Countries with more than one capital

Asking for a country's capital sounds simple, until the country has more than one. Some states split the functions of government on purpose, others carry two centres for historical reasons. In a quiz this sparks arguments again and again, because both answers feel correct.

South Africa: a full three

South Africa has more capitals than any other country: Pretoria is the seat of government, Cape Town the seat of parliament, and Bloemfontein the seat of the supreme court of appeal. When the union was formed, no single city was meant to hold too much power, so the three branches were spread out.

Bolivia and the Netherlands

Bolivia separates Sucre, the constitutional capital that keeps the supreme court, from La Paz, the seat of government with the president and legislature. La Paz also sits at around 3600 metres, making it one of the highest seats of government on Earth. The Netherlands works much the same way: Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, yet the government, parliament and royal household sit in The Hague.

Asia: Sri Lanka and Malaysia

Sri Lanka moved its administration to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in 1982, a suburb of Colombo with a famously long name. Colombo stayed the commercial heart and the executive seat. Malaysia shifted its government from Kuala Lumpur to the purpose-built Putrajaya in 1999, mainly over crowding and congestion. Kuala Lumpur, however, remains the constitutional capital and home of the king and parliament.

Eswatini: royal and administrative

Tiny Eswatini in southern Africa also has two centres: Mbabane is the administrative capital, while Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital, home to parliament and the queen mother.

Why countries split their capital

The reasons rhyme more often than you would expect. Sometimes it is a political compromise so no region grows too powerful, as in South Africa. Sometimes two old rivals fight over the title and each keeps a share in the end, like Sucre and La Paz. And sometimes a crowded metropolis is relieved by moving the administration to a quieter new city, the way Putrajaya took pressure off Kuala Lumpur. A capital is not just a dot, it is a bundle of functions that can be spread around.

The short version for quizzers:

• South Africa: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein.
• Bolivia: Sucre and La Paz.
• Netherlands: Amsterdam and The Hague.
• Sri Lanka: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Colombo.
• Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
• Eswatini: Mbabane and Lobamba.

Which answer counts in a quiz

Strict quizzes go by the official or constitutional capital, even when the government sits elsewhere. So for the Netherlands that is Amsterdam, and for Malaysia it is Kuala Lumpur. South Africa depends on the question, because none of the three cities is the single capital. Know the split and you always have the better answer ready.

Keep these in your head and the trick question stops working on you. In CountryRush you pick up these pairs and triples without trying, round after round.