A nation’s capital is more than just the seat of its government — it’s also a symbolic representation of the country itself. As such, capital cities are often the same for centuries: London, for example, has been the official capital of the United Kingdom since 1801, and has been considered the de facto capital since the Romans named Londinium the capital of Brittania in 43 CE.
Other national capitals are significantly newer. Countries choose to move the seat of the government to an entirely different city for a number of reasons — from requiring new infrastructure to needing a more centralized location. Underneath these reasons, however, the motives behind transitioning the capital are often political. Here’s an inside look at why five countries changed their capitals.
Brazil
As the cultural hub of Brazil, the city of Rio de Janeiro was the nation’s official capital for nearly 200 years. Unfortunately, it was also crowded, with congested roadways that made it difficult to travel to the administrative buildings spread across the city. This issue was fixed in 1960, when the country officially relocated the capital to Brasilia — a city that was designed specifically for its purpose as the governing seat. Engineers, architects, and city planners worked together to create a capital city that was beautiful to visit and effortless to navigate, with numbered blocks and divided sectors for hotels, embassies, and banks. The capital of Brasilia is such an achievement of modern architecture that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
Myanmar
Rangoon was the capital of Myanmar (also known as Burma) for over 50 years — from the time the independent country was established in 1948 until the mid-aughts. But on November 6, 2005, something strange happened. The country’s military rulers decided to switch the seat of the government with no explanation. Government employees and civil servants had to suddenly move 200 miles from Rangoon to Pyinmana, a town primarily known for its logging and sugarcane refinery. The town of Pyinmana was renamed Naypyidaw, which remains the capital to this day. Purportedly, nearly a million people live in the city’s capital, but with empty highways and city streets, some believe that number to be false.
Kazakhstan
From 1929 to 1991, Almaty was the capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Once Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union, this southeastern city remained the capital for six more years. In 1997, the decision was made to move the capital elsewhere; Astana was unveiled as the new capital of Kazakhstan one year later. Officials revealed that they believed Almaty’s earthquake-prone location was too volatile for a capital city, although President Nursultan Nazarbayev also said that he hoped the move would stimulate the northern region’s economic wealth. “Astana” literally translates to the word “capital” — a fitting name, until it was changed to Nursultan in 2019, after Kazakhstan’s first president, who remained in office for 19 years.
Nigeria
Before 1991, the coastal metropolis of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, had long been the country’s capital. It was first declared the capital in 1914 when Nigeria was under British rule, and it remained so after Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Over time, however, government officials found it unsuitable as a capital, particularly because Lagos was hot, crowded, and prone to political upheaval. As a result, government officials began developing a new capital north of Lagos during the 1980s. This city was called Abuja, and in addition to being in a more centralized location, it was located in neutral territory in regards to the country’s various religious and ethnic groups. The open land also provided abundant room for expansion. Abuja was officially named the new capital of Nigeria on December 12, 1991, although a few government offices remain in the original capital city of Lagos.
Bolivia
When Bolivia became independent in 1825, Sucre was named the country’s official capital city. Named for the revolutionary leader Antonio José de Sucre, the city was chosen due to its proximity to silver mines, which was the country’s chief industry at the time. However, when the mines dried up in the late 1800s, all the workers moved to the city of La Paz, located 250 miles to the north. As it was closer to the tin mines, La Paz’s economic importance grew, and it eventually became the seat for the executive and legislative branches of the government. Despite this, Sucre remains the seat for the government’s judicial branch and the official capital, even though La Paz is the country’s de facto capital.