Desert Capital Cities 2026
There Are Capital Cities in Deserts All Across the World
It is important to point out that there are desert capital cities spread all across the entire world. One capital city that is located in a desert is the city of Santa Fe in the state of New Mexico. Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico. The city of Santa Fe is actually quite an old city, relatively speaking. Santa Fe was founded all the way back in 1610. This makes Santa Fe the oldest state capital in the entirety of the United States.
Another capital city found in the desert is the city of Baghdad. Baghdad is the capital of the country of Iraq. Additionally, you should also know that the city of Baghdad is the second-largest city in the whole of the Arab world. Baghdad is situated along the Tigris River and it is quite an old city. The city of Baghdad was originally founded back in the 8th century.
The city of Dubai is another one of the many desert capital cities founded across the world. Contrary to what some may think, Dubai is actually not the capital of the United Arab Emirates. However, Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai. The city of Dubai is known for its luxurious buildings as well as its large estimated population of 3.39 million people.
Phoenix Is Another Well-Recognized Desert Capital
Phoenix is another capital city located in the desert. Additionally, Phoenix is also the most populous city in the entire state of Arizona. The 2020 US Census estimated that the population of the city of Phoenix is 1,608,139 people. With this estimated population, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the entire United States. Phoenix recently surpassed the city of Philadelphia to become the fifth-most populous city in the US.
Lima, the capital of Peru, is one of the numerous desert capital cities scattered all over the world. As with many other cities on this list, Lima has quite a large population: more than 9 million people in total, making it larger than every desert city except Cairo. However, Lima is unusual in that it is located in a tropical desert, sandwiched between the Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Because of this unique geography, Lima’s weather is often foggy (in fact, it’s one of the cloudiest cities in the world), and humidity often rises above 80%—but the city still averages only 0.2–0.6 inches of precipitation per year. Lima is also recognized for its institutions of higher education, such as the National University of San Marcos. The National University of San Marcos has operated since it was founded long ago, back in 1550.
Tehran Is One More Well-Known Desert Capital
There are many desert capitals located in the Middle East, and the city of Tehran is certainly one of them. The city of Tehran is the capital of the country of Iran. Tehran also has a large population, with a population of 8.7 million people just within the city proper. The majority of people in the city of Tehran speak Persian, despite the strong Arab influence in the city and the country of Iran. Tehran has diverse weather patterns: it is cold and wet during the winter but dry and hot during the summer.
