50 Countries and Their Capitals (SSC GK Practice Set)

Countries and their capitals form a core static GK topic in SSC exams. This practice set covers 50 major countries from across the world with their capitals, organised continent-wise, followed by practice questions and FAQs.

50 Countries and Their Capitals: Quick Reference Table

Practice Questions on Countries and Capitals

1. Q1. What is the capital of Australia?
   Answer: Canberra (not Sydney, a common mistake)
2. Q2. What is the capital of Brazil?
   Answer: Brasília (not Rio de Janeiro, a common mistake)
3. Q3. What is the capital of South Africa?
   Answer: Pretoria is the administrative capital; South Africa has three capitals
4. Q4. Which country has Naypyidaw as its capital?
   Answer: Myanmar
5. Q5. What is the capital of Switzerland?
   Answer: Bern (not Zurich, a common mistake)
6. Q6. What is the capital of Canada?
   Answer: Ottawa (not Toronto, a common mistake)
7. Q7. What is the capital of the United States?
   Answer: Washington, D.C.
8. Q8. Which country has Abuja as its capital?
   Answer: Nigeria
9. Q9. What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
   Answer: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (the legislative capital)
10. Q10. What is the capital of Turkey?
    Answer: Ankara (not Istanbul, a common mistake)

Tips to Remember Countries and Capitals for SSC

• Pay special attention to capitals often confused with a country's largest city, such as Australia (Canberra, not Sydney), Brazil (Brasília, not Rio), Canada (Ottawa, not Toronto), and Switzerland (Bern, not Zurich).
• Group countries continent-wise for structured revision instead of learning them randomly.
• Revise alongside our States and Capitals of India practice set to cover both Indian and world geography together.
• Practice more with our previous year questions and current affairs section.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the capital of Australia?

Canberra is the capital of Australia, not Sydney, which is a common misconception.

2. What is the capital of Brazil?

Brasília is the capital of Brazil, not Rio de Janeiro, which is a common misconception.

3. Why does South Africa have more than one capital?

South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial).

4. What is the capital of Myanmar?

Naypyidaw is the capital of Myanmar, replacing Yangon as the official capital in 2006.

5. What is the capital of Switzerland?

Bern is the capital of Switzerland, not Zurich, which is a common misconception.

6. What is the capital of Canada?

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, not Toronto, which is a common misconception.

7. What is the capital of Sri Lanka?

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the official legislative capital of Sri Lanka, while Colombo remains the commercial capital.

8. What is the capital of Turkey?

Ankara is the capital of Turkey, not Istanbul, which is a common misconception.

9. What is the capital of Nigeria?

Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.

10. What is the capital of the United Arab Emirates?

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, not Dubai, which is a common misconception.

11. What is the capital of Vietnam?

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.

12. How should I memorise countries and capitals for SSC exams?

Group countries continent-wise and focus extra attention on capitals that differ from a country's most famous or largest city.

13. What is the capital of Kazakhstan or other lesser-known countries not in this list?

This practice set covers the 50 most commonly asked countries; refer to our other GK resources for additional country-capital pairs.

14. Are capital cities subject to change?

Yes, in rare cases countries do change capitals (as Myanmar did), so it is good practice to stay updated through reliable sources.

15. Where can I practice more topics like this?

Visit our Practice Papers section for more world geography and GK practice sets.