List of former national capitals


Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist, the capital was moved, or the capital city was renamed. This is a list of such cities, sorted by country and then by date. Where a city name has changed, the name of the city when it was a capital is listed first, followed by its modern name in brackets.

Africa

Northern Africa

Old capital cityCountryToday a part ofFromUntilChange, reason
WaliliIdrisid dynastyMorocco789808Moved to Fez
FezIdrisid dynastyMorocco808927Moved to Hajar an-Nasar, to try and restore power base
MarrakeshAlmoravid dynasty, Almohad dynastyMorocco10711244Moved to Fez
FezMarinid dynasty, Idrisid interlude, Wattasid dynastyMorocco12441554Moved to Marrakesh
MarrakeshSaadi dynastyMorocco15541659Moved to Fez
FezDila'ite interlude, Alaouite dynastyMorocco16591672Moved to Meknes
MeknesMorocco Morocco16721727Moved to Fez
FezAlaouite dynastyMorocco17271912Moved to Rabat
FustatEgypt in the Middle AgesEgypt641750Moved to Al-Askar
Al-AskarEgyptEgypt750868Moved to Al-Qata'i
Al-Qata'iEgyptEgypt868905Moved to Fustat
FustatEgyptEgypt905969Moved to Cairo
ThebesAncient EgyptEgypt2134 BC1292 BCMoved to Pi-Ramesses. The Ancient Greeks called the city Thebes, its native name was Waset.
MemphisAncient EgyptEgypt3150 BC2160 BCMoved to Henen-Nesut. The Ancient Greeks called the city Memphis, its native name was Inbu-Hedj.

Western Africa

Old capital cityCountryToday a part ofFromUntilChange, reason
Ribeira Grande Portuguese Cape VerdeCape Verde14621770moved to Praia
Grand-BassamIvory Coast Ivory Coast18931900moved to Bingerville
BingervilleIvory Coast Ivory Coast19001933moved to Abidjan
AbidjanIvory Coast Ivory Coast19331983moved to Yamoussoukro
Cape CoastGold CoastGhana16641877moved to Accra
BolamaPortuguese GuineaGuinea-Bissau18791941moved to Bissau
BoeGuinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau19731974moved back to Bissau
NgazargamuKanem-Bornu EmpireNigeriac. 14721808lost to Fulani invaders
KukawaKanem-Bornu EmpireNigeria18141893Kingdom ceased to exist
LagosColonial NigeriaNigeria19141960
LagosNigeria, Federation ofNigeria19601991moved to Abuja
Igbo-UkwuNri, Kingdom ofNigeria10431911Nigeria
AnéhoTogolandTogo1880s1897moved to Lomé

Central Africa

Old capital cityCountryToday a part ofFromUntilChange, reason
BomaCongo Free StateCongo, Democratic Republic of the18861908
BomaBelgian CongoCongo, Democratic Republic of the19081926moved to Léopoldville
NjimiKanemChadfl. 11th Centuryc. 1396lost to Bulala invaders

Eastern Africa

Old capital cityCountryToday a part ofFromUntilChange, reason
Zanzibar CityZanzibar, Sultanate ofTanzania18561964Sultanate ceased to exist; Zanzibar Revolution
Zanzibar CityZanzibar, People's Republic ofTanzania19641964Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika in 1964. The city remains the capital of semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar.
Dar es SalaamTanganyikaTanzania19611964country merged with Zanzibar to form Tanzania
Dar es SalaamTanzaniaTanzania19641996capital moved to Dodoma
AxumAksum, Kingdom ofEthiopia50?city abandoned
Debre BerhanEthiopian EmpireEthiopia1456mid-1470sEmperor returned to custom of a moving capital
GondarEthiopian EmpireEthiopia1635late 19th centurymoved to Addis Ababa
BujumburaBurundiBurundi19622018Moved to Gitega.

Southern Africa

Old capital cityCountryToday a part ofFromUntilChange, reason
OtjimbingweGerman South-West AfricaNamibia18861892moved to Windhoek
ZombaBritish Central Africa ProtectorateMalawi18931907Protectorate renamed as Nyasaland Protectorate.
ZombaNyasaland ProtectorateMalawi19071953Merged with Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
ZombaMalawiMalawi19641975Capital moved to Lilongwe.
Fort Jameson North-Eastern RhodesiaZambia18991911Merged with North-Western Rhodesia to form Northern Rhodesia.
KalomoNorth-Western RhodesiaZambia18991907Moved to Livingstone.
LivingstoneNorth-Western RhodesiaZambia19071911Merged with North-Western Rhodesia to form Northern Rhodesia.
LivingstoneNorthern RhodesiaZambia19111935Moved to Lusaka.

Asia

Central Asia

Southwest Asia

South Asia

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Europe

Northern Europe

Southern Europe

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Southeastern Europe

Central Europe

Oceania

Note: Melbourne is sometimes said to have been the inaugural capital of Australia, from 1901 until 1927, when Parliament House, Canberra was opened. This is not so. Section 125 of the Constitution of Australia states that the seat of government is to be within the state of New South Wales but not less than 100 miles from Sydney, and that until that place was built, the Parliament of Australia would meet at Melbourne. That made Melbourne the de facto seat of government 1901-1927, but it did not amount to Melbourne being declared the capital, and it was never so described in contemporary documents.

North America

Old capital cityCountry, empireFromUntilChange, reason
James TownBarbados16251628moved to Bridgetown, purpose built
St. GeorgeBermuda16121815moved to Hamilton
Belize CityBritish Honduras16381970moved to Belmopan because of the devastating effects of Hurricane Hattie in 1961
Chan Santa CruzChan Santa Cruzc. 18521901became part of Mexico
CartagoCosta Rica15621823moved to San José
Santiago de CubaCuba15221589moved
Santiago de los CaballerosDominican Republic18631865Dominican Restoration War
Spanish TownJamaica15341872moved to Kingston
QuetzaltenangoLos Altos18381840country ceased to exist
GranadaNicaragua18211857moved to Managua
St. John'sNewfoundland18551949entered confederation within Canada and became the country's 10th province
Washington, D.C.Philippine CommonwealthMay 1942October 1944returned to the Philippines subsequent to the end of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II
Old Road TownSaint Kitts16231727capital moved to Basseterre
San Jose de Oruña British Trinidad15921783moved to Port of Spain
CaparraPuerto Rico15081521moved to San Juan
Port of Spain and ChaguaramasWest Indies Federation19581962country ceased to exist
MéridaRepublic of Yucatán18401847Yucatán annexed by Mexico
Comayagua, ComayaguaRepublic of Honduras15401937Tiburcio Carias Andino changed the capital because of its proximity to the San Juancito mines

South America