How to play
- Press Start. You have 4 minutes 30 seconds for all 50 countries, listed in alphabetical order with their capitals blank.
- Type a capital. It counts as soon as it matches and fills in next to its country; a capital from another continent clears the box, with a note saying whose it is.
- When the time is up, the list shows the capitals you missed and the map shows their countries in red.
About the capitals of Asia
Asia’s capitals include some of the largest cities in the world and some of the newest. Several countries have built new capitals: Kazakhstan moved its capital north in 1997, Myanmar moved inland in 2006, and Pakistan built one in the 1960s. Indonesia is building one too, but the old capital stays the answer until a presidential decree makes the move, which hadn’t happened when these answers were checked.
Names change as well as places: Kazakhstan renamed its capital in 2019 and changed the name back in 2022, and both names are accepted. In Malaysia and Sri Lanka the official capital and the seat of government are different cities, and either counts. Some answers are contested; for Israel and Palestine the quiz accepts the capital each government declares, so no answer names two countries. Russia counts here as well as in Europe, with the same capital.
Show the capitals mentioned above (gives some answers away)
Kazakhstan: Astana, called Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022. Myanmar: Naypyidaw. Pakistan: Islamabad. Indonesia: Jakarta, until Nusantara is decreed. Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Sri Lanka: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Colombo. Israel: Jerusalem. Palestine: East Jerusalem and Ramallah.
What counts
The same countries as in Countries of Asia, including those that span Asia and Europe: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Türkiye. Any capital a country officially names counts, and so does the city where its government works when that is somewhere else; capitals, accents and punctuation don’t matter. The answers were checked on 29 September 2026.
Show the accepted alternative names (gives some answers away)
| Country | Capital | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Dacca |
| China | Beijing | Peking |
| India | New Delhi | Delhi |
| Iran | Tehran | Teheran |
| Kazakhstan | Astana | Nur-Sultan |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | Kuwait |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | Ulan Bator |
| Myanmar | Naypyidaw | Nay Pyi Taw, Naypyitaw |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | Kotte |
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | Ashkhabad |
| Yemen | Sana'a | Sanaa, Sana |
Show the countries with more than one capital (gives some answers away)
| Country | Capitals accepted |
|---|---|
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur (official capital); Putrajaya (administrative capital) |
| Palestine | East Jerusalem (declared capital); Ramallah (seat of government) |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative); Colombo (executive and judicial) |
| Yemen | Sana'a (constitutional capital); Aden (temporary capital) |
Questions
Why isn’t Istanbul accepted for Türkiye?
The capital moved to a city in the middle of the country in 1923, when the republic was founded. Istanbul, the Ottoman capital, is still the largest city, but it isn’t an answer.
Can I type a capital’s local name?
Only where it is common in English. Well-known alternative spellings count; names used mainly in the local language don’t.
More geography
- Countries of Asia: the same continent, naming its countries
- Capitals of the World: all 197 at once
- Other continents: Capitals of Africa, Capitals of Europe, Capitals of North America, Capitals of South America, Capitals of Oceania
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- El Trivia home