Here are the capitals of the fourteen countries of Central and South Asia. In two of the biggest countries, the capital is not the largest or best-known city.
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | Astana |
| Uzbekistan | Tashkent |
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat |
| Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek |
| Tajikistan | Dushanbe |
| Afghanistan | Kabul |
| Iran | Tehran |
| Pakistan | Islamabad |
| India | New Delhi |
| Nepal | Kathmandu |
| Bhutan | Thimphu |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (see the note) |
| Maldives | Malé |
Key idea
New Delhi (India), Islamabad (Pakistan), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nepal), Thimphu (Bhutan), Tehran (Iran), Kabul (Afghanistan), and the "-stan" capitals Astana, Tashkent, Ashgabat, Bishkek and Dushanbe. Sri Lanka's official capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, next to Colombo, its largest city.
Why it works
Several of these countries built new capitals. Pakistan's first capital was Karachi, its biggest port; in the 1960s it moved to Islamabad, a planned city in the cooler north. Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana, nearer the middle of the country, in 1997. New Delhi was built in the 1920s and 1930s as a new government district beside the old city of Delhi.
Worked example: Pakistan's capital
Karachi is Pakistan's largest city. Is it the capital?
- Karachi was the first capital.
- The capital is now Islamabad, in the north.
Answer: No; Islamabad.
Worked example: Kazakhstan's capital
What is the capital of Kazakhstan?
- Almaty, the largest city, was the capital until 1997.
- The capital is now Astana.
Answer: Astana.
In the mountains, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Thimphu (Bhutan) sit in high valleys of the Himalayas. The island capitals are Malé, on a small coral island in the Maldives, and Sri Lanka's capital near Colombo (Colombo is also accepted when you type).
Common mistake
People say Karachi for Pakistan or Mumbai for India, because those are the giant business cities. The capitals are Islamabad and New Delhi.