This guide explores the world's multi-capital countries in a way that's perfect for kids ages 8–12 — why it happens, which countries do it, and a free printable worksheet to explore each one.
Can a country really have more than one capital?
Yes! Sometimes a country splits the jobs of a capital between different cities — one city might hold the parliament, another might run the government offices, and another might be home to the courts.
This usually happens for a reason: to keep the peace after a war, because one city grew too crowded, or because kings and modern governments ruled from different places. Here are the countries that do it.
Countries with two capitals
Bolivia — Sucre holds the courts, while La Paz runs the government. After a war in 1899, the two cities made peace by sharing the title. La Paz is the world's highest seat of government!
The Netherlands — Amsterdam is the official capital, but The Hague is where the country is actually run — and it's known as the world's 'city of peace'.
Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur is the royal capital, while a brand-new city, Putrajaya, was built in the 1990s to run the government when Kuala Lumpur got too crowded.
Sri Lanka — Colombo is the busy business city, while Parliament moved to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, whose long name means 'blessed fortress city of growing victory'.
Ivory Coast — Yamoussoukro is the official capital and Abidjan is the big city. Yamoussoukro is home to the world's largest church, a giant basilica.
Eswatini — Mbabane runs the government offices, while Lobamba is the royal home of one of the world's last kingdoms.
The country with THREE capitals
South Africa is the only country on Earth with three capital cities: Pretoria (where the government works), Cape Town (home of Parliament) and Bloemfontein (the judicial capital, home of the top courts).
Why three? In 1910, four regions united into one country. Sharing the capitals between them kept any single city from ruling over all the others.
Explore them all
Every one of these fascinating countries is in our Two-Capital Countries activity book — seven nations with facts, word searches and an Explorer Certificate. Or grab a free worksheet to start.
A fun challenge for young geographers: can you name the one country with three capitals — and all three cities?