Maps & Geo
World Capitals & Flag Lookup
Find the capital, flag, currency and calling code for any country — a quick reference for students, travellers and quiz night.
United States
Capital: Washington, D.C.
USD · +1 · US
United Kingdom
Capital: London
GBP · +44 · GB
Australia
Capital: Canberra
AUD · +61 · AU
Canada
Capital: Ottawa
CAD · +1 · CA
Germany
Capital: Berlin
EUR · +49 · DE
France
Capital: Paris
EUR · +33 · FR
Spain
Capital: Madrid
EUR · +34 · ES
Italy
Capital: Rome
EUR · +39 · IT
Netherlands
Capital: Amsterdam
EUR · +31 · NL
Portugal
Capital: Lisbon
EUR · +351 · PT
Ireland
Capital: Dublin
EUR · +353 · IE
Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
SEK · +46 · SE
Norway
Capital: Oslo
NOK · +47 · NO
Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen
DKK · +45 · DK
Finland
Capital: Helsinki
EUR · +358 · FI
Poland
Capital: Warsaw
PLN · +48 · PL
Russia
Capital: Moscow
RUB · +7 · RU
Turkey
Capital: Ankara
TRY · +90 · TR
Greece
Capital: Athens
EUR · +30 · GR
UAE
Capital: Abu Dhabi
AED · +971 · AE
Saudi Arabia
Capital: Riyadh
SAR · +966 · SA
Israel
Capital: Jerusalem
ILS · +972 · IL
Egypt
Capital: Cairo
EGP · +20 · EG
South Africa
Capital: Pretoria
ZAR · +27 · ZA
Kenya
Capital: Nairobi
KES · +254 · KE
Nigeria
Capital: Abuja
NGN · +234 · NG
India
Capital: New Delhi
INR · +91 · IN
Thailand
Capital: Bangkok
THB · +66 · TH
Singapore
Capital: Singapore
SGD · +65 · SG
Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
MYR · +60 · MY
Indonesia
Capital: Jakarta
IDR · +62 · ID
Philippines
Capital: Manila
PHP · +63 · PH
Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi
VND · +84 · VN
Hong Kong
Capital: Hong Kong
HKD · +852 · HK
China
Capital: Beijing
CNY · +86 · CN
Japan
Capital: Tokyo
JPY · +81 · JP
South Korea
Capital: Seoul
KRW · +82 · KR
New Zealand
Capital: Wellington
NZD · +64 · NZ
Brazil
Capital: Brasília
BRL · +55 · BR
Argentina
Capital: Buenos Aires
ARS · +54 · AR
Mexico
Capital: Mexico City
MXN · +52 · MX
What a capital city is
A capital is the seat of a country's national government — usually where the legislature, head of state and supreme courts are located. Capitals are often the largest city, but not always: Canberra (not Sydney), Ottawa (not Toronto), Brasília (not São Paulo) and Ankara (not Istanbul) are all purpose-built or politically chosen capitals, selected to balance regional interests rather than to follow population.
Knowing capitals is more than trivia. It is essential for diplomatic and business correspondence, for understanding a country's political geography, and for navigating news. This tool gives the capital, flag, currency and calling code for each country at a glance.
Purpose-built and dual capitals
Several countries deliberately built or relocated capitals to spread development or escape overcrowding. Washington, D.C. was planned; Brasília was built in the 1950s to open Brazil's interior; Naypyidaw replaced Yangon in Myanmar in 2005; Abuja replaced Lagos in Nigeria in 1991. These moves reflect political choices about national geography.
A few countries have multiple or split capitals. South Africa has three — Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial). The Netherlands constitutionally names Amsterdam as capital but houses the government in The Hague. Bolivia has Sucre as constitutional capital and La Paz as seat of government.
Flags as national identity
A flag is a country's most condensed symbol. Most national flags encode history in their colours and patterns — the crosses of the Nordic flags, the tricolour lineage of France's revolutionary flag, the crescent and star of many Muslim-majority states, the Union Jack components of Commonwealth flags. Reading flags rewards attention to history.
Flag emoji, used here for instant recognition, are a modern addition to Unicode that map each country's flag to its ISO code. They render consistently on modern devices, making this list scannable without image loading.
ISO country codes
Every country has a two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (US, GB, FR, JP) that appears on country-code top-level domains (.uk, .jp), in banking (IBAN), and in countless backend systems. Three-letter alpha-3 codes (USA, GBR, FRA) are more readable and used in sport and some databases. A numeric code (840 for the US) is used where scripts are an issue.
This tool shows the alpha-2 code. The two-letter codes are the ones most people encounter online, as the final part of country-specific web addresses and in many software systems.
Currencies and calling codes alongside
A capital lookup is more useful when paired with the currency and calling code you will need there. This tool shows all three, so a single search answers 'what's the capital, what money do they use, and how do I dial in?' — the three things a traveller or correspondent most often needs in one place.
Note that some currencies are shared (the euro across 20 countries) and some calling codes are shared (the +1 North American Numbering Plan across the US, Canada and much of the Caribbean). The code identifies a numbering plan, not always a single country.
Capitals, government and travel
Capitals concentrate government offices, embassies and international organisations, which matters for diplomats, journalists and anyone doing business with the state. They are also usually the best-connected transport hubs, though not always the largest city — Abuja, Ankara and Canberra are all notably less busy than their countries' commercial capitals.
For travellers, the capital is often the entry point but not always the most rewarding destination. Knowing which is which — the political capital versus the cultural or economic centre — helps you plan. This tool gives you the political capital; further reading tells you what else a country offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a capital city?
A capital is the seat of a country's government, typically where the legislature, executive and highest courts sit. Some countries have multiple capitals (South Africa has three: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein) or a constitutional capital distinct from the de facto seat (Netherlands: Amsterdam is the capital, The Hague the seat of government).
Why do flags use emoji here?
Flag emoji render consistently across modern devices and let the list be read at a glance without image loading. The emoji correspond to each country's ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
What is the ISO 3166 alpha-2 code?
It is the two-letter country code standard (US, GB, FR, JP) used on country domains, in banking and in countless systems. Alpha-3 (three letters) and numeric codes also exist.
Can a country change its capital?
Yes, though rarely. Egypt moved to a new administrative capital near Cairo; Nigeria moved from Lagos to Abuja; Myanmar moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw. Capitals can change for political, geographic or developmental reasons.
Are these capitals current?
They reflect widely recognised current capitals. A small number of countries have disputed or dual capital arrangements; this tool lists the most commonly recognised capital.
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