Click the Capital of Each Asian Country
From Naypyidaw to Astana, Asian capitals shift. The globe highlights a country, you click its capital. Free, browser-based, no signup.
Play nowIn Myanmar, the official capital is no longer Yangon. The military government built Naypyidaw in secret between 2002 and 2005, on a sparsely populated plain north of the old colonial city, and announced the move with almost no warning. Kazakhstan did something similar in 1997, when Nursultan Nazarbayev relocated the capital from Almaty to a windy steppe town that has since been called Akmola, Astana, Nur-Sultan, and now Astana again. Even Sri Lanka has a name most foreigners never use: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital, while Colombo handles commerce. This quiz highlights one country at a time on the 3D globe and asks you to click its capital from a short list. The famous trap cities — Yangon, Almaty, Colombo, Mumbai, Istanbul, Karachi — are deliberately included as wrong choices.
The 52 countries — Asia
Afghanistan
Kabul
Armenia
Yerevan
Azerbaijan
Baku
Bahrain
Manama
Bangladesh
Dhaka
Bhutan
Thimphu
Brunei
Bandar Seri Begawan
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
China
Beijing
Cyprus
Nicosia
East Timor
Dili
Georgia
Tbilisi
Hong Kong
City of Victoria
India
New Delhi
Indonesia
Jakarta
Iran
Tehran
Iraq
Baghdad
Israel
Jerusalem
Japan
Tokyo
Jordan
Amman
Kazakhstan
Astana
Kuwait
Kuwait City
Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek
Laos
Vientiane
Lebanon
Beirut
MAC
MAC
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Maldives
Malé
Mongolia
Ulan Bator
Myanmar
Naypyidaw
Nepal
Kathmandu
North Korea
Pyongyang
- 🏴
Northern Cyprus
North Nicosia
Oman
Muscat
Pakistan
Islamabad
Palestine
Ramallah
Philippines
Manila
Qatar
Doha
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh
Singapore
Singapore
South Korea
Seoul
Sri Lanka
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Syria
Damascus
Taiwan
Taipei
Tajikistan
Dushanbe
Thailand
Bangkok
Turkey
Ankara
Turkmenistan
Ashgabat
United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
Uzbekistan
Tashkent
Vietnam
Hanoi
Yemen
Sana'a
Tips to play better
Capitals that moved this century
Myanmar moved to Naypyidaw in 2005, Kazakhstan to Astana in 1997, Malaysia split administration to Putrajaya in 1999 while keeping Kuala Lumpur as the official capital. Indonesia is now relocating from Jakarta to Nusantara, but Jakarta remains the legal capital until the move is complete.
Trap pairs to memorise
Turkey: Ankara, not Istanbul. India: New Delhi, not Mumbai. Pakistan: Islamabad, not Karachi. China: Beijing, not Shanghai. In each case the largest or most famous city is not the political capital. The shortlist will offer you both — pick the inland or planned one.
Three Caucasus capitals
Tbilisi for Georgia, Yerevan for Armenia, Baku for Azerbaijan. Baku sits on the Caspian Sea, Tbilisi on the Mtkvari river inland, Yerevan in the Armenian highlands south of Tbilisi. Knowing the geographic position of each makes the names stick faster than rote memory.
Gulf capitals look alike
Riyadh, Doha, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Muscat — six capitals on or near the Persian Gulf, all rich and modern, all easy to confuse on a small list. Abu Dhabi for the UAE (not Dubai), Kuwait City for Kuwait, Muscat for Oman are the three that catch people most often.
Southeast Asia is mostly logical
Bangkok, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bandar Seri Begawan, Dili. With the exception of Naypyidaw and the Indonesian relocation, Southeast Asian capitals match the largest or historically dominant city of each country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the status of Jerusalem?
Israel declares Jerusalem its capital, and most government institutions sit there. International recognition is partial: many countries keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Authority's de facto seat is Ramallah, with East Jerusalem claimed as the future Palestinian capital. The quiz lists Jerusalem for Israel.
Why did Myanmar move its capital?
The military government cited central location, defence considerations, and decongestion. Critics point to astrology and isolation from population centres. Whatever the reason, Naypyidaw has been the official capital since November 2005 and is the answer recognised on this site.
Is Taipei a real capital?
Taipei is the seat of government of Taiwan and functions as a capital in every practical sense. Whether Taiwan counts as a sovereign state depends on the political reference list. The quiz includes Taipei because the territory it governs has a separate identity on the globe.
Why is Astana not Almaty?
Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan during Soviet times and remains the largest city. The relocation to Astana in 1997 was a deliberate political project to anchor identity in the steppe. The city was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 and back to Astana in 2022. The current name is Astana.
How is Sri Lanka's capital handled?
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative and administrative capital, sitting just outside Colombo. Colombo is the commercial capital and the city most foreigners think of. The quiz uses Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte as the primary answer because that is where parliament meets.
Ready to test your knowledge?
Play now