All capitals of Asia

Capital cities of Asia: key facts and context

Asia has 46 capitals across the world's largest continent. New Delhi is the most populous, with over 32 million residents in its metro area, more than any other national capital in the world. The smallest is Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei at around 100,700. Myanmar moved its capital from Yangon to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in 2006; despite covering an area larger than London, Naypyidaw has a population of roughly 900,000 and is notable for roads and stadiums built at a scale that significantly exceeds the city's actual population. Jerusalem remains one of the most politically contested capitals in the world: Israel designates it as its capital, but most countries and the United Nations do not recognize this claim and maintain embassies in Tel Aviv. Kazakhstan's capital was renamed from Astana to Nur-Sultan in 2019, then back to Astana in 2022 after the former president lost political standing. A less-known fact: Islamabad replaced Karachi as Pakistan's capital in 1967. Karachi remains far larger, with over 14 million residents to Islamabad's roughly 1 million.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why did Myanmar move its capital from Yangon to the newly built city of Naypyidaw in 2006?

  Myanmar's military junta relocated the capital to Naypyidaw, a city built from scratch in the interior, in 2006. The official rationale was central geographic location, but observers point to strategic motives: the junta wanted the seat of government further from the vulnerable coast and from potential urban unrest in Yangon. Naypyidaw is larger than London in area but has only about one million residents, with wide, largely empty boulevards.

• Why is Jerusalem considered the most politically disputed capital in Asia?

  Israel designates Jerusalem as its indivisible capital, but most countries and the UN do not recognize this claim and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Authority claims East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state. The city contains holy sites for three major world religions, which heightens political sensitivity. In 2018, the United States became the first country to officially move its embassy to Jerusalem.

• Which Asian country is relocating its capital to a newly built city, and why?

  Indonesia is moving its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new city being built on the island of Borneo. Jakarta faces severe structural problems: parts of the city are sinking due to excessive groundwater extraction, it is regularly flooded, and air pollution is severe. The new capital is designed to take over governmental functions while Jakarta remains an economic and commercial center.

• Why are Delhi and New Delhi two distinct concepts when discussing India's capital?

  Delhi refers to the broad urban agglomeration of over 32 million people, while New Delhi is the specific city planned by the British and inaugurated in 1931 as the new administrative capital of British India, replacing Calcutta. New Delhi is administratively part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, but as the seat of India's central government, only New Delhi formally holds the status of national capital.

• Why did Kazakhstan rename its capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan and then back to Astana?

  In 2019, the capital was renamed Nur-Sultan to honor longtime president Nazarbayev after his abrupt resignation. Following Nazarbayev's political fall — he lost his special legal status after the unrest of early 2022 — parliament voted to restore the name Astana. It was a rare case of a renaming being reversed so quickly; the city had previously also been called Tselinograd and Akmola.

• Which Asian capital has the largest metropolitan population in the world?

  Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has the world's largest metropolitan population with over 37 million people in the greater city region. This exceeds the total population of many mid-sized countries. Despite this scale, Tokyo is characterized by an impressively efficient public transport system, low crime rates, and one of the highest life expectancies in the world.

• How can Taiwan designate Taipei as its capital while the People's Republic of China claims sovereignty over the island?

  Taiwan operates as a self-governing democracy with Taipei as its de facto capital, though its international status is fundamentally contested. The People's Republic of China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has never ruled out reunification by force. Only a handful of countries recognize Taiwan formally; most maintain informal relations through trade offices.

• Which Asian countries deliberately moved their capitals from the coast to an inland location?

  Pakistan moved its capital in 1967 from the coastal city of Karachi to the purpose-built Islamabad, closer to the geographic center of the country and to the strategically important border with Afghanistan and India. Myanmar moved its capital in 2006 from the coastal Yangon to the inland Naypyidaw. In both cases, strategic considerations played a role alongside officially stated reasons of better geographic distribution of government.

• What is the highest-altitude capital city in Asia, and how does the elevation affect daily life?

  Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, sits at approximately 2,334 meters above sea level, making it the highest-altitude capital in Asia. At this elevation, the air contains noticeably less oxygen, which causes breathlessness and fatigue in newcomers. Kabul (Afghanistan, 1,791 m) and Kathmandu (Nepal, 1,400 m) are also high-altitude Asian capitals, though considerably lower than Thimphu.

• Which Asian capitals were purpose-built as new cities in the twentieth century?

  Islamabad was designed in the 1960s as Pakistan's new capital to replace Karachi. Naypyidaw in Myanmar was built between 2002 and 2006 as a replacement for Yangon. New Delhi was earlier built by the British in 1911–1931 as the administrative capital of British India. These planned capitals — cities designed specifically for a governmental function — are a recurring phenomenon in Asian postcolonial history.

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