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For other uses, see Capital (disambiguation).

A capital is the area of a country regarded as enjoying primary status; it is almost always the city which physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of the seat of government and fixed by law, but there are a number of exceptions. The seat of government is the location of the government for a political entity. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Alternate terms include capital city and political capital; the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of "capital". This article is about capital as an analogy to financial wealth for the seat of government see Capital city.

The word capital is derived from the Latin caput meaning "head," and, in the United States, the related term Capitol refers to the building where government business is chiefly conducted. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Seats of government in major sub-state jurisdictions are often called "capitals", but this is typically the case only in countries with some degree of federalism, where major substate jurisdictions have an element of sovereignty. Political federalism is a Political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin foedus, covenant) with a governing Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself In unitary states, "administrative center" or other similar terms are typically used. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created For example, the seat of government in a state of the United States of America is usually called its "capital", but the main city in a region of England is usually not. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government At lower administrative subdivisions, terms such as county town, county seat, or borough seat are usually used. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States.

Historically, the major economic center of a state or region often becomes the focal point of political power, and becomes a capital through conquest or amalgamation. This was the case for London and Moscow. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The capital naturally attracts the politically motivated and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of government such as lawyers, journalists, and public policy researchers. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends A capital that is the prime economic, cultural, or intellectual center is sometimes referred to as a primate city. A primate city is the leading city in its country or region disproportionately larger than any others in the Urban hierarchy. Such is certainly the case with London and Buenos Aires among national capitals, and Irkutsk or Salt Lake City in their respective state or province. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern Irkutsk (Ирку́тск Эрхүү Erkhüü; Эрхүү Erkhüü) is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U

Capitals are sometimes sited to discourage further growth in an existing major city. Brasília was situated in Brazil's interior because the old capital, Rio de Janeiro, and southeastern Brazil in general, were considered over-crowded. Brasília (bɾaˈziliɐ is the Capital of Brazil. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country along a Plateau |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil

The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals, as occurred with Nanjing by Shanghai. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred with Babylon and Cahokia. Societal collapse is the large scale breakdown or long term Decline of the Culture, civil institutions or other major characteristics of a Society or a Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq Many present-day capital cities, such as Abuja, Brasília, Canberra, Islamabad, Ottawa and Washington, D.C. are planned cities, purposefully located away from established population centres for various reasons, and have become gradually established as new business or commercial centres. Abuja is the Capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D A new town, planned community or planned city is a City, Town, or Community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically

Contents

Unorthodox capital city arrangements

See also: List of countries with multiple capitals

A number of cases exist where states or other entities have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. Some countries have multiple capitals; often one city is the Seat of government while the other is the legal Capital. In other cases, the official capital is not the effective one for pragmatic reasons. That is, the city known as the capital is not the seat of government. Occasionally, the official capital may host the seat of government, but is not the geographic origin of political decision-making.

Capital as symbol

With the rise of modern empires and the nation-state, the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government, and imbued with political meaning. An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever a monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding or capture of a modern capital city is an emotional affair. For example:

Strategic importance of capitals

The capital city is almost always a primary target in a war, as capturing it usually guarantees capture of much of the enemy government, victory for the attacking forces, or at the very least demoralization for the defeated forces.

In ancient China, where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on the provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The following is a Chronology of the dynasties in Chinese history. In the Three Kingdoms period, both Shu and Wu fell when their respective capitals of Chengdu and Jianye fell. The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of Shu Han ( Traditional Chinese: 蜀漢 Pinyin: Shǔ Hàn sometimes known as the Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ was one of the Three Kingdoms competing Eastern Wu ( Chinese: 東吳 Pinyin: Dōng Wú also known as Sun Wu ( Traditional Chinese: 孫吳 pinyin Sūn Wú refers to a ( located in southwest People's Republic of China, is the capital of Sichuan province and a Sub-provincial city. The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing, where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles The Manchu people ( Manchu: Manju;, Mongolian: Манж Russian: Маньчжуры are a Tungusic people who originated in The Ming was destroyed when the Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century. Li Zicheng ( ( September 22, 1606 - 1644 born Lĭ Hóngjī (鴻基 was one of the major figures in the rebellion that brought down the Ming Dynasty China Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B After the Qing Dynasty's collapse, decentralization of authority and improved transportation technologies allowed both the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists to rapidly relocate capitals and keep their leadership structures intact during the great crisis of Japanese invasion. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the The Second Sino-Japanese War ( July 7, 1937 to September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the

National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, due to socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed In 1204, after the Latin Crusaders captured the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, Byzantine forces were able to regroup in several provinces; provincial noblemen managed to reconquer the capital after 60 years and preserve the empire for another 200 years after that. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The British forces sacked various American capitals repeatedly during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, but American forces could still carry on fighting from the countryside, where they enjoyed support from local governments and the traditionally independent frontiersmen-civilians. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Exceptions to these generalizations include highly centralized states such as France, whose centralized bureaucracies could effectively coordinate far-flung resources, giving the state a powerful advantage over less coherent rivals, but risking utter ruin if the capital is taken; in their military strategies, traditional enemies of France such as Germany focused on the capture of Paris. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Largest national capital cities

The largest national capitals in each region, by urban/metropolitan area population, are:

Distance to the capital

The greatest distance between a capital and the remotest part of the country is from Paris to New Caledonia, France with 16,760 km (10,410 mi). Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Wellington (ˈwælɪŋtən is the Capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area, the Bogotá —officially named Bogotá DC (DC for " Distrito Capital " which means "Capital District" formerly called Santa Fe de Bogotá The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Other great distances are

Distances Between Capital Cities (Nearest & Farthest)

The closest two capital cities of two sovereign countries are Vatican City, Vatican, and Rome, Italy, one of which is inside the other (the distance between the middle points, St. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Attu ( Atan in Aleut) is the westernmost and largest Island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Kunashir Island (Кунаши́р 国後島 Kunashiri) meaning Black Island in Ainu) is the southernmost island of the Kuril Islands Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Peter's Square/Piazza Venezia is about 2 km).
The second closest two capital cities between two sovereign countries are Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, which are about 1. Kinshasa (formerly French: Léopoldville, formerly Dutch: Leopoldstad, German: Leopoldstadt) is the Capital The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to ||-||} Brazzaville is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. The Republic of the Congo (République du Congo Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kongó) also known as Congo-Brazzaville 6 km (1 mile) apart, one upstream from the other on different banks of the Congo River (the distance between the middle points are about 10 km). The Congo River (for a time known as the Zaire River) is the largest River in Western Central Africa.
Vienna and Bratislava, sometimes erroneously considered the two closest capitals, are actually 55 km (34 miles) apart. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. ARTICLE TEXT BEGINS AFTER THESE COMMENTS - PLEASE READ 1 Please do not edit the lead without reading
The longest distance from one capital of a sovereign country to the one closest to it is 2330 km (1448 miles) between Wellington, New Zealand and Canberra, Australia. Wellington (ˈwælɪŋtən is the Capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area, the New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Each is nearer to the other than to the capital of any other sovereign country.
The greatest distance between the capitals of two sovereign countries that share a border is 6423 km (3991 miles), between Pyongyang, North Korea and Moscow, Russia. Pyongyang (pʰjʌŋjaŋ is the Capital and largest City of North Korea, located on the Taedong River, at. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Lists of capitals

References

See also

This is a list of national capitals of the world in alphabetical order This is a list of national capitals in the world in alphabetical order by country Capitals of Sovereign states Capitals of Dependent This is a list of national capitals in the world in alphabetical order by country Countries In case that the capital is not the largest city the third column This is a list of the countries of the World by Continent, displayed with their respective National flags and capitals This list contains Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national Capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist the capital was moved or the capital Some countries have multiple capitals; often one city is the Seat of government while the other is the legal Capital. This is an incomplete list of countries whose capital is not their largest city This is a list of Capital cities that were built from the ground up to be national or regional capitals rather than being a pre-existing city chosen to be the capital Current Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - capital of Chuy Province which surrounds the city though the city itself is not part of the province A temporary capital or a provisional capital is a country or a town chosen by a Government as an interim base of operations due to some difficulty in establishing Capital City was a Television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of Investment bankers in London living

Dictionary

capital

-noun

  1. A city designated as a legislative seat by the government or some other authority, often the city in which the government is located; otherwise the most important city within a country or a subdivision of it.
  2. (economics) Money and wealth. The means to acquire goods and services, especially in a non-barter system.
  3. (economics) Already-produced durable goods available for use as a factor of production, such as steam shovels (equipment) and office buildings (structures).
  4. An uppercase letter.
  5. (architecture) The uppermost part of a column.

-adjective

  1. of prime importance
  2. (British) excellent
  3. involving punishment by death
  4. uppercase
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