Black dots represent the location of each country's capital cities. On first glance there appears to be a spatial pattern that most capital cities tend to be located on the coasts, this is due to high access to freshwater supplies. Other capital cities such as Caracas(Venezuela), became centers of power because they were easier to defend. Caracas is behind a coastal mountain range.
Other capitals were chosen for religious significance, examples of these include Rome(Italy).
A few capitals were put where they are for political reasons, Canberra (Australia) for example was set up as a compromise between the larger cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
The two largest capital cities in Africa according to the World Facts book are Lagos(Nigeria) and Cairo(Egypt). Lagos's population is approximately 21 million with Cairo having an approximate population of 20 million.
Lagos, located along the Atlantic Ocean, in Lagos State is Nigeria's largest city and is regarded as the country's economic capital.
According to Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung (HBS) Foundation research, Lagos is regarded as the 7th fastest growing city in the world.
In terms of population, Moscow is the capital city with the largest population. As of 2012, the population total stood at 12 million.
Moscow is the capital city and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural and scientific center in Russia and in Eastern Europe.
It is also the northernmost and coldest megacity and metropolis on Earth, one of the most populous in Europe (12.4 Million).
According to Forbes 2013, Moscow has been ranked as the ninth most expensive city in the world by Mercer and is one of the world's largest urban economies, being ranked as an alpha global city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network and is also one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world according to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.
Tokyo is the largest capital city in the region, totalling at approximately 38.2 million.
Tokyo is Japan's capital and world's most populous metropolis.
Lima, located in Peru contains the highest population out of all the capital cities in South America. It's approximate population comes in at 9,8 million.
Lima is the fifth largest city in South America.
Lima is the second largest desert capital city in the world after Cairo. The city is located on a desert strip between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountain.
Mexico City has the most populous metro area in North America with an approximate population of 20,8 million. Located in the Valley of Mexico in the center of the country, Mexico City is the nation's capital.
Most Mexican industrial products are produced within its surrounding area, making it a logical point of relocation for the job-seeking migrants who continue to pour into in this city from all around the country.
6 of the most populated cities in the world are located in the greater Asia region. This reflects national trends where India and China are currently the nations with the highest populations in the world.
With rapid increasing birth rates in Africa, I would predict that African cities will make an appearance in the next 5-10 year.
First world countries continue to experience populations declines.
The largest capital city in this region is considered to be Jakarta(Indonesia). As per the 2016 census, the city was recorded to having a population of over 10 million.
Jakarta is now considered a global city and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
South Africa has three capital cities.
Pretoria, the administrative capital, houses the executive branch of government. It is also frequently considered the de facto national capital.
As the legislative capital, the parliament of South Africa is located in Cape Town.
Bloemfontein, referred to as the judicial capital, is the home of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa. It also doubles as the capital of its province, the Free State.
Produced by Jonathan Kazhila