Think you are a geography buff? There are 195 countries in the world today, and each has at least one capital. This includes 193 member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states. While everyone knows the few major players on the world stage, like America, China, and Russia, a lot of countries tend to slip through common knowledge, particularly in the West. It would be hard for this not to be the case, with nearly 200 countries in total spanning the entirety of the earth.
Some countries slip through the cracks because they are remote or sparsely populated. Some countries, particularly many island nations around the world, have yet to join the modern world. They still exist largely as tribes and have little to no contact with the outside world. Other countries are unknown because they are brand new, some even less than 10 years old. Some are just so tiny that it's easy to forget about them, particularly in Europe, where one such country is known for having more cars than people in it!
If you know your world geography, see if you can match obscure capital cities to their countries with this truly global quiz!
Malta is a small European country that consists of a Mediterranean archipelago. This historic city has a population of over 6,000 and is Europe's southernmost capital.
Madagascar is a large biodiverse island in the Indian Ocean, off Africa's Eastern Coast. Its capital Antananarivo was founded by a Merina King in the 17th century and today has a population of over 1 million.
San Marino is an incredibly wealthy European microstate surrounded entirely by Italy. Its capital, San Marino, has a population of about 4,000 people.
Niue is an island country 1500 miles northeast of New Zealand. It is one of the world's largest coral islands and its capital Alofi is one of the least populous capital cities in the world.
Turkmenistan is the least populous country in Central Asia and considered to be one of the world's most repressive countries. Founded in 1881, its capital Ashgabat was home to the world's first Baha'i temple.
Serbia sits between Central and Southeast Europe. Belgrade is its capital and largest city.
Saint Lucia is an Island country in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. Its capital Castries is a popular cruise ship stopping point.
Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. Chisinau is its capital and largest city.
East Timor is located in Maritime South East Asia. Its capital Dili is its most populous city and main port.
Djibouti is located in the Horn of Africa. 70% of the population lives in its capital city, also called Djibouti.
The Solomon Islands are a country made up over over 900 islands in Oceania. Its capital of Honiara is located on the Island of Guadalcanal and has a population of over 80,000 people.
South Sudan is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa founded in 2011, making it the world's newest country. Juba is its capital and largest city.
Gabon is located on the equator on Africa's West Coast. Libreville is its largest city, capital, and important port city.
Slovenia is located in South Central Europe, next to Italy, and has been independent since 1991. Its capital is Ljubljana.
This island country is located on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. Majuro is its capital and largest city with a population of about 20,000.
Armenia is a West Asian country. Yerevan is its capital, largest city, and one of the world's oldest constantly inhabited cities.
This island country sits in the Indian Ocean southwest of India and Sri Lanka. Its roughly 2 square mile large capital is home to over 100,000 people, making it one of the most densely populated cities on earth.
The Kingdom of Lesotho is surrounded entirely by South Africa. Maseru is its capital and largest city, with a population of over 250,000.
Uruguay is located in Southeast South America. Montevideo is its capital and largest city with a population of over 1 million. It is the southernmost capital city in the Americas.
Comoros is an archipelago island nation located in the Indian Ocean between the African continent and Madagascar. Moroni is its capital and largest city and sits at the feet of an active volcano.
Palau is a nation comprised of over 300 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Its capital Ngerulmud is located on the island Babeldaob, which is one of the most underdeveloped populated islands in the Pacific.
Cyprus is the third most populous island country in the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 4000 years.
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is one of the largest countries in Africa. Its capital Nouakchott is one of the largest cities in the Sahara.
Tonga is a Polynesian country comprised over over 150 islands, most of which are uninhabited. Its capital city Nuku'alofa is its economic and transport hub and located on its southernmost island, Tongatapu.
Suriname is the smallest country in South America. Paramaribo is its capital and largest city, its population of over 200,000 accounting for roughly half of the country's entire population.
Montenegro is located in Southeastern Europe. It has two capitals, Podgorica and Cetinje.
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian ocean about 1200 miles off the African coast. Its capital Port Louis is known for its diverse, vibrant culture and as a place which has attracted artists and writers for centuries.
Papua New Guinea sits north of Australia on the island of New Guinea. Its capital city Port Moresby is the largest city in the South Pacific outside of Australia and New Zealand.
Latvia is a Baltic State in Northern Europe. Riga is the capital and largest city of any in the Baltic States, containing one tenth of their entire population.
Bulgaria is located in Southeastern Europe. Today roughly a million people live in its capital Sofia, which has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia. Its official capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and its former and commercial capital is Colombo.
Grenada is a Caribbean country which consists of 7 islands. Its capital St. George's has a population of roughly 30,000 and is a popular tourist destination.
Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Its capital Tashkent has a population of over 2 million, making it the largest city in the region.
Namibia is located in Southern Africa. Windhoek is its capital and largest city.
Azerbaijan sits between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It was the first democratic state in the Muslim world and its capital Baku is the lowest-lying national capital on earth at 92 feet below sea level.