At least 10 countries have more than one capital city. South Africa has three (Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein), while Bolivia, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Eswatini, Malaysia, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Montenegro each split capital functions between two cities.
Why Some Countries Have More Than One Capital
Most people assume every country has exactly one capital, but geography and government are rarely that tidy. A number of nations divide their capital duties between two or more cities, separating the seat of government from the constitutional or legislative capital. These arrangements usually arise from historical compromise, regional balance, or the desire to move government functions away from a crowded commercial hub.
Here are 10 countries that officially recognize more than one capital, along with how each divides its governmental roles.
10 Countries With Multiple Capitals
The Three-Capital Nation
- South Africa: The only country with three capitals. Pretoria is the executive capital (home to the president), Cape Town is the legislative capital (home to Parliament), and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital (home to the Supreme Court of Appeal). The split dates to the 1910 union of formerly separate colonies.
Split Between Two Cities
- Bolivia: Sucre is the constitutional capital and home to the judiciary, while La Paz is the seat of government, hosting the executive and legislative branches. La Paz is the world's highest administrative capital at roughly 3,600 meters above sea level.
- Netherlands: Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, but the government, parliament, and royal residence are in The Hague, which serves as the seat of government. The Hague is also a global center for international law.
- Sri Lanka: Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city, while nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the official administrative capital and home to the national parliament.
- Eswatini: Mbabane is the administrative capital, while Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital, home to the parliament and the residence of the Queen Mother.
- Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur remains the official capital and seat of the monarch and parliament, but most federal government offices and the judiciary moved to the purpose-built city of Putrajaya, the administrative capital.
- Tanzania: Dodoma is the official capital, chosen for its central location, while Dar es Salaam remains the largest city and economic hub where many government functions still operate.
- Ivory Coast: Yamoussoukro is the official political capital, designated in 1983, while Abidjan remains the economic capital and de facto center where most embassies and government activity are based.
- Benin: Porto-Novo is the official constitutional capital, but Cotonou is the seat of government and the country's largest, most economically important city.
- Montenegro: Podgorica is the official capital and seat of government, while Cetinje is designated the "Old Royal Capital," reflecting its historical role as the seat of the former Montenegrin monarchy.
How Dual Capitals Work in Practice
Splitting capital functions can balance regional power, honor historical seats of government, or ease pressure on an overcrowded main city. Countries like Malaysia and Tanzania deliberately built or promoted new administrative capitals to shift government away from congested commercial centers. Others, such as the Netherlands and Bolivia, maintain a symbolic constitutional capital while day-to-day governing happens elsewhere. The distinction between an "official" capital and the "seat of government" is common enough that atlases and reference books often list both.
People Also Ask
Which country has the most capitals?
South Africa has the most, with three official capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). No other country divides its capital functions three ways.
What is the capital of the Netherlands?
Amsterdam is the constitutional capital of the Netherlands, but the government, parliament, and royal family are based in The Hague, which functions as the seat of government.
Why does Bolivia have two capitals?
Sucre is Bolivia's constitutional capital and home to the judiciary, while La Paz serves as the seat of government, housing the executive and legislative branches. The arrangement dates to a late-19th-century civil conflict between the two cities.