Federal capital

A federal capital is a political entity, often a municipality or capital city, that enjoys primary status as a seat of government in a federal state. A federal capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of its respective government, where its location and relationship to subnational states are fixed by law or federal constitution. Federal capitals may be considered states in themselves, and exercise significant political autonomy from the federation, as federal districts.

Examples of well-known federal capitals include Washington, D.C., which is not part of any U.S. state but borders Maryland and Virginia; Berlin, which is a state of Germany in its own right and forms an enclave within the much larger state of Brandenburg; and the Australian Capital Territory, a territory of Australia which includes the capital city of Australia, Canberra.

Examples of federal capitals

• Argentina: Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, formerly Capital Federal
• Austria: Vienna
• Australia: Canberra
• Belgium: Brussels capital region
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo
• Brazil: Brasilia
• Canada: Ottawa
• Comoros: Moroni
• Ethiopia: Addis Ababa
• Germany: Berlin
• India: New Delhi
• Iraq: Baghdad
• Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur
• Mexico: Mexico City
• Micronesia, (Federated States of): Palikir
• Nepal: Kathmandu
• Nigeria: Federal Capital Territory of Abuja
• Pakistan: Islamabad
• Russia: Moscow
• Saint Kitts and Nevis: Basseterre
• South Sudan: Juba and in the future, its Federal Government is thinking to move the federal capital to Ramciel in Lakes State. This move will put the federal capital close to South Sudan's geographical center
• Somalia: Mogadishu
• Spain: Madrid
• Sudan: Khartoum
• Switzerland: Bern
• United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi
• United States: Washington, D.C.
• Venezuela: Caracas