There are cities around the world that have managed to become the largest, richest, best of the best in their country, failing to achieve only one thing - to become the capital. And since these cities are the best, they are so famous that people often make mistake thinking about them as capitals. Have you fallen into this trap? Test your knowledge:

Is Rio de Janeiro the capital of Brazil?

If you are hosting the largest carnival in the world, you cannot be anything less than the capital. It is easy to get confused when the main tourist attractions of Brazil are also located in Rio.

However, the actual capital of Brazil  is Brasilia. This is the city that replaced Rio as the capital in 1960. Currently, the most populated city is not Rio or Brasilia, but São Paulo.

Is Sydney (or Melbourne) the capital of Australia?

Both Sydney and Melbourne fought for the honor of being the capital of Australia. As a result, in 1908, Canberra received the role of compromise.

Is Toronto (or Montreal or Vancouver) the capital of Canada?

Yes, Toronto was the capital of the united province of Canada for two short periods in the 19th century (1849-1852 and 1856-1858). And yes, Montreal was the provincial capital of Canada (1844-1849). And Vancouver has never been the capital of Canada.

The actual capital of Canada is Ottawa with a population of three times less than the largest city Toronto.

Is Zurich (or Geneva) the capital of Switzerland?

You may have heard of many cities in Switzerland, but you probably don’t know that none of them is the capital of Switzerland. Switzerland is a decentralized federal country in which there is neither a president nor a prime minister. Thus, Bern is the de facto capital, called the federal city in Switzerland.

Is Marrakech (or Fez, or Casablanca) the capital of Morocco?

In fact, both Marrakech and Fez were the capitals of Morocco and changing roles several times. From the Middle. The actual capital of Morocco is Rabat. It was chosen as the capital by the French, who arrived here in 1912 and considered Marrakech a rather rebellious city. When Morocco gained independence in 1956, King Mohammed V decided to keep Rabat the capital. Today Casablanca is the largest Moroccan city.

Is Johannesburg the capital of South Africa?

Although Johannesburg is the largest city, it cannot occupy any of the three capital positions in South Africa (executive, legislative, judicial).

The actual capitals of South Africa are: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative).