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Capitals of Asia

Capitals of Asia: a chapter of the Capitals of the World Book, with the capitals people get wrong and the stories behind them.

10 cards · Geography

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Each Zap teaches up to 5 new cards, so you learn the deck a few at a time.

Checked by the Brain Zap team · reviewed 26 Oct 2026

Sources: List of national capitals (Wikipedia), The World Factbook (CIA)

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  • Capital of Japan

    Show answer: Capital of Japan

    Tokyo

    Learn more: It became the capital in 1868, when the emperor moved there from Kyoto; its metro area is the world's largest.

  • Capital of China

    Show answer: Capital of China

    Beijing

    Learn more: Its name means 'northern capital'; Nanjing, the 'southern capital', held the title at times.

  • Capital of India

    Show answer: Capital of India

    New Delhi

    Learn more: It replaced Kolkata as the capital and was opened in 1931, inside the much larger city of Delhi.

  • Capital of South Korea

    Show answer: Capital of South Korea

    Seoul

    Learn more: About half of all South Koreans live in its metropolitan area.

  • Capital of Turkey

    Show answer: Capital of Turkey

    Ankara

    Learn more: Atatürk made it the capital in 1923; Istanbul, the old Ottoman capital, is far bigger.

About this topic

Asia is the biggest continent, with the most people and some of the world's largest cities. Its capitals have moved more than you'd think: Japan's moved from Kyoto, India's from Kolkata, Pakistan's from Karachi and Turkey's from Istanbul, often to make a clean break with the past. Many capitals were chosen as a compromise between rival cities, and some were built from nothing to give a country a fresh start.

This is a chapter of the Capitals of the World Book. Each card asks one question, with a hint before you answer and a short reason after. Once you know most of this chapter, the next one starts arriving in your Daily Zap.

All 10 cards

  1. Capital of Japan

    Tokyo

    Learn more: It became the capital in 1868, when the emperor moved there from Kyoto; its metro area is the world's largest.

  2. Capital of China

    Beijing

    Learn more: Its name means 'northern capital'; Nanjing, the 'southern capital', held the title at times.

  3. Capital of India

    New Delhi

    Learn more: It replaced Kolkata as the capital and was opened in 1931, inside the much larger city of Delhi.

  4. Capital of South Korea

    Seoul

    Learn more: About half of all South Koreans live in its metropolitan area.

  5. Capital of Turkey

    Ankara

    Learn more: Atatürk made it the capital in 1923; Istanbul, the old Ottoman capital, is far bigger.

  6. Capital of Thailand

    Bangkok

    Learn more: Krung Thep means 'city of angels', the start of a ceremonial name famous for its length.

  7. Capital of Vietnam

    Hanoi

    Learn more: Ho Chi Minh City, once Saigon, is bigger, but this has been the capital of united Vietnam since 1976.

  8. Capital of Saudi Arabia

    Riyadh

    Learn more: Mecca and Medina are Islam's holy cities and Jeddah its main port, but the government sits here.

  9. Capital of the Philippines

    Manila

    Learn more: Quezon City, right next door, has more people and was the capital from 1948 to 1976.

  10. Capital of Pakistan

    Islamabad

    Learn more: It replaced Karachi, the biggest city, with nearby Rawalpindi standing in while it was built.

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