List of Country Capitals in Americas

Capital cities are generally locations that serve as the centers of government, business and education, making them population hubs and popular tourist destinations. While some countries, such as Italy and Germany, have multiple cities of cultural importance, others have just one major city that functions as a seat of government and cultural attraction. Some capital cities are more well-known that the countries in which they are located – for example, Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik is a highly popular tourist destination, famous for its hot springs, but large parts of the rest of the country are not widely explored by most tourists.

In countries with ongoing conflicts, capital cities often experience the worst effects; indeed, there are instances of entire cities being almost completely destroyed. Most recently, capital cities such as Afghanistan's Kabul and Iraq's Baghdad have suffered significant destruction. Conversely, Syria's capital city of Damascus has remained relatively stable through the ongoing conflict there, while large part of the rest of the country have been severely damaged.

The largest capital city in the world is Beijing in China, with a huge population of more than twenty million (although this is still a small percentage of the overall population in China). The title of smallest capital city in the world goes to Ngerulmud in the tiny Pacific island country of Palau, with a population of around 400 people. Other countries with very small capital cities include Vatican City, with a population of 1000 and San Marino with around 4000 residents.