A Global Compendium: Countries of the World and Their Capitals
In our interconnected global community, each country represents a unique piece of the mosaic of human civilization. From the bustling streets of Tokyo to the serene landscapes of Bhutan, every nation has its own identity, culture, and governance. This comprehensive guide aims to list all the recognized countries in the world along with their capitals, offering readers a window into the diverse tapestry of our planet.
The United Nations’ Perspective
The most widely accepted list of countries comes from the United Nations (UN), which as of my last update in April 2023, recognizes 193 member states. This blog takes the UN’s list as its foundation while acknowledging that geopolitical landscapes are always in flux.
Countries and Their Capitals
Below is an alphabetical list of UN member states and their capitals. This overview serves as a testament to our world’s diversity, history, and the complexity of international relations.
- Afghanistan – Kabul
- Albania – Tirana
- Algeria – Algiers
- Andorra – Andorra la Vella
- Angola – Luanda
- Antigua and Barbuda – Saint John’s
- Argentina – Buenos Aires
- Armenia – Yerevan
- Australia – Canberra
- Austria – Vienna
- Azerbaijan – Baku
- Bahamas – Nassau
- Bahrain – Manama
- Bangladesh – Dhaka
- Barbados – Bridgetown
- Belarus – Minsk
- Belgium – Brussels
- Belize – Belmopan
- Benin – Porto-Novo
- Bhutan – Thimphu
- Bolivia – Sucre (constitutional), La Paz (seat of government)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo
- Botswana – Gaborone
- Brazil – Brasília
- Brunei – Bandar Seri Begawan
- Bulgaria – Sofia
- Burkina Faso – Ouagadougou
- Burundi – Gitega
- Cabo Verde – Praia
- Cambodia – Phnom Penh
- Cameroon – Yaoundé
- Canada – Ottawa
- Central African Republic – Bangui
- Chad – N’Djamena
- Chile – Santiago
- China – Beijing
- Colombia – Bogotá
- Comoros – Moroni
- Congo (Democratic Republic of the) – Kinshasa
- Congo (Republic of the) – Brazzaville
- Costa Rica – San José
- Croatia – Zagreb
- Cuba – Havana
- Cyprus – Nicosia
- Czech Republic – Prague
- Denmark – Copenhagen
- Djibouti – Djibouti (city)
- Dominica – Roseau
- Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo
- Ecuador – Quito
- Egypt – Cairo
- El Salvador – San Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea – Malabo
- Eritrea – Asmara
- Estonia – Tallinn
- Eswatini – Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (legislative, royal)
- Ethiopia – Addis Ababa
- Fiji – Suva
- Finland – Helsinki
- France – Paris
- Gabon – Libreville
- Gambia – Banjul
- Georgia – Tbilisi
- Germany – Berlin
- Ghana – Accra
- Greece – Athens
- Grenada – Saint George’s
- Guatemala – Guatemala City
- Guinea – Conakry
- Guinea-Bissau – Bissau
- Guyana – Georgetown
- Haiti – Port-au-Prince
- Honduras – Tegucigalpa
- Hungary – Budapest
- Iceland – Reykjavík
- India – New Delhi
- Indonesia – Jakarta
- Iran – Tehran
- Iraq – Baghdad
- Ireland – Dublin
- Israel – Jerusalem
- Italy – Rome
- Jamaica – Kingston
- Japan – Tokyo
- Jordan – Amman
- Kazakhstan – Nur-Sultan
- Kenya – Nairobi
- Kiribati – Tarawa
- Kuwait – Kuwait City
- Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek
- Laos – Vientiane
- Latvia – Riga
- Lebanon – Beirut
- Lesotho – Maseru
- Liberia – Monrovia
- Libya – Tripoli
- Liechtenstein – Vaduz
- Lithuania – Vilnius
- Luxembourg – Luxembourg (city)
- Madagascar – Antananarivo
- Malawi – Lilongwe
- Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur
- Maldives – Malé
- Mali – Bamako
- Malta – Valletta
- Marshall Islands – Majuro
- Mauritania – Nouakchott
- Mauritius – Port Louis
- Mexico – Mexico City
- Micronesia (Federated States of) – Palikir
- Moldova – Chișinău
- Monaco – Monaco
- Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar
- Montenegro – Podgorica
- Morocco – Rabat
- Mozambique – Maputo
- Myanmar – Naypyidaw
- Namibia – Windhoek
- Nauru – Yaren District (de facto)
- Nepal – Kathmandu
- Netherlands – Amsterdam
- New Zealand – Wellington
- Nicaragua – Managua
- Niger – Niamey
- Nigeria – Abuja
- North Macedonia – Skopje
- Norway – Oslo
- Oman – Muscat
- Pakistan – Islamabad
- Palau – Ngerulmud
- Palestine (Observer) – East Jerusalem
- Panama – Panama City
- Papua New Guinea – Port Moresby
- Paraguay – Asunción
- Peru – Lima
- Philippines – Manila
- Poland – Warsaw
- Portugal – Lisbon
- Qatar – Doha
- Romania – Bucharest
- Russia – Moscow
- Rwanda – Kigali
- Saint Kitts and Nevis – Basseterre
- Saint Lucia – Castries
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Kingstown
- Samoa – Apia
- San Marino – San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe – São Tomé
- Saudi Arabia – Riyadh
- Senegal – Dakar
- Serbia – Belgrade
- Seychelles – Victoria
- Sierra Leone – Freetown
- Singapore – Singapore
- Slovakia – Bratislava
- Slovenia – Ljubljana
- Solomon Islands – Honiara
- Somalia – Mogadishu
- South Africa – Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
- South Korea – Seoul
- South Sudan – Juba
- Spain – Madrid
- Sri Lanka – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (executive and judicial)
- Sudan – Khartoum
- Suriname – Paramaribo
- Sweden – Stockholm
- Switzerland – Bern
- Syria – Damascus
- Taiwan – Taipei (Note: Taiwan is not a UN member but is included here due to its significant global interaction and recognition by some countries.)
- Tajikistan – Dushanbe
- Tanzania – Dodoma
- Thailand – Bangkok
- Timor-Leste – Dili
- Togo – Lomé
- Tonga – Nukuʻalofa
- Trinidad and Tobago – Port of Spain
- Tunisia – Tunis
- Turkey – Ankara
- Turkmenistan – Ashgabat
- Tuvalu – Funafuti
- Uganda – Kampala
- Ukraine – Kyiv
- United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi
- United Kingdom – London
- United States – Washington, D.C.
- Uruguay – Montevideo
- Uzbekistan – Tashkent
- Vanuatu – Port Vila
- Vatican City (Holy See) (Observer) – Vatican City
- Venezuela – Caracas
- Vietnam – Hanoi
- Yemen – Sana’a
- Zambia – Lusaka
- Zimbabwe – Harare
A Note on Sovereignty and Recognition
It’s important to remember that the status and recognition of countries can evolve. This list is based on the current UN member states and includes a note on Taiwan and the observer status of entities like the Holy See and Palestine for completeness and awareness of the broader international context.
Conclusion
This guide to the countries of the world and their capitals reflects our planet’s incredible diversity and the complexities of international politics. It serves as a reminder of our interconnectedness and the shared responsibility to foster understanding and cooperation across borders.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this blog is accurate as of its last update in 2023. Given the fluid nature of international recognition and political boundaries, readers are encouraged to consult up-to-date sources for the latest information.
Hashtags
#GlobalDiversity #WorldCapitals #GeographyEducation #UnitedNations #InternationalRelations
