Capitals That Moved - Countries That Relocated Their Seat of Government

Why Countries Move Their Capitals

Capital relocation motivations vary: moving to a geographic center (Brazil), relieving overcrowding (Myanmar), ethnic balance considerations (Nigeria), security reasons (Kazakhstan), and distributing economic development (Indonesia). The common thread is using a new capital to solve problems that existing major cities cannot address.

Late 20th Century Relocations

Brazil moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to inland Brasilia in 1960. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, the planned city resembles an airplane from above. Nigeria relocated from coastal Lagos to inland Abuja in 1991 to ease north-south ethnic tensions. Tanzania also officially moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma in 1996.

21st Century Moves and Plans

Myanmar moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2006, with the military government citing security concerns for building the inland city characterized by oversized roads and massive government buildings. Kazakhstan relocated from Almaty to Astana (renamed Nur-Sultan, then back to Astana in 2022) in 1997. Indonesia began transitioning from Jakarta to its new capital Nusantara on Kalimantan island in 2024.

Capital Relocation Knowledge for Quizzes

The most commonly missed capital quiz questions involve relocated capitals. Many answer Yangon for Myanmar (correct: Naypyidaw), Almaty for Kazakhstan (correct: Astana), or Abidjan for Ivory Coast (correct: Yamoussoukro). GeoHint features these 'former vs. current capital' countries as high-difficulty questions, making knowledge of major relocations a shortcut to higher scores.