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- Some countries have divided their capital cities to balance power across regions or to accommodate the needs of different branches of government. Other countries may have multiple capitals due to historical circumstances, war, weather conditions, or partition. In some cases, the second capital may be considered temporary.
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Some countries can be considered to have multiple capitals. In some cases, one city is the capital for some purposes, and one or more others are capital for other purposes, without any being considered an official capital in preference to the others.
- Bolivia
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Israel
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- Nigeria
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
The administrative capital of Bolivia is La Paz while the legislative and judicial (also known as constitutional) capital is Sucre.
In 1983, President Felix Houphouet-Boigny moved the capital of Cote d'Ivoire from Abidjan to his hometown of Yamoussoukro. This made the official capital Yamoussoukro but many government offices and embassies (including the United States) remain in Abidjan.
In 1950, Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as their capital city. However, all countries (including the United States) maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, which was Israel's capital from 1948 to 1950.
Malaysia has moved many administrative functions from Kuala Lumpur to a suburb of Kuala Lumpur called Putrajaya. Putrajaya is a new high-technology complex 25 km (15 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian government has relocated administrative offices and the Prime Minister's official residence. Nonetheless, Kuala Lumpur remains the official ...
On Sunday, November 6, 2005 civil servants and government officials were ordered to move immediately from Rangoon to a new capital, Nay Pyi Taw (also known as Naypyidaw) 200 miles north. While governmental buildings in Nay Pyi Taw had been under construction for more than two years, its construction was not widely publicized. Some report the timing...
Though the legal (de jure) capital of the Netherlandsis Amsterdam, the actual (de facto) seat of government and residence of the monarchy is The Hague.
The capital of Nigeria was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja in December 2, 1991 but some offices remain in Lagos.
South Africa is a very interesting situation as it has three capitals. Pretoria is the administrative capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the home of the judiciary.
Sri Lanka has moved the legislative capital to Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, a suburb of the official capital in Colombo.
Tanzania officially designated its capital as Dodoma but only the legislature meets there, leaving Dar es Salaam as the de facto capital city.
- Matt Rosenberg
Oct 30, 2022 · Countries with two or more capital cities often boast interesting back-stories and unique reasonings behind multiple capitals. These are the 12 countries with more than one capital city. South Africa - Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein
When a country would rather choose an existing city for its capital than build an entirely new one, population may be a primary concern. Capitals are often the most populous of a country’s cities. Today Seoul, South Korea, boasts almost 20 percent of that country’s residents; Lima, Peru, and Santiago, Chile, are each home to about a quarter ...
- Meg Matthias
- Bolivia. One of only two landlocked countries in South America, Bolivia also has two capitals. While La Paz is the bigger (and better-known) capital city, Sucre has an official claim to the title.
- South Africa. South Africa doesn’t just have two capitals — it actually has three. The reasons stem from the unification of South Africa and the end of the second Anglo-Boer War in 1902.
- Malaysia. While Kuala Lumpur remains the official capital of Malaysia, the de facto seat of the government now sits just 15 miles to the south, in Putrajaya.
- The Netherlands. The Netherlands is another country with an official capital as well as one that acts as the de facto capital and seat of the government.
Some countries can be considered to have multiple capitals. In some cases, one city is the capital for some purposes, and one or more others are capital for other purposes, without any being considered an official capital in preference to the others.
A total of six countries currently have two or more capital cities, including Bolivia, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Another seven countries, including Laos, Libya, and the Philippines, have had multiple capital cities at some point in their history.
