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Quizzes > Geography

Capital Cities Trivia: Test Your Knowledge of World Capitals

Quick, free world capitals test. Instant results and answer review.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Alberto ZamoraUpdated Aug 23, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art displaying various global landmarks for a Capital City Knowledge Quiz.

This quiz helps you learn and remember world capital cities with 15 quick multiple-choice questions. Practice at your own pace, see which ones you miss, and get a boost for class or travel. When you want more, try the capital city quiz with answers, explore our world capitals quiz, or focus on Europe with the European capital cities quiz.

What is the capital city of the United States?
Chicago
Los Angeles
New York City
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. It is the seat of the federal government and houses the White House and the Capitol Building.
Which city is the capital of France?
Lyon
Paris
Marseille
Bordeaux
Paris has been France's capital since the 10th century. It is the political and cultural center of the country.
Identify the capital city of Japan.
Osaka
Hiroshima
Tokyo
Kyoto
Tokyo is Japan's capital and largest city. It is the center of government and economic activities.
Which of the following is the capital of Brazil?
Rio de Janeiro
São Paulo
Salvador
Brasília
Brasília was inaugurated as Brazil's capital in 1960. It was a planned city designed to promote development in the country's interior.
What is the capital of Canada?
Montreal
Toronto
Vancouver
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It was chosen in 1857 by Queen Victoria as a compromise between English and French-speaking regions.
Which of the following capitals is located on the Nile River?
Cairo
Kinshasa
Khartoum
Kampala
Cairo is situated on the Nile River in northern Egypt. The city has depended on the Nile for transportation and agriculture for millennia.
Which capital is the southernmost national capital in the world?
Santiago
Wellington
Canberra
Cape Town
Wellington is the southernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located further south than Pretoria, Buenos Aires, and Canberra.
Which capital sits at about 3,650 meters above sea level?
Addis Ababa
Quito
La Paz
Bogotá
La Paz sits at about 3,650 meters above sea level, making it the highest administrative capital in the world. Its elevation significantly influences its climate and environment.
Which European capital city is situated at approximately 59°N latitude?
Tallinn
Stockholm
Helsinki
Oslo
Stockholm is located at approximately 59°N latitude on Sweden's eastern coast. It serves as Sweden's capital and cultural hub.
Which capital was founded in 1496 and is considered the oldest European-established capital in the Americas?
Panama City
Havana
Mexico City
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus and is recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited European-established capital in the Americas. It has significant colonial-era buildings.
Islamabad was purpose-built as a capital to replace which former capital of Pakistan?
Lahore
Peshawar
Rawalpindi
Karachi
Islamabad replaced Karachi as Pakistan's capital in 1967. Karachi had been the capital since independence, but Islamabad was selected to distribute development more evenly.
Which capital moved in 1960 to a more central location to encourage development of the interior?
Rio de Janeiro
Belo Horizonte
Brasília
São Paulo
Brasília became Brazil's capital in 1960 as part of a national plan to encourage settlement in the interior. Rio de Janeiro had been the capital since colonial times.
Which African capital was established in 1991 to replace the previous capital Lagos?
Lagos
Kano
Abuja
Kaduna
Abuja was officially made Nigeria's capital in 1991. It replaced Lagos to reduce congestion and to provide a more centrally located seat of government.
Which capital of India was planned and built by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, inaugurated in 1931?
New Delhi
Chennai
Kolkata
Mumbai
New Delhi was planned by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker to serve as the seat of the British Indian government. It was officially inaugurated in 1931.
Which capital city lies at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers?
Khartoum
Juba
Kampala
Addis Ababa
Khartoum lies at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers in Sudan. This location has made it a key strategic and commercial center.
Which capital changed its official name to Nur-Sultan in 2019 and reverted back to its original name in 2022?
Bishkek
Tashkent
Astana
Almaty
Astana was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 to honor the first President of Kazakhstan and then reverted to Astana in 2022. It remains the political center of the country.
Which capital city is the only one in the world that is also a federal district rather than part of any state or province, established by a constitutional amendment?
Moscow
Canberra
Brasília
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is a federal district established by the U.S. Constitution and the 23rd Amendment. It is not part of any U.S. state and serves as the national capital.
Analyze this clue: A capital city is located at the Pacific endpoint of a famous canal built between 1904 and 1914; name the capital.
Colón
Cartagena
Panama City
San Salvador
Panama City sits at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914 to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The canal greatly influenced its development.
Which capital was established as a compromise between rival cities in a federal union and is located in a neutral territory?
Ottawa
Abuja
Canberra
Brasília
Canberra was created in 1913 to resolve the rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. It lies within the Australian Capital Territory for neutrality.
Which national capital is the newest in the world, officially established in 2005?
Brasília
Naypyidaw
Islamabad
Astana
Naypyidaw was officially declared Myanmar's capital in 2005, replacing Yangon. It is the most recently established national capital in the world.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify capital cities based on country names
  2. Match capitals with their respective continents
  3. Analyze geographical clues to pinpoint cities
  4. Compare regional capitals by historical context
  5. Demonstrate understanding of capital city trivia
  6. Evaluate country-capital relationships effectively

Cheat Sheet

  1. Memorize all 195 capitals - Knowing the capital city of every independent country builds a rock-solid foundation for any geography quiz or friendly debate. Sketch them on a blank world map to supercharge your recall.
  2. Group capitals by continent - Sorting capitals into continents helps your brain chunk information more effectively and spot patterns faster. It's like organizing a playlist - once it's sorted, everything clicks into place.
  3. Use fun mnemonic devices - Turn "Canberra" into "Can a bear roam Australia?" for an instant mental shortcut that sticks. A funny image in your mind makes recall both enjoyable and nearly foolproof.
  4. Spot commonly mistaken capitals - Mistaking Sydney for Australia's capital is a classic blunder - identify these traps to avoid embarrassing slip-ups. Regularly quiz yourself on those tricky pairs for extra confidence.
  5. Dive into capital histories - Every capital has its own origin story: Washington D.C. was founded as a neutral compromise between northern and southern states. Understanding why a city became a capital makes it more memorable and meaningful.
  6. Identify capitals that aren't the biggest city - Believe it or not, Ottawa beats Toronto in political clout and Canberra outshines Sydney in Aussie governance. Spotting these exceptions trains you to read deeper clues instead of guessing the largest metropolis.
  7. Learn about multiple-capital nations - Bolivia's Sucre serves as the constitutional heart while La Paz handles executive duties. Countries like South Africa also share capitals - pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein all play host to different branches of government.
  8. Understand city-states as capitals - Singapore and Vatican City are entire nations that double as their own capitals, turning the idea of a capital on its head. These tiny territories act as both city and country - memorize them for a neat trivia boost.
  9. Track capitals that have moved - Nigeria's shift from Lagos to Abuja in 1991 was a strategic move to unite diverse regions. Keeping a timeline of such changes helps you ace any question about "former" or "current" capitals.
  10. Practice with quizzes and flashcards - Consistent review is the magic ingredient for long-term retention. Challenge friends, join online quizzes, or create colorful flashcards - make it a daily habit and watch your score skyrocket.
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