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World capitals quiz

Space bar: start or go to the next question. Keys 1 to 4: pick an answer.

Best scores

    No score saved yet. Finish a game to save one.

    List of countries and their capitals
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    The list covers the UN member states and Vatican City, with the official capital declared by each state. Israel and Palestine are not included: the status of Jerusalem, claimed as capital by both, is disputed internationally and cannot fit into a single right answer. Territories that are not UN members are not included.

    A capital cities quiz for every country

    This world capitals quiz covers 193 countries: Africa (54), Europe (45), Asia (45), North and Central America (23), Oceania (14) and South America (12). You can play it both ways: name the capital of a country, or name the country a capital belongs to. Questions are drawn at random each time, so no two games run in the same order.

    Use it to revise for a geography test, to warm up before a pub quiz, or to check that you still know Canberra rather than Sydney. It runs on your device, with no account.

    How to play

    1. Pick the "Question" direction: "Country → capital" or "Capital → country".
    2. Pick the "Answer" type: "4 choices" (one right answer and three decoys, usually from the same continent) or "Type the answer".
    3. Set the "Region" ("Whole world" or one continent) and the "Number of questions": 10, 20 or "All".
    4. Click "Start" or press the space bar. With "4 choices", keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
    5. After each answer you see the correction, with a short explanation for countries that have more than one capital. Move on with "Next question".

    The bar above the question shows your score, your current streak of right answers and the time. At the end you get a percentage and a table of your mistakes; "Review my mistakes" starts a new round with only the questions you missed. "Best scores" are saved on your device for each combination of settings: the best one is the highest percentage, then the shortest time. For example, 17 right answers out of 20 is 85%.

    Typed answers ignore accents, capitals and punctuation: for France, "paris", "Paris" and "Pàris" all count. Common alternative spellings are accepted too, such as "Kyiv" or "Kiev", and "Washington" or "Washington, D.C.".

    Tips to remember capitals

    • Learn one continent at a time. Start with "Europe" in 10 questions, then 20, then "All".
    • Learn in groups. The Baltic states from north to south: Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius).
    • Spot capitals named after their country: Singapore, Monaco, Luxembourg, Djibouti, San Marino, Vatican City.
    • Play both directions. Going from capital to country makes the link stick.

    Classic traps

    Many capitals are not the largest city: Canberra, not Sydney; Ottawa, not Toronto; Brasília, not São Paulo; Ankara, not Istanbul; Washington, not New York; Abuja, not Lagos; Wellington, not Auckland. Some countries spread their institutions over several cities: Bolivia (Sucre and La Paz), South Africa (Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein), the Netherlands (Amsterdam, while the government sits in The Hague). Watch out for near twins too: Kingston (Jamaica) and Kingstown (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines).

    For every country the quiz uses the official capital declared by that state. Israel and Palestine are left out: the status of Jerusalem is disputed internationally and does not fit into a single right answer.

    Frequently asked questions

    How many countries are in the quiz?

    193. The full list sits below the quiz, with a search box, and can be sorted by country, capital or continent.

    Are typos accepted?

    No. Accents, capitals, hyphens and apostrophes are ignored, but the letters must be right.

    Does the mistake review count towards best scores?

    No. Only normal games played to the end are saved.

    Which continent are Russia and Turkey in?

    Russia is listed under Europe and Turkey under Asia, based on where their capital lies. Cyprus is listed under Europe.