How Many World Capitals Do You Know?
Twenty questions on the capital cities of countries around the world. Test your knowledge of the famous ones, the tricky ones, and the ones almost nobody gets right.
About This Quiz
World capitals are one of those subjects that rewards a sharp memory and punishes assumptions. The famous ones are easy: London, Paris, Tokyo, Moscow. The trickier ones are tricky for the same reason US state capitals are tricky: in many countries, the capital is not the biggest or most famous city. Australia is not Sydney. Brazil is not Rio de Janeiro. Canada is not Toronto. Turkey is not Istanbul. Switzerland is not Zurich or Geneva. Our brains keep reaching for the city we have actually heard of, and the actual capital quietly waits to embarrass us.
This quiz mixes the famous capitals with the classic trip-ups, and includes a few that change. Kazakhstan's capital was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 and renamed back to Astana in 2022. Myanmar's capital moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005. Knowing the current answer matters, and we have verified every answer here against current sources.
How This Quiz Works
Each of the twenty questions asks for the capital of one country, with four plausible options. Pick the one you think is right. The quiz tracks your score as you go, and at the end you get a numbered result and a full review of every question, your answer, the correct answer, and a one-sentence explanation. The whole quiz takes about six minutes.
Who This Quiz Is For
This quiz is for students of geography or world history, teachers looking for a classroom warm-up, trivia night regulars, travelers planning a trip and trying to keep their facts straight, anyone preparing for a quiz bowl or knowledge competition, and anyone who has ever embarrassed themselves at a dinner party by confidently naming the wrong capital.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Australia federated in 1901, Sydney and Melbourne were the two largest cities and political rivals. Canberra was chosen and built specifically to be the capital, as a compromise between the two. The same kind of compromise produced Washington DC, Brasília, and Ottawa.
Yes. Every answer reflects the current capital as of 2026, including recent name changes and capital relocations. Kazakhstan's capital is Astana (reverted from Nur-Sultan in 2022), and Myanmar's capital is Naypyidaw (moved from Yangon in 2005).
Some countries split government functions across cities. South Africa has three (Pretoria executive, Cape Town legislative, Bloemfontein judicial). For quiz purposes, we use the most widely recognized executive capital, which for South Africa is Pretoria.
The classic trip-ups are Canberra (Australia), Brasília (Brazil), Ottawa (Canada), Ankara (Turkey), Bern (Switzerland), Wellington (New Zealand), Abuja (Nigeria), and Naypyidaw (Myanmar). All of them are not the biggest or most famous city in their country.
About six minutes. Twenty questions, tap to answer, no typing required.