Remembering that Ottawa is the capital of Canada is easier when you also know it sits on a river facing Quebec. A bare name fades; a name pinned to a picture of the map sticks.
Each slice of the wheel holds a country. After the spin, the description gives the capital and a landmark to place it: the river that runs through it, the coast it faces, or the reason it is not the country’s best-known city. The Europe variant works as a starting point; the World variant gathers the capitals people most often get wrong, such as Canberra, Ankara and Abuja.
How to use it
- Pick the Europe or World variant depending on the level.
- Spin the wheel and give the player five seconds to name the capital.
- Read the answer and landmark, then point to the city on a map or globe.
- In a group, score a point per correct answer and a bonus for finding the capital on the map unaided.
All the options
- Canada
- Ottawa, in Ontario, on the Ottawa River, which forms the border with Quebec. Not Toronto, not Montreal.
- Australia
- Canberra, a city built in the 20th century as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, which both wanted the title.
- Brazil
- Brasília, built on the central plateau and inaugurated in 1960 to replace Rio de Janeiro and open up the interior.
- Turkey
- Ankara, in central Anatolia, capital since 1923. Istanbul is larger but is not the capital.
- Japan
- Tokyo, on the island of Honshu, on a bay that opens onto the Pacific Ocean.
- Morocco
- Rabat, on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the town of Salé. Casablanca is bigger but is not the capital.
- Senegal
- Dakar, on the Cap-Vert peninsula, home to Pointe des Almadies, the westernmost point of mainland Africa.
- Kenya
- Nairobi, on a high plateau at almost 1,800 m above sea level. A national park lies right on the edge of the city.
- Nigeria
- Abuja, in the centre of the country, capital since 1991 in place of Lagos, the largest city, on the coast.
- Argentina
- Buenos Aires, on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, the wide estuary that separates it from Uruguay.
- Mexico
- Mexico City, in a high valley more than 2,200 m above sea level, ringed by volcanoes.
- India
- New Delhi, in the north, part of the wider Delhi area crossed by the Yamuna river.
- Vietnam
- Hanoi, in the Red River Delta in the north. Ho Chi Minh City, in the south, is larger but is not the capital.
- New Zealand
- Wellington, at the southern tip of the North Island, on Cook Strait. Auckland is bigger but is not the capital.
- United States
- Washington, D.C., on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. Not to be confused with Washington State on the Pacific coast.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Switzerland?
Bern. The Swiss constitution does not name a capital, but Bern hosts the federal government and parliament and is known as the “federal city”. Zurich and Geneva are both larger.
Why is Sydney not the capital of Australia?
When Australia federated, Sydney and Melbourne both claimed the title. The compromise was to build a new city between them: Canberra, in its own federal territory.
Which countries have more than one capital?
South Africa splits its institutions between Pretoria (government), Cape Town (parliament) and Bloemfontein (judiciary). In Bolivia, Sucre is the constitutional capital and La Paz the seat of government. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam is the capital but power sits in The Hague.
What is the best way to memorise capitals?
Learn them region by region rather than alphabetically, always with a map in front of you. Focus on the traps (a capital that is not the largest city) and quiz yourself out loud instead of rereading a list.