Geography
World Capitals Quiz
Paris and Tokyo are easy. But can you name the capital of Bhutan, Suriname, or Nauru?
Paris and Tokyo are easy. But can you name the capital of Bhutan, Suriname, or Nauru?
Roughly one-third of all national capitals are not the largest city in their country — and this quiz is built to catch you on exactly those surprises. Drawing from a pool of 10 questions, it covers capitals across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, from well-known cities like Ankara to obscure ones like Naypyidaw and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
Each session serves up 10 randomized multiple-choice questions with four options apiece and instant feedback on every answer. You'll receive a final score, a performance tier, and shareable results — and because the order is shuffled each time, every playthrough offers a fresh challenge.
You'll discover purpose-built capitals like Canberra and Brasilia, learn why countries sometimes move their seat of government, and encounter lesser-known facts — for instance, Ulaanbaatar is home to nearly half of Mongolia's entire population. The quiz also covers tricky cases like Sri Lanka, which has two capitals serving different governmental functions.
Beijing, China is generally considered the largest capital city in the world by population, with over 21 million residents in its urban core. Tokyo, Japan often ranks first when its greater metropolitan area is included, exceeding 37 million people. The ranking depends on whether city proper or metro-area figures are used.
Indonesia is in the process of relocating its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new planned city on the island of Borneo, with the formal move beginning in 2024. Myanmar previously made one of the most notable modern capital relocations when it shifted from Yangon to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in 2006.
About 60 to 70 of the world's roughly 195 capitals are not the most populous city in their country. Familiar examples include Washington D.C. (smaller than New York), Canberra (smaller than Sydney), and Ankara (smaller than Istanbul). Countries often chose smaller cities as capitals for reasons of geographic centrality, strategic defense, or political compromise.
Last updated: March 2026