Famous city or capital city?
A country’s best-known city is not always its capital. These four pairs are useful anchors for your first session.
Canberra
Sydney is a familiar name. Canberra is the capital.
Brasília
Rio de Janeiro draws attention. Brasília is the capital.
Ottawa
Toronto is a major city. Ottawa is the capital.
Ankara
Istanbul is a historic crossroads. Ankara is the capital.
Your first 24 country–capital pairs
Read one region at a time. Cover the capital column and try to supply each answer. This starter list avoids cases with multiple capital roles; a complete reference should explain those roles rather than forcing every country into a single answer.
Swipe sideways to see every column, or use the arrow keys when the table is focused.
| Country | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
 Canada | Ottawa | North America |
 United States | Washington D.C. | North America |
 Mexico | Mexico City | North America |
 Brazil | Brasília | South America |
 Argentina | Buenos Aires | South America |
 Peru | Lima | South America |
 United Kingdom | London | Northern Europe |
 France | Paris | Western Europe |
 Germany | Berlin | Western Europe |
 Italy | Rome | Southern Europe |
 Spain | Madrid | Southern Europe |
 Norway | Oslo | Northern Europe |
 Japan | Tokyo | Eastern Asia |
 South Korea | Seoul | Eastern Asia |
 India | New Delhi | Southern Asia |
 Thailand | Bangkok | South-Eastern Asia |
 Türkiye | Ankara | Western Asia |
 Vietnam | Hanoi | South-Eastern Asia |
 Ghana | Accra | Western Africa |
 Kenya | Nairobi | Eastern Africa |
 Morocco | Rabat | Northern Africa |
 Nigeria | Abuja | Western Africa |
 Australia | Canberra | Australia and New Zealand |
 New Zealand | Wellington | Australia and New Zealand |
Starter pairs use the bundled world-countries reference. The website’s geography guides are study material, not a live record of administrative changes.
Close the list. Try eight questions.
Say or write your answer first, then open the card to check it. Each question works with a keyboard and without JavaScript.
What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra
What is the capital of Brazil?
Brasília
What is the capital of Canada?
Ottawa
What is the capital of Türkiye?
Ankara
What is the capital of Japan?
Tokyo
What is the capital of Kenya?
Nairobi
What is the capital of France?
Paris
What is the capital of New Zealand?
Wellington
Build a route, not just a list.
Connect nearby countries in your imagination. For example, find France, Germany and Italy on a map, then say Paris, Berlin and Rome in the same order. The geographic route gives the names a useful relationship.
When you miss a capital, return to the country profile. Add one visual cue from its flag or one detail about its location, then test the pair again. Keep a small list of difficult answers and revisit it at the start of the next session.
A good next step
Compare one capital with a famous city in the same country. Why might people confuse them?
Meet Brasília in the Brazil guide →A few good questions
Is the capital always the largest city?
No. Canberra, Brasília and Ottawa are useful examples of capitals that differ from a country’s best-known major city.
Does every country have only one capital?
Some countries divide government functions between cities or distinguish constitutional and administrative capitals. A detailed source should state which role it means.
How can I practice capitals in the app?
Look up a country profile, read its capital, then recall the name without looking. Use geography games to reinforce your knowledge of countries and flags; this website’s capital cards provide a separate self-check exercise.
Smart World Map & Countries resource library · Updated .