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Big cities that surprisingly aren’t capitals

June 25, 202114 min read Elias D. Lafrance

Big cities that surprisingly aren’t capitals

Karlina Valeiko

5 hrs ago

Can you name the real capitals?

Famous for their beauty, iconic landmarks, top-notch cuisine or jaw-dropping architecture, almost all of these cities are very well known across the globe. However, many also get mistaken for the country’s capital city, which they are not. Here we take a look at some of the world’s most famous and popular cities and discover what the true capital city of those countries is.

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Toronto, Canada

Canada’s most visited city, Toronto is the most populous city in Canada. Along with Montréal, Québec City and Vancouver, Toronto is regarded among Canada’s major cities, but interestingly, none of them are the capital. While Toronto is a prominent center for music, theater and television production, the capital is located in Ottawa.

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Auckland, New Zealand

The City of Sails, as it’s also known, Auckland has a rich maritime heritage and the view of the city from the Waitemata Harbour is one of its most famous. As the most visited city in New Zealand and the most populous, it’s unsurprising many mistake Auckland for the capital. New Zealand’s true capital, Wellington, became the home of the Government, Parliament and the Supreme Court in 1865 and is known as the world’s windiest city by average wind speed.

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New York City, New York, USA

New York City is certainly king of the hill and top of the heap, but it is not the capital of the USA. Typically, the most visited city in the USA and one of the most popular destinations in the world, it’s unsurprising that some might imagine New York as the capital city. The real capital, Washington DC, lies some 230 miles (370km) south and has been the nation’s legislative, executive and judicial center since 1791.

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Colombo, Sri Lanka

The largest city of Sri Lanka, Colombo is regarded as the commercial capital of the country and is also a popular tourist destination as it serves as the gateway to the rest of the country. Due to a peculiar circumstance though, sometimes Colombo is seen as the capital. The actual capital Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is located within Colombo’s urban area so sometimes the two get mixed up. Commonly known as Kotte, it was named capital in 1977.

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Marrakech, Morocco

It would be fair to assume that one of the most popular North African destinations and Morocco’s top tourism spot is the nation’s capital. Known for its meandering medina streets, ancient landmarks and incredible street food, Marrakech has long enticed travelers from all over. The capital, Rabat, is only the seventh-largest city in the country and first became the capital in 1912 under the French rule.

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Even though Rio de Janeiro used to be the capital of South America’s largest nation, it’s not anymore. Brazil is another country where several cities can easily be mistaken for the capital and with Rio’s global appeal, famous beaches and iconic landmarks, it’s hard to see why the capital was moved in the first place. While it is only second in terms of resident numbers, it is the most visited city in Brazil by foreign travelers.

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São Paulo, Brazil

While Rio takes the crown as the tourism capital, São Paulo is not only Brazil’s financial and business center but also a key player in the global economic network. Around 270 miles (440km) west from Rio, São Paulo is one of the most populous cities in the world. However, both of these cities are located along the southeastern coast of Brazil and in a bid to bring a capital to a more central location, the idea of Brasília as capital was conceived. Founded in 1960, it’s a planned city and all three branches of the government are located here.

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St Petersburg, Russia

The Hermitage, the Winter Palace, the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood: St Petersburg is almost indecently full of iconic buildings so it’s understandable why more tourists visit this charming city than the capital Moscow. Whether quilted in snow or lit up during the White Nights festival in summer, the city’s big sights really don’t have a bad angle. While it might not be the center of power in Russia, it is often referred to as the cultural capital of the country.

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Barcelona, Spain

Lucky Barcelona is blessed with plenty of sunshine, incredible architecture and world-class cuisine, not to mention what’s considered the best urban beach in Europe. However, the 32 million travelers that typically come to Barcelona each year are in fact visiting Spain’s second city. The country’s actual capital, Madrid, is significantly larger and more populous than Barcelona. It’s also the official primary residence of the Spanish monarchy.

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Zürich, Switzerland

Another country where two cities can easily be mistaken for the capital is Switzerland. Zürich is the largest city and is also a significant player in the world economy. It’s one of the largest financial centers in the world and despite having a relatively small population, is home to many financial, insurance and banking companies. It’s consistently ranked among the best cities to live in and the cities with the highest quality of life.

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Geneva, Switzerland

Also a significant financial center, Switzerland’s second-most populous city Geneva is known for the concentration of headquarters of international organizations. Most notably, many agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross are based in Geneva. It’s also famous as the location where the Geneva Conventions (concerning prisoners of war and civilians during wartime) were signed. Switzerland’s actual capital, Bern, was chosen to avoid a power-grab by one of these two more significant cities and has served as the federal city for more than 170 years.

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Dubrovnik, Croatia

Game of Thrones fan or not, it’s near impossible that you’ve not heard of this enchanting walled city. It would only make sense to assume the country’s most famous and popular city is also its capital. In fact, Croatia’s capital lies at pretty much the other end of the country, in northern Croatia. Zagreb is the country’s largest city and, although Dubrovnik is arguably the most popular destination, Zagreb is also the gateway to the famous Plitvice Lakes National Park.

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Istanbul, Turkey

It might be Turkey’s ancient capital and the final stage of the legendary Silk Road, but it is not the country’s capital anymore. Known as the place where east meets west, the city has plenty of famous attractions, from the imposing Hagia Sophia to the stunning Blue Mosque and one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world – Grand Bazaar. The actual capital, Ankara, became the headquarters of the Turkish National Movement during the Turkish War of Independence. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the new republic’s capital was declared to be Ankara in 1923.

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La Paz, Bolivia

While La Paz technically is the de facto capital of Bolivia, the constitutional capital is actually in Sucre where Bolivia’s Declaration of Independence was signed – a fact not known by many. La Paz is the highest administrative capital in the world at 11,913 feet (3,631m) above sea level and is famous for its food market Mercado Uruguay and the National Museum of Art, whose imposing, grand setting is a sight to behold in itself.

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Shanghai, China

One of the world’s most important hubs for business, finance and international trade, it’s hard to imagine how big Shanghai actually is. The second most populous city in the world, Shanghai’s port is also one of the most significant and busiest container ports anywhere in the world. From the iconic skyline of its financial district Lujiazui to the wealth of museums and historic buildings, Shanghai is undoubtedly an important Chinese city but it is not the capital. The capital Beijing lies to the north and is the world’s most populous city.

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Yangon, Myanmar

Myanmar and its largest city Yangon get extra points for being especially tricky. Notable for its many religious sites, Yangon is among Myanmar’s most visited destinations along with Bagan and Mandalay. The country used to be called Burma and Yangon (known then as Rangoon) used to be its capital. The names were changed in 1989, and in 2005 a new capital was declared – Naypyidaw, some 200 miles (322km) north of Yangon.

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Mumbai, India

Perched on India’s west coast, it’s no surprise you might mistake Mumbai for India’s capital. It’s India’s largest city, a financial center and the heart of the Bollywood film industry. It’s also home to one of the world’s most ornate train stations, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) was the capital of India until December 1911 when the British Raj decided to move the capital because of the growing anti-colonial sentiment in Kolkata. India’s new capital was established in New Delhi in 1931.

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Almaty, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis, Almaty is set in the foothills of the majestic Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. If you think the name sounds familiar, that’s because it actually was the country’s capital until 1997. Despite the capital moving, Almaty remains its financial, business and cultural hub. To make things even more complicated, Almaty used to be called by the Russian name Alma-Ata during the Soviet rule. Then, in 1997, the government relocated the capital to Astana, which was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 in honor of the departing president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jaw-dropping is probably the best word to describe Dubai. Towering skyscrapers, sprawling shopping centers and some of the world’s most luxurious hotels define this unique city. It’s the United Arab Emirates’ most populous city and is a major hub for both cargo and passengers – both tourism and business. Typically visited by around nine million people, Dubai is the capital city of the Emirate of Dubai, however, the nation’s capital is Abu Dhabi, less than a two-hour drive away.

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Johannesburg, South Africa

There are several countries that have split capitals, but South Africa takes this system to the next level. Surprisingly, its largest city Johannesburg isn’t one of the three capitals even though it’s the seat of the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa. When the country was pieced together as a union, it was done in a way to try and keep all former states happy so today Cape Town is the seat of the Parliament, Pretoria is home to the President and the Cabinet, and Bloemfontein is the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

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Lagos, Nigeria

The most populous city in all of Africa, Lagos couldn’t be a more significant city. It’s a financial center and an economic hub and has one of the largest and busiest seaports on the content. It’s also one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and is the heart of the Nigerian film industry, often referred to as Nollywood. The true capital Abuja is another planned city that was developed in the 1980s, neutral to all major ethnic parties and in close proximity to all the Nigerian regions.

Take a look at incredible pictures of tourist attractions that no longer exist

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Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Including Amsterdam on this list is a bit of cheating as it kind of is the joint capital of the Netherlands. However, all of the governmental institutions are located in Den Haag (The Hague), which is considered the political capital. Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s cultural offering, fine cuisine and a wealth of museums is a tourism magnet, typically drawing in around 20 million visitors every year.

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Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Although the capital was officially moved to Dodoma in 1996, much of the government infrastructure is still in Dar es Salaam so many assume that Tanzania’s largest city is still its capital. A major financial hub, Dar es Salaam is home to several universities and is considered the educational center of Tanzania. Most travelers also use Dar es Salaam as their arrival and departure point for exploring the rest of Tanzania.

Now take a look at the world’s most underrated historic small cities

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Sydney, Australia

Known the world over for its stunning harbor, bridge and opera house vistas, Sydney does feel a lot like a capital city. The country’s oldest, it’s also Australia’s most populous city and serves as a gateway to many other popular destinations, like the Blue Mountains. The reason it’s not the capital is a result of a long dispute between Sydney and another significant Australian city…

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Melbourne, Australia

…Melbourne, of course! Coastal capital of the Australian state of Victoria, it was at the center of the Australian Gold rush in the 1800s and was briefly chosen as the seat of the Government at the time of Australia’s federation in 1901. After lengthy arguments between the two cities, it was decided a new capital would be built on neutral ground and the new city, Canberra, was officially declared capital in 1913.

Can you guess these capital cities from the sky?

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26/26 SLIDES

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