Canberra, Brasília, Ottawa, Wellington, Naypyidaw... World capitals contain more surprises than you'd expect. 10 questions.
10 questions on world capitals. Most have an obvious trap. How many will you actually get right?
Pick your level
Many capitals are not the largest or most famous city in their country. Canberra was chosen as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne. Brasília was built from scratch in the 20th century to shift power away from Rio de Janeiro. Bern is Switzerland's federal capital while Zurich and Geneva are far better known internationally. This quiz targets exactly these classic traps.
Capitals also change over time: Kazakhstan has renamed its capital several times (Astana, Nur-Sultan, then Astana again in 2022). Knowing world capitals is a reliable marker of general geographical knowledge.
All ten easy level questions, with the answer and the reasoning behind it.
Correct answer: Madrid
Madrid, right in the middle of the country.
Correct answer: Dublin
Dublin. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, part of the UK.
Correct answer: Lisbon
Lisbon, at the mouth of the Tagus.
Correct answer: Oslo
Oslo. Stockholm is in Sweden and Helsinki in Finland.
Correct answer: Tokyo
Tokyo, one of the largest urban areas on Earth.
Correct answer: Vienna
Vienna, on the Danube, once at the heart of an empire.
Correct answer: Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, on the River Plate.
Correct answer: Bangkok
Bangkok, whose full ceremonial name is one of the longest in the world.
Correct answer: Nairobi
Nairobi, with a national park right on its doorstep.
Correct answer: Mexico City
Mexico City, built on the site of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan.
Want to warm up before playing or double-check something? Open any question to reveal the correct answer and a short explanation.
Correct answer: Canberra
Canberra is Australia's capital, chosen in 1908 as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, the two rival major cities. It was built from scratch and officially opened in 1927. Sydney and Melbourne are its two largest cities, but neither is the federal capital.
Correct answer: Brasília
Brasília has been Brazil's capital since 1960, built in just 41 months on a plateau in the Cerrado. It replaced Rio de Janeiro for political reasons, to decentralise power and move the government toward the country's interior. Its aircraft-shaped layout, designed by urban planner Lúcio Costa, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Correct answer: Ottawa
Ottawa has been Canada's capital since 1857, chosen by Queen Victoria. Despite lower international recognition than Toronto or Montreal, it houses the Canadian Parliament and is the country's fourth-largest city. Toronto is Canada's largest city but has never been the federal capital.
Correct answer: Wellington
Wellington has been New Zealand's capital since 1865. Auckland is the most populous city, home to roughly a third of the national population, but Wellington was chosen for its central location near Cook Strait, between the North and South Islands. It claims to be the southernmost capital city in the world.
Correct answer: Bern
Bern is Switzerland's federal city: the Swiss constitution deliberately avoids the word 'capital' so as not to create a hierarchy between cities. Zurich is the largest city and Geneva the international diplomatic hub, but Bern has housed the federal government since 1848. Switzerland's linguistic diversity made choosing a single 'capital' politically sensitive.
Correct answer: Islamabad
Islamabad has been Pakistan's capital since 1967, replacing Karachi. It was purpose-built in the foothills of the Himalayas to a modern urban plan. Karachi remains the largest city and main economic centre. The name 'Islamabad' means 'City of Islam' in Urdu and Persian.
Correct answer: Naypyidaw
Naypyidaw has been Myanmar's capital since 2006, when the military junta secretly relocated the government from Yangon virtually overnight. It is a purpose-built city, largely empty despite its 20-lane highways. Its name means 'Abode of Kings' in Burmese. It remains one of the least visited and strangest capitals in the world.
Correct answer: Pretoria
South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (administrative capital, seat of the executive), Cape Town (legislative capital, seat of Parliament) and Bloemfontein (judicial capital, seat of the Supreme Court). This arrangement is a legacy of the unification of four British colonies in 1910, with power distributed as a political compromise.
Correct answer: Astana
Kazakhstan's capital has been called Astana since 2022. It was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 to honour former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, then reverted to Astana after he stepped down as president. Before 1997, Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata) was the capital. This sequence of renamings is unique in modern capital city history.
Correct answer: New Delhi
New Delhi has been India's capital since 1931, built by the British to replace Calcutta as the colonial capital. Mumbai is the economic capital, but New Delhi is the seat of the government, Parliament and the President. Together with Delhi, it forms a metropolitan area of over 30 million people.
Stuck on one, or just curious how nasty it gets? Every hard mode question is here with its answer and the reasoning behind it.
Correct answer: Vaduz
Vaduz, with a castle still lived in by the princely family.
Correct answer: Ashgabat
Ashgabat, famous for its enormous amount of white marble.
Correct answer: Baku
Baku, on the Caspian Sea, and an oil town since the 19th century.
Correct answer: Montevideo
Montevideo, on the River Plate. Asunción is in Paraguay.
Correct answer: Valletta
Valletta, built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565.
Correct answer: Chișinău
Chișinău. Bucharest is in neighbouring Romania.
Correct answer: Suva
Suva, on the island of Viti Levu.
Correct answer: Belmopan
Belmopan, built inland after a hurricane hit Belize City in 1961.
Correct answer: Asmara
Asmara, known for its Italian modernist buildings.
Correct answer: Antananarivo
Antananarivo, up on the island's central highlands.