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Grand Mosque of Porto-Novo, Benin: Historic architecture in Porto-Novo, the official capital of Benin, is influenced by the Afro-Brazilian culture brought here by formerly enslaved people. Click through the gallery to see Benin's other capital and more countries with two or more capital cities:
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Dantokpa Market in Cotonou, Benin: Among the largest open-air markets in West Africa, colorful Dantokpa Market covers a sprawling 20 hectares.
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Cable cars in La Paz, Bolivia: With views of towering peaks, a network of cable cars shuttles passengers through Bolivia's high-altitude administrative capital.
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Freedom House in Sucre, Bolivia: With whitewashed architecture and centuries of history, the Andean city of Sucre is Bolivia's constitutional capital.
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Financial district in Santiago de Chile: The country's national administrative and judicial bodies gather in this city, where skyscrapers have a backdrop of snowy mountains.
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Colorful houses in Valparaíso, Chile: The historic center of this coastal Chilean city, where the national legislature is based, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Basilica of our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Côte D'Ivoire: This landmark in the boyhood home of former President Félix Houphouët-Boigny is the world's largest church.
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Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire: The de-facto seat of government in Côte D'Ivoire includes landmarks of Afro-Modernism, such as this hotel tower built in 1964.
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Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic: The President of the Czech Republic is officially based in Prague Castle, which was founded in the 9th century.
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Rooflines in Brno, Czech Republic: With lots of history and student energy, Brno is also home to the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic.
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Ezulwini Valley in the Kingdom of eSwatini: Mbabane, the administrative capital of the Kingdom of eSwatini, is located near this scenic landscape of rocky mountains.
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Ludzidzini in the Kingdom of eSwatini: The annual royal Reed Dance takes place at the Ludzidzini Royal palace.
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Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The national capital of Malaysia is abuzz with round-the-clock traffic and urban energy.
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Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia: Perched on the edge of a manmade lake, this bright-pink mosque is a major landmark in the new Malaysian capital of Putrajaya.
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Millennium Bridge in Podgorica, Montenegro: The Montenegro government is officially located in the historic city of Podgorica.
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Blue Palace in Cetinje, Montenegro: The official residence of Montenegro's president is the Blue Palace in Cetinje, the country's Old Royal Capital.
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Canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands: Traditional houses line canals in Amsterdam, the official capital of the Netherlands.
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Binnenhof Castle in The Hague, Netherlands: The Netherlands' main governing bodies are located at Binnenhof Castle, where the King still appears for annual speeches.
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Jacaranda trees in Pretoria, South Africa: September brings purple blossoms to Pretoria, one of South Africa's three capital cities.
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Cape Town harbor in South Africa: With a spectacular coastal location, Cape Town was the capital of Britain's Cape Colony.
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Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein, South Africa: A permanent collection of works by South African artists draws visitors to Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein, South Africa's third capital.
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Colombo, Sri Lanka: Beaches line the urban waterfront of Colombo, home to the national and executive bodies of government in Sri Lanka.
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Sri Lanka Parliament in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: The official capital of Sri Lanka is in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, inland from the city of Colombo.
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Sunset at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: With a gorgeous perch on the edge of the Indian Ocean, Dar es Salaam is still the seat of many government functions more than 40 years after the new capital of Dodoma was declared.
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The Tanzanian Parliament building in Dodoma, Tanzania: In 2019, Tanzanian President John Magufuli moved his office to Dodoma.
CNN  — 

The wars, revolutions and fallen empires that transformed the world map in the 20th century have a surprising beneficiary: capital cities.

Only around 40 nations had capital cities in 1900, writes professor David Gordon in an introduction to the book, “Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities.”

By 2000, that number would grow to more than 200, as new countries emerged out of the collapse of the British and French empires, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.

Most countries chose a single city as their capital.

“This is a place where politicians get together to pass laws, where the central administrative apparatus of the country are generally located,” says Gordon, a professor of urban planning at Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario. “There are very much synergies in locating these all together.”

But some countries simply decided that when it comes to capital cities, more is more. From the shores of Benin to the Kingdom of eSwatini, there are nations across the globe with two or more capital cities.

Their reasons vary. When countries are formed from distinct regions, as in the case of the United States or South Africa, Gordon notes that regional competition for power can be a factor.

“None of them wants their rival to get the advantage of being the seat of government,” says Gordon. “There’s very complex politics involved with this sort of thing.”

The United States resolved that conflict by founding Washington, D.C., on a relatively undeveloped stretch of the Potomac River. In contrast, South Africa opted for distributing the national government between the cities of Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein.

Sometimes, choosing a capital is easier said than done.

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The sunset in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania, is lovely to see.

In 1973, Tanzania declared that a new capital would be established in Dodoma, hundreds of miles inland from the colonial-era capital of Dar es Salaam.

“Empires had central administrative places for each colony, which were typically on the coast, so they had good access by sea back to the imperial capital,” says Gordon. “A trend in decolonizing countries is to move the capital into the center of the country to make it more accessible to all citizens.”

But the cultural pull of historic capitals can be hard to overcome. Dar es Salaam still hosts many government functions, and it wasn’t until 2019 that the Tanzanian president moved his office to the “new” capital of Dodoma.

Tanzania isn’t the only country where leaders dithered over where to put the capital.

“Canada took years and years to decide on Ottawa,” says Gordon. “The capital used to move every two years, because the Federation could not agree on where the capital should go.”

As travelers wait out the coronavirus pandemic, armchair traveling and hopefully planning their next adventures, consider which capital of these countries to visit in future – either or perhaps both?

Politics aside, Gordon sees an upside to his own country’s complicated geographical past, and to a world map whose nations maintain more than one capital city: “It’s great for Trivial Pursuit.”

Benin: Porto-Novo and Cotonou

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Porto-Novo is the official capital of Benin, where the Grand Mosque is located.

The energetic port city of Cotonou welcomes travelers to Benin with colorful hustle and swinging rhythms, and it comes as no surprise that the country’s biggest city is also the seat of government.

The official capital, though, is an hour away in Porto-Novo. Here, the blare of big-city life gives way to tree-lined streets and historic architecture.

A division of powers between the two cities has been in place since before Benin achieved full independence from France in 1960.

Bolivia: La Paz and Sucre

Wrapped in the snowy peaks of the Andes Mountains, La Paz is a show-stopper of a capital city.

Cable cars drift above a tangle of downtown streets, and an independent populace fills historic squares during frequent protests. But while La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, the constitutional capital is hundreds of miles away in the city of Sucre.

In the early days of colonial rule, silver from the mines surrounding Sucre turned the mountain city into an Andean powerhouse. A burgeoning tin industry helped make upstart La Paz a fierce rival for economic and political power, and it remains the seat of Bolivian government to this day.

Chile: Santiago and Valparaíso

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The historic quarter of Valparaiso in Chile shines at night.

As members of Chile’s national administrative and judicial bodies watch snow fall in the mountains around Santiago, the national legislature can enjoy a colorful Pacific Ocean sunset from the city of Valparaíso.

The two spectacular cities are just 72 miles away from each other by road, but they’re a world apart. In Santiago, the official capital, high-rise buildings glimmer a cool gray-blue against a backdrop of rocky summits.

In the national legislature’s seat of Valparaíso, the UNESCO-listed historic center is a tumbledown gem with a rainbow palette and bohemian flair.

Côte D’Ivoire: Yamoussoukro and Abidjan

Holding onto the presidency for more than three decades comes with some perks.

President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who ruled Côte D’Ivoire from 1960 to 1993, took advantage of his time in office by making his boyhood home of Yamoussoukro the country’s second capital in 1983.

Compared with the original capital city of Abidjan, however, Yamoussoukro remains sleepy. Abidjan is the de facto seat of government, where sleek artwork at Galerie Cécile Fakhoury meets modernist architecture and colorful markets.

Czech Republic: Prague and Brno

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The President of the Czech Republic is officially based in Prague Castle.

Gothic spires and Baroque rooflines line the Vltava River in Prague, a charismatic city that’s a showpiece of Czech culture and history.

Among the most impressive sites is Prague Castle, part of the city’s UNESCO-listed historic center. Founded in the 9th century, the sprawling castle remains the official office of the President of the Czech Republic.

But the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic is in the country’s less-known second capital, the energetic Moravian city of Brno. Here, students fill stylish cafes, and adventurous visitors can go underground into an maze-like ossuary that holds tens of thousands of human skeletons.

Kingdom of eSwatini: Mbabane and Lobamba

Formerly known as Swaziland, this landlocked country packs a dramatically varied landscape into less than 7,000 square miles of territory. In the mountainous west, escarpments break free of green hills that plunge to hot, dry grasslands just above sea level.

Perched in the heart of the Dlangeni Hills, Mbabane is the administrative capital. If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the absolute monarch of eSwatini, King Mswati III, you should head to Lobamba, the royal capital.

That’s where the royal family resides in the Ludzidzini Royal Residence, one of several royal residences across the country.

eSwatini’s annual arts and music festival is just one stop on the African festival circuit

Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

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Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, is located at the edge of a manmade lake.

A jumble of minarets, futuristic towers and street markets, Kuala Lumpur is a maximalist immersion in Malaysian life and culture. Rooftop bars buzz through the night here, and rush hour brings traffic at a standstill.

It’s the national capital, too, the seat of the legislature and the official home of Malaysia’s monarch. But even governments need a break from big-city life.

In 1995, the government began constructing Putrajaya, a quieter metropolis that wraps around a massive artificial lake.

What the new capital lacks in heritage it makes up for in space. With plenty of room to grow, oversized landmarks have blossomed in Putrajaya, including the bubblegum-pink Putra Mosque, which has become a sightseeing touchstone.

Montenegro: Podgorica and Cetinje

Grand mansions and museums testify to Cetinije’s years as a seat of power in Montenegro, and the President’s official residence is still in the city’s Empire-style Blue Palace.

Now designated the Old Royal Capital, Cetinije lost prominence to the larger city of Podgorica – then called Titograd – after the Second World War.

Now, laid-back Podgorica is where the official government is located. Known as Birziminum in Roman times, the city morphed into Slavic Ribnica and Socialist Titograd before becoming Podgorica in 1992 as Yugoslavia crumbled.

Netherlands: Amsterdam and The Hague

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Traditional houses line canals in Amsterdam, the official capital of the Netherlands.

With historic canals, ultrahip locals and a reputation as one of Europe’s hottest party spots, Amsterdam has plenty of name recognition.

But even though the Netherlands’ constitution designates the city as the country’s capital, the real work of governing takes place in The Hague.

The Netherlands’ main governing bodies, including the states general, executive branch and supreme court, have been located in this dignified city for centuries.

To see the city’s inner workings, join a guided tour of Het Binnenhof, a historic complex of buildings clustered around the Gothic Knight’s Hall, where the King of the Netherlands still comes for his yearly speech from the throne.

South Africa: Pretoria:,Cape Town and Bloemfontein

This is the only country to have three capital cities, a unique arrangement designed to share power across regions.

With a spectacular location between the shoreline and Table Mountain, Cape Town was the capital of Britain’s Cape Colony and remains the legislative capital of South Africa.

By dividing the remaining branches of government between Pretoria and Bloemfontein, the emerging Republic of South Africa helped distribute power across the new country.

Each one has its charms: Pretoria is known for the exuberant jacaranda blooms that appear each September, while Bloemfontein exudes laid-back hospitality.

Sri Lanka: Colombo and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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Beaches line the urban waterfront of Colombo, home to Sri Lanka's national and executive bodies of government.

Colombo sprawls maze-like along the Sri Lankan coast, reeling past bright bazaars, colonial-era landmarks and golden-sand beaches.

It’s a city with gutsy magnetism, a figurehead that’s the starting point for most travelers exploring the island country.

The national and executive bodies of government are in Colombo, too, but the official capital is in nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, often called Kotte. There, the modern Sri Lankan Parliament Building is located on an artificial island in the middle of the manmade Diyawanna Lake.

Tanzania: Dar es Salaam and Dodoma

Sometimes moving out takes years.

In 1973, the Tanzanian government announced it was moving from the coastal capital of Dar es Salaam, and identified Dodoma as the perfect central location for a new capital.

Despite a suite of grand buildings and wide streets in Dodoma, however, many key government functions remain in Dar es Salaam. Maybe it’s just too hard to walk away from Dar es Salaam’s cultural diversity and Indian Ocean breezes; there’s even a gorgeous marine reserve just off the coast here.

But after nearly half a century of a move-in-progress, Tanzania’s government might finally make the jump to Dodoma. In October 2019, President John Magufuli moved his office there.