This countries and capitals quiz contains 40 multiple-choice questions covering Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania. Choose an answer before opening the explanation, keep one point for every correct response, and use the continent summaries to revise capitals you missed.

How to Take the Countries and Capitals Quiz

  • Answer each question without checking a map or reference list.
  • Award yourself one point for every correct capital city.
  • Write down the countries you miss and revise them by continent.
  • Use the score guide after completing all 40 questions.

Countries and Capitals Quiz: Africa

1. What is the capital of Egypt?

  1. Alexandria
  2. Cairo
  3. Luxor
  4. Giza

Answer: Cairo. Cairo is the capital and largest metropolitan area of Egypt.

2. Nairobi is the capital of which country?

  1. Kenya
  2. Uganda
  3. Tanzania
  4. Rwanda

Answer: Kenya. Nairobi is the political and administrative capital of Kenya.

3. What is the capital of Nigeria?

  1. Lagos
  2. Kano
  3. Abuja
  4. Ibadan

Answer: Abuja. Lagos is Nigeria’s largest city, but Abuja is the national capital.

4. Addis Ababa is the capital of which African country?

  1. Eritrea
  2. Ethiopia
  3. Somalia
  4. Sudan

Answer: Ethiopia. Addis Ababa is Ethiopia’s capital and the headquarters city of the African Union.

5. What is the capital of Morocco?

  1. Casablanca
  2. Marrakesh
  3. Rabat
  4. Fez

Answer: Rabat. Casablanca is the country’s largest city, while Rabat is the capital.

6. Accra is the capital of which country?

  1. Ghana
  2. Senegal
  3. Benin
  4. Togo

Answer: Ghana. Accra lies on the Gulf of Guinea and serves as Ghana’s capital.

7. What is the capital of Senegal?

  1. Dakar
  2. Bamako
  3. Conakry
  4. Banjul

Answer: Dakar. Dakar is located on the Cape Verde Peninsula on Africa’s Atlantic coast.

Countries and Capitals Quiz: Asia

8. What is the capital of Japan?

  1. Osaka
  2. Kyoto
  3. Tokyo
  4. Nagoya

Answer: Tokyo. Tokyo is Japan’s capital and the centre of its national government.

9. New Delhi is the capital of which country?

  1. India
  2. Pakistan
  3. Nepal
  4. Bangladesh

Answer: India. New Delhi is the capital of India and forms part of the larger Delhi urban area.

10. What is the capital of China?

  1. Shanghai
  2. Beijing
  3. Guangzhou
  4. Shenzhen

Answer: Beijing. Shanghai is China’s largest city by population, while Beijing is its capital.

11. Seoul is the capital of which country?

  1. North Korea
  2. South Korea
  3. Mongolia
  4. Vietnam

Answer: South Korea. Seoul is the capital and largest city of South Korea.

12. What is the capital of Thailand?

  1. Phuket
  2. Chiang Mai
  3. Bangkok
  4. Pattaya

Answer: Bangkok. Bangkok is Thailand’s capital and principal urban centre.

13. Kathmandu is the capital of which country?

  1. Bhutan
  2. Nepal
  3. Myanmar
  4. Laos

Answer: Nepal. Kathmandu is situated in the Kathmandu Valley and serves as Nepal’s capital.

14. What is the capital of Vietnam?

  1. Ho Chi Minh City
  2. Da Nang
  3. Hue
  4. Hanoi

Answer: Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city, while Hanoi is the capital.

15. What is the capital of the Philippines?

  1. Cebu City
  2. Davao City
  3. Manila
  4. Quezon City

Answer: Manila. Manila is the national capital and part of the larger Metro Manila region.

Countries and Capitals Quiz: Europe

16. What is the capital of France?

  1. Lyon
  2. Marseille
  3. Paris
  4. Bordeaux

Answer: Paris. Paris is the political, economic, and cultural centre of France.

17. Berlin is the capital of which country?

  1. Austria
  2. Germany
  3. Switzerland
  4. Belgium

Answer: Germany. Berlin became the capital of reunified Germany in 1990.

18. What is the capital of Spain?

  1. Barcelona
  2. Seville
  3. Madrid
  4. Valencia

Answer: Madrid. Barcelona is a major Spanish city, but Madrid is the national capital.

19. Lisbon is the capital of which country?

  1. Portugal
  2. Italy
  3. Greece
  4. Croatia

Answer: Portugal. Lisbon lies near the mouth of the Tagus River on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

20. What is the capital of Norway?

  1. Bergen
  2. Oslo
  3. Trondheim
  4. Stavanger

Answer: Oslo. Oslo is Norway’s capital and largest city.

21. Warsaw is the capital of which country?

  1. Poland
  2. Hungary
  3. Romania
  4. Slovakia

Answer: Poland. Warsaw is located on the Vistula River and serves as Poland’s capital.

22. What is the capital of Greece?

  1. Thessaloniki
  2. Athens
  3. Patras
  4. Heraklion

Answer: Athens. Athens is Greece’s capital and its largest metropolitan area.

23. What is the capital of the Czech Republic, also called Czechia?

  1. Brno
  2. Prague
  3. Ostrava
  4. Plzeň

Answer: Prague. Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic.

24. Budapest is the capital of which country?

  1. Hungary
  2. Serbia
  3. Slovenia
  4. Bulgaria

Answer: Hungary. Budapest developed from settlements on opposite sides of the Danube River.

Countries and Capitals Quiz: North America and the Caribbean

25. What is the capital of Canada?

  1. Toronto
  2. Vancouver
  3. Ottawa
  4. Montreal

Answer: Ottawa. Toronto is Canada’s largest city, while Ottawa is the national capital.

26. Washington, D.C. is the capital of which country?

  1. Canada
  2. United States
  3. Mexico
  4. Bahamas

Answer: United States. Washington, D.C. is a federal district rather than one of the 50 states.

27. What is the capital of Mexico?

  1. Guadalajara
  2. Monterrey
  3. Mexico City
  4. Cancún

Answer: Mexico City. Mexico City is the country’s capital and one of its federal entities.

28. Havana is the capital of which Caribbean country?

  1. Cuba
  2. Jamaica
  3. Haiti
  4. Dominican Republic

Answer: Cuba. Havana is Cuba’s capital, largest city, and principal port.

29. What is the capital of Jamaica?

  1. Montego Bay
  2. Kingston
  3. Spanish Town
  4. Port Antonio

Answer: Kingston. Kingston is located on Jamaica’s southeastern coast.

Countries and Capitals Quiz: South America

30. What is the capital of Brazil?

  1. Rio de Janeiro
  2. São Paulo
  3. Brasília
  4. Salvador

Answer: Brasília. Rio de Janeiro was a former capital, but Brasília has been the national capital since 1960.

31. Buenos Aires is the capital of which country?

  1. Argentina
  2. Uruguay
  3. Paraguay
  4. Chile

Answer: Argentina. Buenos Aires stands on the western shore of the Río de la Plata.

32. What is the capital of Chile?

  1. Valparaíso
  2. Concepción
  3. Santiago
  4. Antofagasta

Answer: Santiago. Chile’s National Congress meets in Valparaíso, but Santiago is the national capital.

33. Lima is the capital of which country?

  1. Peru
  2. Ecuador
  3. Colombia
  4. Venezuela

Answer: Peru. Lima lies near Peru’s Pacific coast and is the country’s capital.

34. What is the capital of Colombia?

  1. Medellín
  2. Cartagena
  3. Cali
  4. Bogotá

Answer: Bogotá. Bogotá is located on a high plateau in the Andes and serves as Colombia’s capital.

35. Quito is the capital of which country?

  1. Ecuador
  2. Guyana
  3. Suriname
  4. Paraguay

Answer: Ecuador. Quito is situated in the Andes at a high elevation.

Countries and Capitals Quiz: Oceania

36. What is the capital of Australia?

  1. Sydney
  2. Melbourne
  3. Canberra
  4. Brisbane

Answer: Canberra. Sydney and Melbourne are larger cities, but Canberra is Australia’s capital.

37. Wellington is the capital of which country?

  1. Australia
  2. New Zealand
  3. Fiji
  4. Samoa

Answer: New Zealand. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, while Wellington is the capital.

38. What is the capital of Fiji?

  1. Nadi
  2. Lautoka
  3. Suva
  4. Labasa

Answer: Suva. Suva is located on the island of Viti Levu and is Fiji’s capital.

39. Port Moresby is the capital of which country?

  1. Papua New Guinea
  2. Solomon Islands
  3. Vanuatu
  4. Tonga

Answer: Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby lies on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea.

40. What is the capital of Samoa?

  1. Apia
  2. Nukuʻalofa
  3. Port Vila
  4. Honiara

Answer: Apia. Apia is located on the island of Upolu and serves as Samoa’s capital.

Countries and Capitals Quiz Score Guide

ScoreResultSuggested revision
36–40Strong knowledge of world capitalsRevise countries with multiple capital functions and smaller island states
29–35Good knowledge with a few regional gapsGroup missed answers by continent and practise them again
20–28Developing knowledge of countries and capitalsStudy one continent at a time before retaking the quiz
10–19Basic capital-city knowledgeBegin with major countries, then add smaller nations in regional groups
0–9More revision is neededUse a labelled world map and learn five capitals per study session

Frequently Confused Countries and Capital Cities

CountryCapitalCommonly confused with
AustraliaCanberraSydney or Melbourne
BrazilBrasíliaRio de Janeiro or São Paulo
CanadaOttawaToronto
MoroccoRabatCasablanca
NigeriaAbujaLagos
New ZealandWellingtonAuckland
VietnamHanoiHo Chi Minh City
TurkeyAnkaraIstanbul
SwitzerlandBernZurich or Geneva
United StatesWashington, D.C.New York City

Countries with More Than One Capital Function

Some country-and-capital questions require more context because government functions may be divided between cities. Quiz writers should state the expected form of capital clearly instead of treating every case as a simple one-to-one match.

CountryCapital arrangement
South AfricaPretoria is the executive capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is traditionally identified as the judicial capital.
BoliviaSucre is the constitutional capital, while La Paz is the seat of government.
Sri LankaSri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital, while Colombo remains the main commercial centre and hosts important government institutions.
EswatiniMbabane is the administrative capital, while Lobamba has royal and legislative functions.
NetherlandsAmsterdam is the constitutional capital, while the government and parliament are based in The Hague.

How to Learn Countries and Capitals by Map

  1. Study one continent: Avoid trying to memorise the entire world list in one session.
  2. Locate the country first: Identify its position, neighbouring countries, coastline, and general shape.
  3. Connect the capital to the map: Mark the capital’s approximate location within the country.
  4. Recall in both directions: Practise country to capital and capital to country.
  5. Separate similar names: Review pairs such as Niger and Nigeria or Slovakia and Slovenia individually.
  6. Repeat missed capitals: Retest incorrect answers after one day, one week, and one month.

Countries and Capitals Quiz FAQs

How can I memorise countries and capitals quickly?

Learn capitals in small regional groups, locate each country on a map, and test yourself in both directions. Spaced repetition is more reliable than reading the complete list repeatedly in one sitting.

Why are some capital-city quiz answers different across sources?

Some countries divide constitutional, administrative, legislative, judicial, or royal functions between different cities. Other differences may result from outdated reference material, alternative spellings, or a capital transition that has not been completed. The wording of the question should identify which capital function is required.

What is the difference between a capital and a country’s largest city?

A capital is the city officially designated as the seat of national authority or assigned a constitutional role. The largest city is determined by population or metropolitan size. A country’s capital and largest city may be the same, but they do not have to be.

Should a countries and capitals quiz include territories?

A general world-capitals quiz normally focuses on sovereign states. Territories and dependencies can be included in a separate section, but they should be labelled clearly because their political status differs from that of independent countries.

Is a map quiz better than a multiple-choice capitals quiz?

The formats test different skills. Multiple-choice questions support recognition, while map and typed-answer quizzes require stronger recall and geographic placement. Using both formats gives a more complete measure of knowledge.

Countries and Capitals Quiz Editorial QA Checklist

  • Verify every country-capital pair against a current, reliable geographic reference.
  • Check whether the country has separate constitutional, administrative, legislative, or judicial capitals.
  • Avoid using the largest city as the answer unless it is also the recognised capital.
  • Confirm that each multiple-choice question contains one clearly correct answer.
  • Use current country names and accepted spellings while noting common alternatives where useful.
  • Keep sovereign states separate from territories and dependencies unless the quiz labels them explicitly.
  • Review capital transitions carefully so planned capitals are not presented as fully operational before the change is complete.
  • Ensure that the score ranges cover every total from 0 to 40 without gaps or overlaps.