List of African Capitals

The List of African Capitals is a record of the capital cities of countries on the African continent. A capital city is understood as the city where the major seats of government are located—such as the presidential office, parliament, and ministries. This list typically includes the name of the country, the capital city, and sometimes the population of the capital and the date it was designated as capital.

The African continent has over fifty countries that are members of the African Union, which means the list of capitals is extensive and changes when countries relocate their capitals or when political borders shift. Lists of this type also include territories that do not have full international recognition and territories that belong to other states.

Forms of government and multiple capitals

Some countries have more than one capital. South Africa has three seats of government divided among them: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). For this reason, some lists name only one city, while others mention all three. Such variations explain why different lists produce different results.

Capital relocations

Several African countries have moved their capitals from coastal cities that were historically colonial administrative centers to cities in the interior. Nigeria relocated from Lagos to Abuja. Tanzania transferred many functions from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, though Dar es Salaam remains the economic hub. The stated aims for these moves include decentralizing administration and reducing the pressure on overgrown cities.

Uses of the list

The list of African capitals is used for geographical education, diplomatic accounting (determining where embassies are located), and urban studies. It also serves as a basis for comparison between political capitals and economic centers, which in much of Africa are often not the same city.