World Capitals Quiz
Fifteen capitals, plenty of traps. Not every big city is the one that runs the country.
What is the capital of Australia?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Canberra
Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise after Sydney and Melbourne both claimed the capital, and Parliament moved there from Melbourne in 1927.
The city was designed by Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, who won an international competition in 1912.
What is the capital of Canada?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ottawa
Queen Victoria chose Ottawa in 1857, partly because it sat on the border of English and French Canada and was safely distant from the United States.
Ottawa's Rideau Canal freezes into the world's largest naturally frozen skating rink each winter, stretching 7.8 km.
What is the capital of Brazil?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Brasília
Brasília replaced Rio de Janeiro as capital in 1960, built from scratch in just 41 months to pull development into Brazil's interior.
Urban planner Lúcio Costa laid the city out in the shape of an airplane, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
What is the capital of South Korea?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Seoul
Seoul has been Korea's capital since 1394, when the Joseon dynasty made it the seat of power, and its metro area now holds roughly half of South Korea's population.
Busan, the country's second city, served as South Korea's temporary capital during the Korean War when Seoul fell.
What is the capital of Turkey?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ankara
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made Ankara the capital in October 1923, choosing a central Anatolian base over Istanbul, the old Ottoman seat of power.
Istanbul remains far larger, with more than 15 million residents to Ankara's roughly 5.8 million, and it straddles two continents.
What is the capital of Myanmar?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Naypyidaw
Myanmar's military government moved the capital from Yangon to the newly built Naypyidaw in 2005, and the name means 'abode of kings'.
Naypyidaw covers an area several times that of New York City but has a fraction of the people, leaving its 20-lane highways famously empty.
What is the capital of New Zealand?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Wellington
Wellington became New Zealand's capital in 1865, replacing Auckland, because its central position was better placed to serve the South Island.
Wellington is the world's southernmost national capital, and its 'Beehive' parliament building is named for its shape.
What is the capital of Morocco?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rabat
Rabat has been Morocco's capital since independence in 1956, having served as the French protectorate's administrative center from 1912.
Casablanca is the economic powerhouse with about 3.7 million people, and its Hassan II Mosque has one of the world's tallest minarets at 210 meters.
What is the capital of Switzerland?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bern
Bern has been the seat of Switzerland's federal government since 1848, though the constitution calls it the 'federal city' rather than the capital.
Zurich and Geneva are bigger and better known, but Bern's medieval old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
What is the capital of Nigeria?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Abuja
Nigeria moved its capital from crowded, coastal Lagos to the planned city of Abuja in December 1991, choosing a central, ethnically neutral site.
Lagos remains one of Africa's largest metropolises, with a population estimated well above 15 million and still climbing.
What is the official legislative capital of Sri Lanka?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a suburb of Colombo, has hosted Sri Lanka's parliament since 1982 and is the country's official capital.
Kotte was the capital of a medieval Sinhalese kingdom in the 15th century, long before the Portuguese and British ruled from Colombo.
What is the capital of Kazakhstan?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Astana
Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997, and the city was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 before reverting to Astana in 2022.
Astana is among the coldest capitals on earth, with winter temperatures regularly dropping below minus 30°C.
What is the capital of South Africa (executive)?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pretoria
Pretoria houses the Union Buildings and the president's offices, making it the executive capital, while Cape Town hosts parliament and Bloemfontein the top courts.
Pretoria is officially part of the City of Tshwane metropolitan municipality, and it is nicknamed the Jacaranda City for its purple-blooming trees.
What is the capital of Bolivia (constitutional)?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sucre
Sucre is named in Bolivia's constitution as the capital and houses the Supreme Court, while the government and parliament sit in La Paz.
La Paz, at around 3,650 meters, is the highest seat of government in the world and is served by the Mi Teleférico cable-car network.
What is the capital of Mongolia?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar, meaning 'Red Hero', has been Mongolia's capital since 1924 and is home to nearly half of the country's 3.5 million people.
It is the coldest national capital in the world, with an average annual temperature just below freezing.
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All Geography quizzes →About the World Capitals Quiz
Capital cities love to surprise. Tokyo is the largest capital on earth, with around 37 million people in its metro area, while Nauru has no official capital at all. Indonesia is building a brand-new capital, Nusantara, on Borneo to replace sinking Jakarta. Around the world, the biggest city and the seat of government are often two different places, and that gap is where geography quizzes get interesting.
These 15 questions span every inhabited continent, mixing household names with the capitals people get wrong most often: countries with more than one capital, capitals moved by decree, and famous cities that were never capitals at all. It suits students revising for a geography test, quiz-night regulars and anyone who has ever been caught out by a well-placed trick question. Each answer comes with a short explanation and a bonus fact.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many countries are there in the world?
195 by the most common count: 193 United Nations member states plus the two observer states, Vatican City and Palestine.
Which capitals catch people out most often?
Countries where the capital is not the biggest city. Australia, Canada, Turkey, Brazil, Nigeria, Switzerland and Morocco are the classic traps, and several appear here.
Can a country have more than one capital?
Yes. South Africa splits government across three cities, Bolivia has a constitutional capital and a separate seat of government, and Sri Lanka's legislative capital sits next door to its commercial hub.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise after Sydney and Melbourne both claimed the capital, and Parliament moved there from Melbourne in 1927. The city was designed by Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, who won an international competition in 1912. - What is the capital of Canada?
Ottawa Queen Victoria chose Ottawa in 1857, partly because it sat on the border of English and French Canada and was safely distant from the United States. Ottawa's Rideau Canal freezes into the world's largest naturally frozen skating rink each winter, stretching 7.8 km. - What is the capital of Brazil?
Brasília Brasília replaced Rio de Janeiro as capital in 1960, built from scratch in just 41 months to pull development into Brazil's interior. Urban planner Lúcio Costa laid the city out in the shape of an airplane, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. - What is the capital of South Korea?
Seoul Seoul has been Korea's capital since 1394, when the Joseon dynasty made it the seat of power, and its metro area now holds roughly half of South Korea's population. Busan, the country's second city, served as South Korea's temporary capital during the Korean War when Seoul fell. - What is the capital of Turkey?
Ankara Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made Ankara the capital in October 1923, choosing a central Anatolian base over Istanbul, the old Ottoman seat of power. Istanbul remains far larger, with more than 15 million residents to Ankara's roughly 5.8 million, and it straddles two continents. - What is the capital of Myanmar?
Naypyidaw Myanmar's military government moved the capital from Yangon to the newly built Naypyidaw in 2005, and the name means 'abode of kings'. Naypyidaw covers an area several times that of New York City but has a fraction of the people, leaving its 20-lane highways famously empty. - What is the capital of New Zealand?
Wellington Wellington became New Zealand's capital in 1865, replacing Auckland, because its central position was better placed to serve the South Island. Wellington is the world's southernmost national capital, and its 'Beehive' parliament building is named for its shape. - What is the capital of Morocco?
Rabat Rabat has been Morocco's capital since independence in 1956, having served as the French protectorate's administrative center from 1912. Casablanca is the economic powerhouse with about 3.7 million people, and its Hassan II Mosque has one of the world's tallest minarets at 210 meters. - What is the capital of Switzerland?
Bern Bern has been the seat of Switzerland's federal government since 1848, though the constitution calls it the 'federal city' rather than the capital. Zurich and Geneva are bigger and better known, but Bern's medieval old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. - What is the capital of Nigeria?
Abuja Nigeria moved its capital from crowded, coastal Lagos to the planned city of Abuja in December 1991, choosing a central, ethnically neutral site. Lagos remains one of Africa's largest metropolises, with a population estimated well above 15 million and still climbing. - What is the official legislative capital of Sri Lanka?
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a suburb of Colombo, has hosted Sri Lanka's parliament since 1982 and is the country's official capital. Kotte was the capital of a medieval Sinhalese kingdom in the 15th century, long before the Portuguese and British ruled from Colombo. - What is the capital of Kazakhstan?
Astana Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997, and the city was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 before reverting to Astana in 2022. Astana is among the coldest capitals on earth, with winter temperatures regularly dropping below minus 30°C. - What is the capital of South Africa (executive)?
Pretoria Pretoria houses the Union Buildings and the president's offices, making it the executive capital, while Cape Town hosts parliament and Bloemfontein the top courts. Pretoria is officially part of the City of Tshwane metropolitan municipality, and it is nicknamed the Jacaranda City for its purple-blooming trees. - What is the capital of Bolivia (constitutional)?
Sucre Sucre is named in Bolivia's constitution as the capital and houses the Supreme Court, while the government and parliament sit in La Paz. La Paz, at around 3,650 meters, is the highest seat of government in the world and is served by the Mi Teleférico cable-car network. - What is the capital of Mongolia?
Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar, meaning 'Red Hero', has been Mongolia's capital since 1924 and is home to nearly half of the country's 3.5 million people. It is the coldest national capital in the world, with an average annual temperature just below freezing.
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