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 most tourists do not widely explore large parts of the rest of the country.
In countries with ongoing conflicts, capital cities often experience the worst effects; indeed, there are instances of entire towns almost 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 a large part of the rest of the country has been severely damaged.
The largest capital city in the world is Beijing in China, with a vast 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 community of around 400 people. Other states with little capital cities include Vatican City, with a population of 1000 and San Marino with approximately 4000 residents.