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World capitals quiz

Two quizzes, 20 questions, two levels. Every answer is explained as you play.

  • 2 quizzes
  • 20 questions
  • 2 levels
  • Printable list
Easy
Medium
Questions and answers — printable list
  1. Which city is the capital of the United States, even though it is not the country's largest city?Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. is the U.S. capital, but New York City is the country's largest city, according to Britannica.
  2. Which city is the capital of Canada, even though Toronto is the country's largest city?OttawaOttawa is Canada's capital, while Toronto is the country's largest city, according to Britannica.
  3. Which city is the capital of Australia, even though Sydney is the country's largest city?CanberraCanberra is Australia's capital, while Sydney is the country's largest city, according to Britannica.
  4. Which city is the capital of New Zealand, even though Auckland is the country's largest city?WellingtonWellington is New Zealand's capital, while Auckland is the country's largest city, according to Britannica.
  5. Which South American capital, located in Bolivia, is widely considered the highest national capital in the world?La PazLa Paz sits at roughly 10,650 to 13,250 feet of elevation, making it the world's highest national capital, according to Britannica.
  6. Which European capital, located in Iceland, is considered the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign nation?ReykjavikReykjavik lies at about 64°N latitude, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state, according to Britannica.
  7. Which capital city-state, located entirely within Rome, is the smallest sovereign state in the world?Vatican CityVatican City covers just 109 acres within Rome, making it the world's smallest sovereign state, according to Britannica.
  8. Which European capital city lies on both banks of the River Thames?LondonLondon sits on both banks of the River Thames, according to Britannica.
  9. Inaugurated in 1960 as a purpose-built city in Brazil's interior, which city serves as the country's capital today?BrasíliaBrasília was purpose-built in the Brazilian interior and inaugurated on April 21, 1960, becoming the country's new capital and shifting the seat of government away from the coast.
  10. Which German city became the country's capital again after reunification in 1990, replacing Bonn?BerlinThe 1990 reunification treaty made Berlin Germany's capital again, succeeding Bonn, which had been West Germany's capital since 1949, according to Britannica.
  11. Which country has three official capitals — Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein?South AfricaSouth Africa split capital functions among three cities as a compromise when the Union of South Africa formed in 1910, per Britannica.
  12. Which city serves as Bolivia's constitutional and judicial capital, home to the country's Supreme Court?SucreBolivia has two capitals: La Paz handles government administration while Sucre holds judicial and constitutional status, per Britannica.
  13. Which Dutch city is the constitutional capital of the Netherlands, even though The Hague houses the actual government?AmsterdamThe Dutch constitution names Amsterdam the capital and the site of royal inaugurations, while The Hague seats parliament, the cabinet, and the courts.
  14. Which city officially replaced Yangon as Myanmar's capital in 2005?NaypyidawNaypyidaw, whose name means 'city of kings,' took over as Myanmar's capital on November 6, 2005, per Britannica.
  15. Which city became Nigeria's national capital in 1991, replacing Lagos?AbujaAbuja officially became Nigeria's capital on December 12, 1991, after years of planned construction in a centrally located, ethnically neutral site.
  16. Which city officially became Pakistan's capital on August 14, 1967, succeeding Rawalpindi, the country's interim capital since 1959?IslamabadKarachi was Pakistan's first capital, but Rawalpindi served as the interim seat of government from 1959 while the planned city of Islamabad was under construction. Islamabad formally became the capital on August 14, 1967.
  17. Which Central Asian capital was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 before reverting to its earlier name in 2022?AstanaKazakhstan's capital was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 to honor the outgoing president, then reverted to Astana in September 2022, per Britannica.
  18. Which national capital was named in honor of U.S. President James Monroe?MonroviaLiberia's capital, Monrovia, was named for James Monroe, a prominent supporter of the American Colonization Society that founded the settlement in 1822.
  19. What does Bangkok's Thai name, Krung Thep, translate to in English?City of AngelsThai residents often use Krung Thep, meaning 'City of Angels,' rather than 'Bangkok,' per Britannica.
  20. Which city replaced Istanbul as Turkey's capital in 1923?AnkaraAnkara became Turkey's capital on October 13, 1923, after Atatürk made it the center of the independence movement, per Britannica.

Keep playing

Africa20 questions, 2 quizzes Asia20 questions, 2 quizzes Countries of the world90 questions, 9 quizzes Europe20 questions, 2 quizzes State capitals90 questions, 9 quizzes 50 states90 questions, 9 quizzes

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About the world capitals quiz

World capitals quizzes trip people up for a simple reason: a country's capital is often not its biggest or best-known city. Ottawa is Canada's capital, yet Toronto is the country's largest city; Canberra was chosen as a compromise between Melbourne and Sydney, Australia's largest city; Wellington, not Auckland, runs New Zealand's government. A few countries complicate things further — South Africa splits governing duties among three cities, and Bolivia keeps two separate capitals, one for its legislature and one for its Supreme Court.

Across 2 quizzes and 20 questions, the easier rounds stick to straightforward country-and-capital pairs, including a few where the two names match, like Panama City and Panama itself. Medium rounds bring in capitals that are not their country's largest city, such as Washington, D.C., Ottawa, and Canberra. The hardest rounds cover purpose-built capitals like Brasília and Naypyidaw, renamed capitals such as Kazakhstan's, and countries that maintain more than one official capital, like South Africa.

Frequently asked questions

What does this world capitals quiz cover?

This page groups its quizzes by difficulty, moving from well-known country-capital pairs toward lesser-known seats of government, cities that have changed names, and nations that recognize more than one official capital. Each round focuses on matching a city to the country it serves, without requiring an atlas or any outside reference while you play.

How should I use the three difficulty levels?

Start with the easier quizzes to lock in common country-capital pairs before moving to the medium and hard rounds, which lean on capitals that are not a country's largest or best-known city, like Ottawa, Canberra, or Wellington, and on renamed or purpose-built seats of government such as Naypyidaw or Astana.

No made-up answers

Every question here was written from a named source and reviewed before it went live.