Capital city

The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the Republic and the Empire, and later as the centre of the Catholic Church.

Historically, the major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through conquest or federation.

The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an itinerant (wandering) government was common.

They are recognized as capitals as a matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them.

Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions.

Modern examples are Berlin, Cairo, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Jakarta, Metro Manila, Seoul, and Tokyo.

The number of new capitals in the world increased substantially since the Renaissance period, especially with the founding of independent nation-states since the eighteenth century.

The national capitals of Germany and Russia (the Stadtstaat of Berlin and the federal city of Moscow) are also constituent states of both countries in their own right.

In ancient China, where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on the provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital.

The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing, where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus.

The Ming was destroyed when Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century.

National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, because of socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies.

Tokyo , the capital of Japan , and the most populous metropolitan area in the world
Rome , as the capital of the Roman Empire , acquired the nickname of Caput Mundi ("Capital of the world").
Beijing , as the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China , has served as the country's political centre for most of the past eight centuries.
London , the capital of England and the United Kingdom , and the largest metropolitan area in Western Europe
Paris , the capital of France , and the largest metropolitan area in the European Union
Moscow , the capital of Russia , and the former capital of the Soviet Union
L'Enfant Plan in Washington, D.C. , the capital of the United States
The construction process of the future capital city of Indonesia , namely the city of Nusantara , is currently underway.
The Australian Parliament opened in the small town of Canberra in 1927 as a compromise between the largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne .
The Supreme Court , the seat of Switzerland 's judiciary, is in Lausanne , although the executive and legislature are located in Bern .
Parliament House in Singapore ; as a city-state , Singapore requires no specific capital.
The Blue Palace , the official residence of Montenegro 's president, is in Cetinje , although the executive and legislature are located in Podgorica .
Mariehamn , capital city of Åland , a demilitarized archipelago with self-governance
Constantinople , the capital of the Byzantine Empire , was the final part of the empire to fall to the Ottoman Turks due to its strong defences.