Capital: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

This article concerns places that serve as centers of government and politics. For alternative meanings see capital (disambiguation)

In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital) is located by the following:

• Usually a capital of a country or other political entity is the city or town that contains the government.
• Usually the location of the capital is stated in law.
• Often a capital is a center of important activity.
• In a monarchy, often a capital is wherever a monarch's court is (which can move from palace to palace).

A country or political entity may have more than one official capital at any given point in time. It may consist of or be separate from the actual seat of government. It also may move about seasonally.

In South Africa, for example, the administrative capital is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, while the judicial capital is Bloemfontein. This is the legacy of a compromise reached between most of the different provinces when the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910.

In Chile, the national Congress moved from Santiago, the capital, to the city of Valparaiso.

In The Netherlands the government, head of state and supreme court are located in The Hague, but the constitution clearly states that Amsterdam is the official capital.

Specific capital cities

• County town
• County seat
• Borough seat

• List of national capitals
  • by name
  • by country (with also the largest city)
  • by continent and country
• List of historical national capitals
• List of capitals of subnational entities
• List of multiple capitals

In the past, often a capital was the place where the various economic forms of capital were concentrated for easier protection.