All capitals of the countries of the world on continents

As you know, the capital is the main city of the country, which is the administrative and political center of a certain state. The capitals of the countries of the world usually have all the main judicial, parliamentary and governmental institutions.

Most often this territorial unit is considered a separate federal district, and the constitution of almost every state indicates its location.

How to choose the capitals of the countries of the world?

This question is quite difficult to answer unequivocally. There are several ways.

Sometimes the capital can be allocated by status as an independent administrative or federative unit, and sometimes it is considered, as they say, on general grounds. Usually it is the largest city in the country, but not always. There are countries where some cities are much larger than their capitals both by geographical size and by their level of settlement.

And in the history there are cases when countries for a long time could not unequivocally choose a capital city between two or even three settlements, so this process dragged on for years and even decades.

What are the temporary capitals of the countries of the world?

It turns out that on the political map of the world there are also such territorial units. What is it, after all, it turns out, even the capitals of large countries of the world may well have a similar status?

In general, this concept implies the temporary location of the city's functions in the city, which is the safest, first of all, in connection with the occupation of the country, in the military or some other threat to the current capital, or for other reasons.

The most famous temporary capitals of the countries of the world

• Kaunas. It was founded in 1280. At the moment, this city in Lithuania occupies a firm second place, both economically and territorially. Now it is the most important cultural and industrial center. Its population is 400 thousand people. For its existence, Kaunas has seen a lot. In the XIII-XV centuries it was considered a strong and important defense and stronghold in the fight against the Teutons, in the XV-XVI century it was formed as the largest river trade center. And in 1920, during the occupation of Poland by Vilnius, Kaunas was recognized as a temporary capital.
• Tel Aviv. This city is today one of the largest cultural and economic centers of the country. When the creation of Israel, an independent state, was proclaimed in 1948, Tel Aviv became its temporary capital.
• Bonn. Those who are interested in the list of countries and capitals of the world can not but remember such an amazing German city. Today it is a rather large political center of Germany, having the status and powers of the federal. In 1949, Bonn was recognized as a temporary capital. It was before 1991. And in 1991, after the reunification of both Germany, Berlin was declared the capital again.

European capitals

It is unlikely that anyone will dare to challenge the fact that countries and capitals, above all, are associated in our memory with their sights.

Looking into the history, you can find out that in principle the initiative to determine the European cultural capital belongs to the European Union. It is to choose a city every year as the cultural center of the continent. Thus, attention is drawn to the cultural progress of this region. What does this give? To be honest, a lot. In addition to being known, due to the fact that this or that city is elected for this role, additional funding is allocated for it. And this is a good reason to significantly improve the state of cultural attractions, institutions and various kinds of infrastructure facilities.

What was the first cultural capital of the planet?

In general, it should be noted that Athens was quite deservedly declared such a city. This happened in 1983. She offered this candidacy to the Council of the European Union, Milina Mercury, who at that time held the post of Minister of Culture of Greece.

What did you do? First, in the city for allocated money, the roads were repaired and a traffic junction was established. For tourists, the problem of orienting on the terrain and moving around the Greek capital has disappeared. Pointers, maps and stands were installed at intersections and stops. Secondly, archaeologists continued the study of the Acropolis, as a result of which the most important historical discoveries were made.

On what grounds can you transfer the capital?

The transfer of the capital should be understood as the transfer of functions of the main city of the state from one settlement to another. As a rule, the latter is built specifically for these purposes.

Usually such a need arises for several reasons, among which I would like to separately note the following:

1. Settlement of disputes between two or three cities.
2. Overpopulation. As a rule, countries and capitals of Asia face this problem .
3. Equal reasons for governing the country.
4. Military threat to the country or directly to the existing capital.
5. Liberation from the old social life and traditions of government.
6. The loss of dominance over the state of the existing capital.

Countries of the world with capitals that had to be moved

Let's consider some variants. However, as an example, we suggest taking only those cities that have lost the status of the main city of the country by purely economic or territorial criteria.

• Bergen (Norway). This city is known all over the world for its history and traditions. In it today there are many cultural attractions, picturesque places. And also the modern city life is boiling here. Norwegian Bergen is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the most ancient settlement of the state in the Middle Ages.
• Philadelphia (USA). One of the most ancient cities in America. It is on the list of political, economic and financial centers. In 1790 became the first capital of the United States of America.
• Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan). With confidence, we can say that today it is an economically developed city, like the European one, though it was created in the Soviet times. There is a huge number of shops, and streets built in rows, and, of course, cars that stand in traffic jams during rush hour. And on the other hand, in our time Alma-Ata remains the most charming creation of Central Asia. It turns out that the contrasts inherent in this region exist in the city itself.

New capital of the world

• Brasilia is the capital, which is located in the heart of the country. When choosing the site of construction of this city, the main point was the observance of a long distance between it and other major cities in Brazil - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The city looks like a jet plane in motion from the height of a bird's flight. The very territorial unit has a lot of unusual. First of all, of course, this is the location and architecture. It is these characteristic features that cause the pride of local residents and delight tourists.
• Cetinje - the capital of Montenegro, a city-museum, founded in the XIII century. In the XV century, when there was a war with Turkey, the current capital was moved to Cetinje because of military danger. This city is located between the limestone mountains in the valley, where the species, respectively, are simply mesmerizing. And the oldest churches and monasteries add to the citizens and travelers a special feeling - as if they actually moved into the past. This city is not without reason called the embodiment of all of Montenegro.
• Manila (Philippines) is a conglomerate of 18 cities, which form a metropolis. It combines ultramodern urban innovations. This is actually a magical place, where glass skyscrapers rise above the horizon, and the beaches are almost untouched by man. There are many excellent places for diving, and the five hundred-year-old monasteries and cathedrals will tell everyone about the history of this region.