List of historical national capitals
Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist, the capital was moved, or the capital city was renamed. This is a list of such cities, sorted by country and then by date.
See also:
Former capital city
Country , empire
Since
Until
Change, reason
Vlorë
Albania
1912
1920
moved to Tirana
Melbourne
Australia
1901
1927
moved to Canberra because of rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney
St. George
Bermuda (Brit.)
1815
moved to Hamilton
Salvador da Bahia
Brazil (Portuguese colony)
1549
1763
moved to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil (Portuguese colony, Brazilian Empire and Republic)
1763
1960
moved to Brasília
Belize City
British Honduras
1970
moved to Belmopan
Kingston
Canada
1841
1843
moved to Montreal
Montreal
Canada
1843
1849
moved to Toronto
Toronto
Canada
1849
1859
moved to Quebec City
Quebec City
Canada
1859
1865
moved to Ottawa
Chan Santa Cruz
Chan Santa Cruz
c.1852
1901
became part of Mexico
Anyang
China see: Capital of China
Chang'an
Chengdu
Chongqing
Datong
Hangzhou
Hao
Hsinking
Kaifeng
Luoyang
Nanjing
Ye
Léopoldville
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
1960
1966
renamed Kinshasa
Grand Bassam
Côte d'Ivoire
1893
1900
moved to Bingerville
Bingerville
Côte d'Ivoire
1900
1933
moved to Abidjan
Abidjan
Côte d'Ivoire
1933
1983
moved to Yamoussoukro
Ciudad Trujillo
Dominican Republic
1930
1961
renamed Santo Domingo after the death of Trujillo
Roskilde
Denmark
10th century
1443
moved to Copenhagen
Winchester
England
10th century
12th century
moved to London
Turku
Finland (Grand Duchy)
13th century
1812
moved to Helsinki
Memphis
Egypt
Lavuka
Fiji (Brit.)
moved to Suva
Vichy
France
1940
1942
capital of Vichy France régime
Berlin
German Empire
1871
1949
Separation of Germany to East and West Germany
Plön
German Empire
1945
1945
Capital of the Dönitz government after Berlin was captured by the Soviet Union
East Berlin
East Germany
1949
1990
Berlin , country ceased to exist after re-unification of Germany
Bonn
West Germany
1949
1990
Berlin , country ceased to exist after re-unification of Germany
Cape Coast
Gold Coast (Brit.)
1877
moved to Accra
Nafplion
Greece
1821
1836
moved to Athens
Bolama
Guinea-Bissau
1879
1941
moved to Bissau
Boe
Guinea-Bissau
1973
1974
moved back to Bissau
Lahaina
Hawaii (Hawaiian monarchy )
1840
moved to Honolulu
Calcutta
India (British)
1912
moved to New Delhi
Simla
India (British)
Summer capital
Torino
Italy , Kingdom of
1861
1865
moved to Florence
Florence
Italy , Kingdom of
1865
1871
moved to Rome
Heijo-kyo (Nara)
Japan (Nara period )
784
Kyoto
Japan
1868
moved to Tokyo (see also: Capital of Japan debate )
Alma-Atta
Kazakhstan
1992
1993
renamed Almaty
Almaty (Alma-Atta)
Kazakhstan
1993
1998
moved to Astana
Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
1099
1187
moved to Acre (Jerusalem captured by Saladin )
Acre
Kingdom of Jerusalem
1187
1291
Kingdom ceases to exist
Kaunas
Lithuania
1922
1940
moved back to Vilnius
Płock
Masovia
c.1038
1047
Masovia reincorporated into Poland
Płock
Masovia
1138
1313
moved to Czersk
Czersk
Masovia
1313
1413
moved to Warsaw
Warsaw
Masovia
1413
1526
Masovia reincorporated into Poland
Iaşi
Moldavia
1862
unified with Wallachia to form Romania
Cetinje
Montenegro
1946
moved to Podgorica
Auckland
New Zealand
1865
moved to Wellington
Lagos
Nigeria
1991
moved to Abuja
Trondheim
Norway
997
1070
moved to Bergen
Bergen
Norway
1070
1299
moved to Oslo
Oslo
Norway
1299
1624
renamed Christiania
Christiania
Norway
1624
1924
renamed Oslo
Karachi
Pakistan
1959
moved to Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Pakistan
1967
moved to Islamabad
Quezon City
Philippines
1948
1976
moved to Manila
Gniezno
Poland
10th century
1038
moved to Krakow
Poznań
Poland
10th century
1038
moved to Kraków
Kraków
Poland
1038
1079
moved to Płock
Płock
Poland
1079
1138
moved to Kraków
Kraków
Poland
1138
1290
moved to Poznań
Poznań
Poland
1290
1296
moved to Krakow
Kraków
Poland
1296
1596
moved to Warsaw
Paris
Poland
1939
1940
Government in exile
London
Poland
1940
1990
Government in exile
Lublin
Poland
1944
1945
de facto capital
Łódź
Poland
1945
1947
de facto capital
Porto
Portugal , County of
868
? (1095)
Lost of Autonomy, when regained moved to Guimarăes in 1095
Guimarăes
Portugal , Kingdom of
1095
12th century
moved to Coimbra
Coimbra
Portugal , Kingdom of
12th century
1255
moved to Lisbon
Lisbon
Portugal , Kingdom of
1255
1808
moved to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Portugal , Kingdom of
1808
1821
moved to Lisbon
Moscow
Russian Empire
13th century
1703
moved to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Russian empire
1703
1914
renamed Petrograd
Petrograd
Russia
1914
1918
moved to Moscow
Dariyah
Saudi state
1818
moved to Riyadh
Tulaghi
Solomon Islands
moved to Honiara
Saigon
South Vietnam
1954
1975
Hanoi , country ceased to exist after unification of Vietnam
Aden
South Yemen
1967
1990
San'a , country ceased to exist after unification of Yemen
Valladolid
Spain
1600
1606
moved to Madrid
San Sebastián
Spain
19th century
Summer capital
Columbia, Texas
Republic of Texas
1836
1837
moved to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Republic of Texas
1837
1839
moved to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Republic of Texas
1839
1845
Texas annexed by United States
Aneho
Togo
1880s
1897
moved to Lomé
Cluj
Transylvania
1918
Unification with Romania.
San Jose de Oruńa (St. Joseph)
Trinidad (Spanish)
1592
1783
moved to Puerto de Espańa (Port-of-Spain)
Philadelphia
United States
1776
1776
moved to Baltimore
Baltimore
United States
1776
1777
moved back to Philadelphia
Philadelphia
United States
1777
1777
moved to Lancaster
Lancaster
United States
1777
1777
moved to York after one day
York
United States
1777
1778
moved back to Philadelphia
Philadelphia
United States
1778
1783
moved to Princeton
Princeton
United States
1783
1783
moved to Annapolis
Annapolis
United States
1783
1784
moved to Trenton
Trenton
United States
1784
1785
moved to New York
New York
United States
1785
1790
moved back to Philadelphia
Philadelphia
United States
1790
1800
moved to Washington, DC
Samarkand
Uzbekistan (SSR )
1925
1930s
moved to Tashkent
Bursa
Ottoman empire
1335
1365
moved to Edirne
Edirne
Ottoman empire
1365
1453
moved to Constantinople (Istanbul)
Constantinople
Ottoman empire
1453
1923
country ceased to exist
Port-of-Spain
West Indies Federation
1958
1962
country ceased to exist
Câmpulung
Wallachia
13th century
15th century
moved to Târgovişte
Târgovişte
Wallachia
1698
moved to Bucharest
Taiz
Yemen
1948
1962
moved to San'a
Mérida
Yucatán
1840
1847
reunited with Mexico