How to play
- Press Start. You have 4 minutes 30 seconds for all 51 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 Europe
Europe’s capitals are mostly old cities that have been the seat of power for centuries, and most are also their country’s largest city, which makes the big countries quick. The hard part is the long tail of smaller countries, from the Balkans to the Baltic, and the handful where the capital shares the country’s name; for those, the word City is optional.
A few are exceptions to the usual rules. The Netherlands has an official capital and a separate seat of government, and either counts. Switzerland has no capital in law, and its federal city is the answer. Montenegro keeps an old royal capital as an honorary title, which isn’t accepted. Ukraine’s capital is accepted in its current English spelling and the older one. The capital of the smallest country in the world is the country itself.
Show the capitals mentioned above (gives some answers away)
Netherlands: Amsterdam and The Hague. Switzerland: Bern (Berne); Zurich isn’t accepted. Montenegro: Podgorica; Cetinje isn’t accepted. Ukraine: Kyiv or Kiev. The capitals named like their countries: Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.
What counts
The same countries as in Countries of Europe, including those that span Europe and Asia: 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | Astana | Nur-Sultan |
| Kosovo | Pristina | Prishtina |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Luxembourg City |
| San Marino | San Marino | City of San Marino, San Marino City |
| Switzerland | Bern | Berne |
| Ukraine | Kyiv | Kiev |
| Vatican City | Vatican City | Vatican |
Show the countries with more than one capital (gives some answers away)
| Country | Capitals accepted |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | Amsterdam (official capital); The Hague (seat of government) |
Questions
What counts for Switzerland?
Switzerland’s constitution names no capital. Its parliament and government sit in the federal city, which is the answer; its largest city isn’t accepted.
Does the European Union’s capital count?
The EU has no official capital. The city that hosts most of its institutions counts only for the country it belongs to.
More geography
- Countries of Europe: the same continent, naming its countries
- Capitals of the World: all 197 at once
- Other continents: Capitals of Africa, Capitals of Asia, Capitals of North America, Capitals of South America, Capitals of Oceania
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