Capitals that moved

A capital is not forever. Many countries have moved theirs: to bind together a huge territory, to start afresh after a revolution or to get away from a crowded coast. Here are some of the best-known moves, with their dates.

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Capitals built from scratch

Brazil moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília, a city built in a few years in the interior and inaugurated in 1960. The idea was to bring the government to the heart of the country, away from the coast.

Nigeria did something similar: in 1991 the capital moved from Lagos, on the coast, to Abuja, a planned city in the centre of the country. Australia chose Canberra as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne; Parliament moved there in 1927.

A fresh start

When the Ottoman Empire fell, the new Republic of Turkey made Ankara its capital in 1923, instead of Istanbul, the imperial capital for centuries.

In Russia, the Bolsheviks moved the capital back to Moscow in 1918, after two centuries in Saint Petersburg. Japan moved it from Kyoto to Tokyo, the former Edo, with the Meiji Restoration of 1868.

Recent moves

Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997. The city was called Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022 and then took back the name Astana.

Germany made Berlin its capital again after reunification in 1990; Bonn had been West Germany's capital, and the government moved to Berlin in 1999. Myanmar moved its government from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005.

Capitals on paper

In some countries the official capital and the city where the government works are not the same. Côte d'Ivoire named Yamoussoukro its capital in 1983, although much of the administration is still in Abidjan. Tanzania chose Dodoma in 1973 and has been moving its institutions there from Dar es Salaam little by little.

In 2022 Indonesia approved moving its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new city on the island of Borneo.

Test yourself

In Cartógrafo the capitals are today's: Brasília, Abuja, Astana, Ankara, Canberra. Learn each continent's capitals step by step, or race the clock to find the country of each capital.

Games to start with

Capitals of the WorldCapitals Capitals of AfricaCapitals Capitals of AsiaCapitals Capitals of Central & South AmericaCapitals

Frequently asked questions

Why did Brazil move its capital to Brasília?

To bring the government into the interior of the country, away from the coast. Brasília was inaugurated in 1960 and replaced Rio de Janeiro.

What was Nigeria's capital before Abuja?

Lagos. The capital moved to Abuja, a planned city in the centre of the country, in 1991.

What is the capital of Kazakhstan?

Astana. It has been the capital since 1997, when it replaced Almaty; from 2019 to 2022 it was called Nur-Sultan.

Since when has Ankara been Turkey's capital?

Since 1923, when the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed. Before that, the Ottoman Empire's capital was Istanbul.

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