Some countries can be considered to have multiple capitals. In some cases, one city is the capital for some purposes, and one or more others are capital for other purposes, without any being considered an official capital in preference to the others. There are also cases where there is a single legally defined capital, but one or more other cities operate as the seat of government of some or all parts of the national government; in these situations, sources may disagree on whether these other cities are considered additional capital cities.
More than one capital at present
This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (July 2024) |
| Country | Capitals | Details |
|---|---|---|
 Benin | Porto-Novo | Official capital |
| Cotonou | De facto administrative capital | |
 Bolivia | Sucre | Constitutional capital |
| La Paz | De facto executive and legislative capital | |
 Burundi | Gitega | Official political capital |
| Bujumbura | Seat of government and economic capital | |
 Eswatini | Mbabane | Administrative capital |
| Lobamba | Legislative capital (parliament) and place of royal residence | |
 Indonesia | Nusantara | Official capital |
| Jakarta | De facto administrative capital | |
 Ivory Coast | Yamoussoukro | Official capital |
| Abidjan | De facto administrative capital | |
 Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Constitutional and legislative capital (parliament), seat of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong |
| Putrajaya | Administrative centre and judicial seat; variously referred to as the administrative capital | |
 Netherlands | Amsterdam | Official capital |
| The Hague | Seat of government and de facto administrative capital | |
 South Africa | Pretoria | Administrative and executive capital |
| Bloemfontein | Judicial capital | |
| Cape Town | Legislative capital (parliament) | |
 Sri Lanka | Colombo | Executive, judicial, and commercial capital |
| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | Legislative capital (parliament) | |
 Afghanistan | Kabul | Administrative, cultural and financial capital |
| Kandahar | De facto capital, founding city of the Taliban and the seat of the Taliban Parliament. and the Supreme Leader |
More than one capital in the past
These countries have had two cities that served as administrative capitals at the same time, for various reasons such as war, weather or partition. In some cases, the second capital is considered a temporary capital.
| Country | Year(s) | Capitals | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
 British India | 1858–1947 | Kolkata (a.k.a. Calcutta) (1858–1911) | Administrative capital |
| New Delhi (1911–1947) | |||
| Shimla (a.k.a. Simla) | Summer capital | ||
 Austria-Hungary | 1873–1918 | Vienna | Cisleithania |
| Budapest | Kingdom of Hungary | ||
 Republic of China | 1937–1945 | Nanjing (a.k.a. Nanking) | Capital of the Japanese-controlled puppet state |
| Chongqing | Provisional capital of the Kuomintang-ruled Republic of China | ||
| 1945–1991 | Nanjing | Administrative, legislative, and judicial capital (claimed between the 1949 Retreat and the 1992 Consensus) | |
| Taipei | Provisional capital of the Kuomintang-ruled Republic of China on Taiwan | ||
 France | 1940–1944 | Vichy | De facto administrative capital |
| Paris | De jure constitutional capital, also capital for the German military administration | ||
 Kingdom of Italy | 1943–1944 | Brindisi (1943–Feb 1944) | De facto provisional capital |
| Salerno (Feb–Jun 1944) | |||
| Rome | De jure capital until 1944 when it was liberated by the Allies | ||
 Italian Social Republic | 1943–1944 | Salò | De facto capital until 1944 when it became the primary capital |
| Rome | De jure capital until 1944 when it was liberated by the Allies | ||
 Laos | 1947–1975 | Vientiane | Administrative capital |
| Luang Prabang | Royal capital | ||
 Libya | 1951–1963 | Tripoli | One of two official capitals of the Kingdom of Libya, then Bayda became the capital of Libya from 1963 to 1969 |
| Benghazi | |||
 Malawi | 1974–1994 | Lilongwe | Administrative and judiciary capital |
| Zomba | Legislative capital | ||
| Netherlands-Indonesia Union | 1948–1956 | Amsterdam | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Jakarta | United States of Indonesia | ||
 Norway | 1940 | Oslo | Official capital |
| Hamar | Temporarily one-day capital that seated the parliament | ||
 Philippines | 1948–1976 | Quezon City | Official capital |
| Manila | De facto seat of government | ||
| 1901–1976 | Baguio | Summer capital (still known as summer capital, outside of political use) | |
 Serbia and Montenegro | 2003–2006 | Belgrade | Administrative and legislative capital |
| Podgorica | Judicial capital |
See also
- List of national capitals
- List of purpose-built national capitals
References
- "Loi n°1/04 du 04 février 2019 portant Fixation de la Capitale Politique et de la Capitale Economique du Burundi – Présidence de la République du Burundi". 13 February 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- "Prabowo Cabut Status DKI dari Jakarta, Berlaku Mulai Ini Ditetapkan!", Emir Yanwardhana, CNBC Indonesia, retrieved 10 December 2024
- "Cote d'Ivoire", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 7 August 2024, retrieved 22 August 2024
- "Putrajaya | Smart Putrajaya". smart.putrajaya.my. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- "Sri Lanka Tourism - The Official Website of Sri Lanka Tourism". srilanka.travel. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- Ikramullah Ikram; Abubakar Siddique (18 April 2023). "Southern Afghan City Becomes De Facto Capital As Taliban Chief Tightens Grip On Power". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- Kongens nei - 9. april (Norwegian)
Some countries can be considered to have multiple capitals In some cases one city is the capital for some purposes and one or more others are capital for other purposes without any being considered an official capital in preference to the others There are also cases where there is a single legally defined capital but one or more other cities operate as the seat of government of some or all parts of the national government in these situations sources may disagree on whether these other cities are considered additional capital cities More than one capital at presentThis article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations July 2024 Learn how and when to remove this message Country Capitals Details Benin Porto Novo Official capitalCotonou De facto administrative capital Bolivia Sucre Constitutional capitalLa Paz De facto executive and legislative capital Burundi Gitega Official political capitalBujumbura Seat of government and economic capital Eswatini Mbabane Administrative capitalLobamba Legislative capital parliament and place of royal residence Indonesia Nusantara Official capitalJakarta De facto administrative capital Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro Official capitalAbidjan De facto administrative capital Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Constitutional and legislative capital parliament seat of the Yang di Pertuan AgongPutrajaya Administrative centre and judicial seat variously referred to as the administrative capital Netherlands Amsterdam Official capitalThe Hague Seat of government and de facto administrative capital South Africa Pretoria Administrative and executive capitalBloemfontein Judicial capitalCape Town Legislative capital parliament Sri Lanka Colombo Executive judicial and commercial capitalSri Jayawardenepura Kotte Legislative capital parliament Afghanistan Kabul Administrative cultural and financial capitalKandahar De facto capital founding city of the Taliban and the seat of the Taliban Parliament and the Supreme LeaderMore than one capital in the pastThese countries have had two cities that served as administrative capitals at the same time for various reasons such as war weather or partition In some cases the second capital is considered a temporary capital Country Year s Capitals Details British India 1858 1947 Kolkata a k a Calcutta 1858 1911 Administrative capitalNew Delhi 1911 1947 Shimla a k a Simla Summer capitalAustria Hungary 1873 1918 Vienna CisleithaniaBudapest Kingdom of Hungary Republic of China 1937 1945 Nanjing a k a Nanking Capital of the Japanese controlled puppet stateChongqing Provisional capital of the Kuomintang ruled Republic of China1945 1991 Nanjing Administrative legislative and judicial capital claimed between the 1949 Retreat and the 1992 Consensus Taipei Provisional capital of the Kuomintang ruled Republic of China on Taiwan France 1940 1944 Vichy De facto administrative capitalParis De jure constitutional capital also capital for the German military administration Kingdom of Italy 1943 1944 Brindisi 1943 Feb 1944 De facto provisional capitalSalerno Feb Jun 1944 Rome De jure capital until 1944 when it was liberated by the Allies Italian Social Republic 1943 1944 Salo De facto capital until 1944 when it became the primary capitalRome De jure capital until 1944 when it was liberated by the Allies Laos 1947 1975 Vientiane Administrative capitalLuang Prabang Royal capital Libya 1951 1963 Tripoli One of two official capitals of the Kingdom of Libya then Bayda became the capital of Libya from 1963 to 1969Benghazi Malawi 1974 1994 Lilongwe Administrative and judiciary capitalZomba Legislative capitalNetherlands Indonesia Union 1948 1956 Amsterdam Kingdom of the NetherlandsJakarta United States of Indonesia Norway 1940 Oslo Official capitalHamar Temporarily one day capital that seated the parliament Philippines 1948 1976 Quezon City Official capitalManila De facto seat of government1901 1976 Baguio Summer capital still known as summer capital outside of political use Serbia and Montenegro 2003 2006 Belgrade Administrative and legislative capitalPodgorica Judicial capitalSee alsoList of national capitals List of purpose built national capitalsReferences Loi n 1 04 du 04 fevrier 2019 portant Fixation de la Capitale Politique et de la Capitale Economique du Burundi Presidence de la Republique du Burundi 13 February 2019 Retrieved 22 August 2024 Prabowo Cabut Status DKI dari Jakarta Berlaku Mulai Ini Ditetapkan Emir Yanwardhana CNBC Indonesia retrieved 10 December 2024 Cote d Ivoire The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency 7 August 2024 retrieved 22 August 2024 Putrajaya Smart Putrajaya smart putrajaya my Retrieved 6 December 2022 Sri Lanka Tourism The Official Website of Sri Lanka Tourism srilanka travel Retrieved 22 August 2024 Ikramullah Ikram Abubakar Siddique 18 April 2023 Southern Afghan City Becomes De Facto Capital As Taliban Chief Tightens Grip On Power Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty Archived from the original on 11 May 2023 Retrieved 11 May 2023 Kongens nei 9 april Norwegian
