World Geography
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Nicknamed for its flowering trees, this inland city is South Africa's administrative capital.
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Mauritius's capital was named in honor of an 18th-century king of _ _ _ _ _ _.
Built around one of the world's great natural harbors, this coastal city is Sierra Leone's capital.
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Morocco's capital is home to an unfinished 12th-century minaret known as the _ _ _ _ _ _ Tower.
Malabo, unlike most African capitals, sits on this island rather than its country's mainland territory.
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This Mediterranean capital's name comes from a Greek word meaning 'three cities.'
TRIPOLITunisia's capital lies near the ruins of the ancient city of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, once a rival of Rome.
CARTHAGEThis capital of a small Central African nation sits on an island rather than the country's mainland territory.
MALABOFounded in 1849 by freed slaves, Gabon's capital is Libre_ _ _ _ _, a name meaning 'free town' in French.
VILLEThis small port town, on an island nation named for a Christian saint, is one of Africa's least populous capitals.
SAOTOMESão Tomé's name honors this Christian apostle, whose feast day the Portuguese landed on.
THOMASThis Indian Ocean capital shares an island with an active volcano and gives its name to the country it governs.
MORONIFounded by a British colonial expedition in 1890, this city is Zimbabwe's capital.
HARARESeychelles' capital, Victoria, is often cited as one of the world's _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ national capitals by population.
SMALLESTThis compact West African capital also serves as the country's main seaport.
BISSAUThis city on Morocco's Atlantic coast has served as the country's capital since 1912.
RABATSouth Africa's administrative capital is nicknamed the '_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ City' for the purple-flowering trees lining its streets.
JACARANDAUntil 1976, Mozambique's capital was named after a Portuguese explorer: Lourenço _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
LOURENCOThis small town is Eswatini's legislative and royal capital, home to the monarchy's traditional seat.
LOBAMBABenin's government offices, president, and foreign embassies are actually based in this port city rather than the official capital.
COTONOUFounded in 1899 as a supply depot for a colonial-era railway, this city is Kenya's capital.
NAIROBIChosen for its central location, this inland city became Tanzania's official capital, replacing its former coastal counterpart.
DODOMAThe world's longest river flows directly through Cairo on its way to the Mediterranean.
NILEBefore 2019, Burundi's seat of government sat in this larger lakeside city on Lake Tanganyika.
BUJUMBURAThis capital city is named for the Italian-French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de '_ _ _ _ _ _,' joined with the French word for 'city.'
BRAZZADjibouti's capital lies near the Bab-el-Mandeb, a narrow _ _ _ _ _ _ linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
STRAITMali's capital takes its name from a Bambara phrase referring to the river _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, a reptile revered along its banks.
CROCODILEThis capital city shares its exact name with the small country it governs, on the Horn of Africa.
DJIBOUTIRenamed in 1976, this Indian Ocean port city is Mozambique's capital.
MAPUTOBefore French colonization, Madagascar's hilltop capital was the royal seat of the _ _ _ _ _ _ Kingdom.
MERINASierra Leone's capital sits on a natural _ _ _ _ _ _ often ranked among the largest in the world.
HARBORBuilt up rapidly after Mauritania's 1960 independence, this desert capital begins 'Nouak' and ends '_ _ _ _ _.'
CHOTTBoth Kampala and Yaoundé are said to be built across _ _ _ _ _ hills.
SEVENMauritania's capital is home to the Sheikh Zayed _ _ _ _ _ power plant, among Africa's largest of its kind when it opened in 2013.
SOLARFamed for its Italian colonial-era buildings, this highland city is the capital of Eritrea.
ASMARAYamoussoukro is home to the world's largest church by area, called the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of Our Lady of Peace.
BASILICAThe largest city in Africa and in the Arab world, this capital sits along the Nile.
CAIROThis planned city grew from a small village near a natural water hole into Botswana's capital at independence.
GABORONESaid to be built across seven hills, this city has governed Uganda since independence.
KAMPALAA long-standing Indian Ocean trading port, this city is Somalia's capital.
MOGADISHULying just a short drive from a neighboring country's border, this palm-lined city is Togo's capital.
LOMEAbuja was chosen as Nigeria's capital partly for its _ _ _ _ _ _ _ location among the country's many regions.
CENTRALThis is Eswatini's administrative capital, where government ministries are based.
MBABANEIn 2019, Burundi shifted its official political capital away from its largest city to this smaller inland town.
GITEGANamed after a local chief, this city became the colonial-era capital of Northern Rhodesia in 1935.
LUSAKAThis coastal city has served as Ghana's capital since independence in 1957.
ACCRABefore Zimbabwean independence in 1980, Harare was known by this colonial-era name.
SALISBURYRwanda's hilly terrain has earned the country the nickname 'land of a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ hills.'
THOUSANDThis capital sits along the Caledon River on the border it shares with a much larger neighbor.
MASERUComoros' capital, Moroni, shares Grande Comore island with Mount _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, one of the world's largest active volcanoes.
KARTHALAAt over 2,300 meters above sea level, Ethiopia's capital is Africa's _ _ _ _ _ _ _ national capital by elevation.
HIGHESTSudan's capital sits where two great rivers join to form a single, longer one.
KHARTOUMGuinea's capital sits at the tip of a narrow peninsula jutting into the Atlantic.
CONAKRYEthiopia's capital means 'new flower' in Amharic; the second word of its name is spelled Addis '_ _ _ _ _.'
ABABABurkina Faso's capital is affectionately nicknamed 'Ouaga'; written in full, it ends in these letters: Ouaga'_ _ _ _ _ _.'
DOUGOUNear the ruins of an ancient Phoenician city, this North African capital sits on the Mediterranean coast.
TUNISEritrea's capital was added to this heritage organization's World Heritage List in 2017.
UNESCOTogo's capital lies only a short drive from the border of this neighboring West African country.
GHANAThe Greek name behind Libya's capital referred to _ _ _ _ _ ancient cities: Oea, Sabratha, and Leptis Magna.
THREESitting on the Niger River, this city has been Mali's capital since French colonial rule.
BAMAKOBefore Lilongwe, this smaller city served as Malawi's colonial-era capital.
ZOMBAThis hilltop capital's name is said to honor 'the thousand' warriors who once guarded it: Antanana'_ _ _ _.'
RIVOCabo Verde's capital, Praia, sits on this island, the largest in the country.
SANTIAGONamed for a Baoulé queen, this city's name ends in the Baoulé word for 'town': Yamoussou'_ _ _.'
KROFacing a rival capital across the Congo River, this sprawling city governs the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
KINSHASAAlgeria's capital and largest city looks out over a bay on the Mediterranean coast.
ALGIERSThis hillside city on Santiago Island is the capital of Cabo Verde.
PRAIAIn Afrikaans and Dutch, Namibia's capital name translates roughly to 'wind _ _ _ _ _ _.'
CORNERSudan's capital sits at the meeting point of the Blue Nile and the _ _ _ _ _ Nile.
WHITEOnly a river separates Kinshasa and Brazzaville, making them the closest pair of national capitals anywhere.
CONGOStraddling the Niger River, this city has been the country's capital since French colonial rule.
NIAMEYUganda's capital takes its name from an antelope once plentiful on its hills: the _ _ _ _ _ _.
IMPALABecause of its Italian colonial-era buildings, Eritrea's capital earned the nickname 'Little _ _ _ _.'
ROMEOverlooked by a famous flat-topped mountain, this city is South Africa's legislative capital.
CAPETOWNSitting on the White Nile, this is the world's youngest national capital, governing since 2011.
JUBASitting where the Chari and Logone Rivers meet, this city was called Fort-Lamy before being renamed in 1973.
NDJAMENANigeria moved its seat of government to this purpose-built, centrally located city in 1991.
ABUJAThough it is Benin's official constitutional capital, this lagoon-side city is not where the government actually sits.
PORTONOVOSouth Africa's judicial capital combines the Afrikaans word for 'flower' with the word for 'fountain': '_ _ _ _ _fontein.'
BLOEMNamed for a French king, this island capital is also Mauritius's largest city.
PORTLOUISA famous flat-topped mountain overlooks South Africa's legislative capital.
TABLEAfrica's westernmost capital city sits on a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic.
DAKARLiberia's capital is named for U.S. President James _ _ _ _ _ _.
MONROEThough Yamoussoukro is Côte d'Ivoire's official capital, this coastal city remains its true economic and administrative hub.
ABIDJANBefore Abuja, this coastal megacity served as Nigeria's capital.
LAGOSThe Gambia's capital was founded by the British in 1816 as a base for suppressing the transatlantic _ _ _ _ _ trade.
SLAVESince 1975, this city, rather than the country's largest, has served as Malawi's capital.
LILONGWEFounded by Nama and German settlers in the 19th century, this city is Namibia's capital.
WINDHOEKSet among rolling green hills, this city has governed Rwanda since independence.
KIGALIFounded in 1822 by freed African-American settlers, this port city is Liberia's capital.
MONROVIAOften cited as one of the smallest national capitals in the world, this city governs an Indian Ocean archipelago.
VICTORIATanzania's former capital, and still its largest city, is known in full as Dar es _ _ _ _ _ _.
SALAAMGhana's capital takes its name from an Akan word for '_ _ _ _,' a reference to the anthills once common there.
ANTSLesotho's capital governs the only country completely _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ by a single other nation, South Africa.
ENCLOSEDKenya's capital sits high enough that its climate historically discouraged mosquitoes carrying this disease.
MALARIALocated on the Ubangi River, this city is the capital of the Central African Republic.
BANGUIBuilt on an island at the mouth of a major river, this small city is the capital of the Gambia.
BANJULAngola's coastal capital was founded by Portuguese settlers in the 16th century.
LUANDACairo was founded in 969 AD by generals of this Shia Muslim caliphate.
FATIMIDCameroon's capital sits inland, hundreds of kilometers from the country's main seaport of Douala.
YAOUNDE