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Capitals of Asia

Asia's capitals stretch from Ankara in the west to Tokyo in the east, so first find the right region, then the city. Several countries built or moved to a new capital, such as Islamabad, Astana and Naypyidaw, so the biggest or best-known city is often the wrong answer.

Every capital · 48 capitals

Easy to mix up

Islamabad or Karachi?

Pakistan's capital is Islamabad, a planned city built in the 1960s at the foot of the Margalla Hills in the north, next to Rawalpindi. Karachi, the first capital, is far to the south on the Arabian Sea.

Astana or Almaty?

Kazakhstan moved its capital in 1997 from Almaty, in the mountain foothills of the south, to Astana on the Ishim River in the north. Astana was called Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022.

Naypyidaw or Yangon?

Myanmar's government moved in 2005 from Yangon, the biggest city, near the southern coast, to Naypyidaw, a purpose-built capital that is more central.

Abu Dhabi or Dubai?

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi, on an island in the Persian Gulf, south-west of Dubai. Dubai has more people but is not the capital.

Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?

Vietnam's capital is Hanoi, on the Red River in the north. Ho Chi Minh City, once called Saigon, is the most populous city, far to the south.

Finding them on the globe

  • At the eastern end of the Mediterranean, Beirut is on the coast, while Damascus, Amman, Jerusalem and Ramallah lie inland, close together; Ramallah is only about 10 km north of Jerusalem.
  • Kuwait City, Manama, Doha and Abu Dhabi are all on the Persian Gulf coast, Muscat faces the Gulf of Oman, and Riyadh is far inland on the Najd plateau.
  • In Central Asia, Ashgabat lies close to the border with Iran, while Tashkent and Bishkek both sit near the border with Kazakhstan.
  • Use the Mekong river: Vientiane sits on it at the border with Thailand, and Phnom Penh lies where the Tonlé Sap river joins it.