan | Dushanbe |
| 172 | Tanzania | Dodoma(many functions remain in Dar es Salaam) |
| 173 | Thailand | Bangkok |
| 174 | Timor-Leste | Dili |
| 175 | Togo | Lomé |
| 176 | Tonga | Nukuʻalofa |
| 177 | Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain |
| 178 | Tunisia | Tunis |
| 179 | Turkey | Ankara |
| 180 | Turkmenistan | Ashgabat |
| 181 | Tuvalu | Funafuti |
| 182 | Uganda | Kampala |
| 183 | Ukraine | Kyiv |
| 184 | United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi |
| 185 | United Kingdom | London |
| 186 | United States | Washington, D.C. |
| 187 | Uruguay | Montevideo |
| 188 | Uzbekistan | Tashkent |
| 189 | Vanuatu | Port Vila |
| 190 | Vatican City | Vatican City |
| 191 | Venezuela | Caracas |
| 192 | Vietnam | Hanoi |
| 193 | Yemen | Sana'a |
| 194 | Zambia | Lusaka |
| 195 | Zimbabwe | Harare |
This countries and capitals list covers all 195 sovereign states recognized under the United Nations framework (193 members + 2 observers). The data was verified against UN sources, the CIA World Factbook, and Britannica as of July 2026.
Countries and Capitals by Continent
The 195 countries are spread across six inhabited continents. Here is a summary of how they are distributed, along with key regional highlights:
Africa — 54 Countries
Africa has the most countries of any continent with 54, largely because of decolonization in the mid-20th century. Notable capitals include Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), headquarters of the African Union, and Cairo (Egypt), the most populous metro area in Africa.
Tricky capitals: Nigeria (Abuja, not Lagos), Morocco (Rabat, not Casablanca), Côte d'Ivoire (Yamoussoukro, not Abidjan).
Asia — 49 Countries
Asia is home to over 4.8 billion people and enormous metropolises like Tokyo, Beijing, New Delhi, and Jakarta. Purpose-built Asian capitals include Islamabad (Pakistan), Naypyidaw (Myanmar), and Astana (Kazakhstan).
Indonesia is building a new $32B capital called Nusantara to replace sinking Jakarta.
Europe — 51 Countries
Europe packs 51 countries into a compact area. Iconic tourist capitals include Paris, London, Rome, Madrid, and Amsterdam.
European quirk: Switzerland has no official de jure capital; Bern serves as the designated "federal city."
North America — 23 Countries
Includes 23 countries, mostly Caribbean island nations. The US capital is Washington, D.C. (not NYC), and Canada's is Ottawa (not Toronto).
Basseterre (St. Kitts & Nevis) and Roseau (Dominica) are among the world's smallest capitals.
South America — 12 Countries
12 countries with famous capital arrangements. Brazil moved its capital to Brasília in 1960. Bolivia has Sucre (constitutional) and La Paz (seat of government).
La Paz holds the world record as the highest capital city at 3,640 meters above sea level.
Oceania — 14 Countries
14 Pacific nations. Australia's capital is Canberra (not Sydney). Palau's capital Ngerulmud has just a few hundred residents.
Nauru has no official capital city; government offices sit in Yaren District.
Capital Cities People Always Get Wrong
This is the section that trips up even experienced geography buffs. Many countries have a famous, globally recognized city that everyone assumes is the capital — but it is not. The actual capital is often a smaller, less flashy city chosen for political, geographic, or historical reasons.
| Country | People Think It Is... | Actual Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Sydney | Canberra |
| Turkey | Istanbul | Ankara |
| Brazil | Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo | Brasília |
| Canada | Toronto or Vancouver | Ottawa |
| United States | New York | Washington, D.C. |
| Myanmar | Yangon | Naypyidaw |
| Nigeria | Lagos | Abuja |
| Morocco | Casablanca or Marrakech | Rabat |
| South Africa | Johannesburg | Pretoria |
| Switzerland | Zurich or Geneva | Bern |
| India | Mumbai | New Delhi |
| Pakistan | Karachi or Lahore | Islamabad |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam | Dodoma |
| Kazakhstan | Almaty | Astana |
| UAE | Dubai | Abu Dhabi |
| New Zealand | Auckland | Wellington |
Why is Canberra the capital of Australia instead of Sydney or Melbourne?
When Australia federated in 1901, both Sydney and Melbourne demanded to be the capital. The rivalry was so fierce that neither would yield. As a compromise, the government selected a site between them to build a brand new city: Canberra. Purpose-built starting in 1913, Canberra has ~460,000 residents today — roughly 12 times smaller than Sydney.
Is Dubai the capital of the UAE?
No. Dubai is the UAE's most famous city, but Abu Dhabiis the official capital. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate and serves as the nation's political and administrative seat, while Dubai is the commercial and tourism hub.
Countries with More Than One Capital
Most nations have a single capital. However, a handful split government functions across two or three cities due to political deals, power-sharing, or severe overcrowding.
| Country | Capital 1 | Capital 2 | Capital 3 | How It Works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Pretoria | Cape Town | Bloemfontein | Executive / Legislative / Judicial |
| Bolivia | Sucre | La Paz | — | Constitutional / Seat of government |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Putrajaya | — | Official / Administrative |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | The Hague | — | Constitutional / Seat of government |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | Colombo | — | Administrative / Commercial |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Yamoussoukro | Abidjan | — | Official / De facto seat |
| Chile | Santiago | Valparaíso | — | Executive / Legislative (Congress) |
| Eswatini | Mbabane | Lobamba | — | Administrative / Legislative & royal |
| Benin | Porto-Novo | Cotonou | — | Official / Seat of government |
Why does South Africa have three capital cities?
When the Union of South Africa formed in 1910, three powerful regions (Transvaal, Cape Colony, and Orange Free State) couldn't agree on one capital. The solution was dividing power: Pretoria got the executive branch, Cape Town got Parliament, and Bloemfontein got the High Court. Members of parliament still travel 1,400 km between Pretoria and Cape Town for sessions!
Countries That Built Their Capital City from Scratch
Throughout history, more than a dozen countries decided to construct brand new capitals from scratch rather than use an existing major city. Reasons range from political compromise to natural disasters and inland security.
| Country | New Capital | Replaced | Year | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Washington, D.C. | Philadelphia | 1790 | Compromise between North and South |
| Australia | Canberra | Melbourne (temp) | 1913 | Compromise between Sydney and Melbourne |
| Brazil | Brasília | Rio de Janeiro | 1960 | Shift development to interior |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | Karachi | 1960s | Central location and defense security |
| Nigeria | Abuja | Lagos | 1991 | Neutral ground for ethnic groups |
| Kazakhstan | Astana | Almaty | 1997 | Away from border; earthquake safety |
| Myanmar | Naypyidaw | Yangon | 2006 | Inland military security |
| Belize | Belmopan | Belize City | 1970 | Hurricane Hattie destroyed Belize City in 1961 |
| Palau | Ngerulmud | Koror | 2006 | New capitol building in Melekeok state |
What countries are currently building brand new capital cities?
Capital City World Records
Capital cities hold extraordinary geographic and historical world records:
Damascus, Syria
Continuously inhabited since ~2500 BC (Guinness World Records).
La Paz, Bolivia
3,640 meters (11,942 ft) above sea level.
Baku, Azerbaijan
28 meters below sea level on the Caspian Sea.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Average annual temp of -1.3°C; winters drop below -30°C.
Vatican City
0.44 km² with ~800 residents. Ngerulmud (Palau) is smallest for large nations.
Thimphu, Bhutan
Uses traffic police officers in white gloves instead of automated lights.
Does any country not have a capital?
Nauru (Pacific island of 12,000 residents) has no official capital city. Government offices sit in Yaren District. Switzerlandalso technically has no de jure capital — Bern is legally designated as the "federal city."
Hardest Capital City Names to Spell and Pronounce
Here are ten of the trickiest capital names for English speakers, along with simple pronunciation guides:
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
Pronunciation: wah-gah-DOO-goo
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Sri Lanka
Pronunciation: shree jah-yah-WAR-deh-neh-POO-rah KOT-teh
Antananarivo
Madagascar
Pronunciation: an-tah-nah-NAH-ree-voh
Tegucigalpa
Honduras
Pronunciation: teh-goo-see-GAL-pah
Ngerulmud
Palau
Pronunciation: en-GEH-rul-mood
Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei
Pronunciation: BAN-dar SEH-ree beh-GAH-wahn
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Pronunciation: lyoo-BLYAH-nah
Yaoundé
Cameroon
Pronunciation: yah-oon-DAY
N'Djamena
Chad
Pronunciation: en-jah-MEH-nah
Reykjavik
Iceland
Pronunciation: RAKE-yah-vik
How to Memorize Countries and Capitals
Learning all 195 capitals becomes completely manageable when you break the study process into structured habits:
1. Learn by continent
Start with smaller regions like South America (12 countries) or Oceania (14 countries) before tackling Africa (54) or Asia (49).
2. Use active recall & quiz games
Testing yourself is proven to build far stronger memory connections than passive reading. Check out our Capital Cities Quiz Guide for flashcards and timed sprints.
3. Create mnemonic associations
Link names to rhymes or history (e.g. Budapest = Buda + Pest; Ouagadougou = wah-gah-DOO-goo).
4. Tackle tricky ones early
Master Naypyidaw, Canberra, and Abuja first. Once the hard ones are memorized, popular capitals like Paris or Tokyo feel automatic.
Test Your Knowledge of World Capitals
Ready to put your geography skills to the test? World Guesser provides free interactive geography games and study tools to master flags, capitals, and map locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries and capitals are there in the world?
There are 195 countries in the world in 2026, and each one has at least one capital city. Some countries, like South Africa (3 capitals) and Bolivia (2 capitals), have more than one. The total number of unique capital cities is slightly higher than 195 because of these split-capital arrangements.
Which country has the most capital cities?
South Africa has three capital cities: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). This arrangement dates back to 1910 and was a compromise between rival regions.
What is the oldest capital city in the world?
Damascus, Syria is considered the oldest continuously inhabited capital city, with evidence of settlement dating back to approximately 2500 BC. Athens, Greece is another strong contender as one of the oldest capitals.
What country recently changed its capital?
Equatorial Guinea officially moved its capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz in early 2026. Additionally, Indonesia is building a new capital called Nusantara, and Egypt is constructing a massive new administrative capital east of Cairo.
What is the highest capital city in the world?
La Paz, Bolivia is the highest capital city in the world at 3,640 meters (11,942 feet) above sea level. Visitors frequently experience altitude sickness when they arrive.
Is there a country without a capital?
Nauru, a tiny Pacific island nation, has no officially designated capital. Government functions are based in the Yaren District, which serves as the de facto capital. Switzerland also technically has no de jure capital — Bern is designated as the 'federal city' rather than the official capital.
What is the smallest capital city in the world?
Vatican City is the smallest capital by both area (0.44 km²) and population (~800). Among capitals of larger countries, Ngerulmud (Palau) has just a few hundred residents, making it one of the least populated capital cities on Earth.
Why is the capital often not the biggest city in the country?
Many countries intentionally placed their capital in a smaller city — or built a new one entirely — for reasons of political neutrality, geographic centrality, or security. The United States chose Washington, D.C. as a neutral site between northern and southern states. Australia built Canberra to settle a rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Brazil constructed Brasília to shift development toward the interior.