# Capital of a World Government **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068 "2010-06-05T15:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/1 "2010-06-05T15:57:30Z")
If there is a workable world government where should its capital be? I would suggest Santiago, Chile as its not part of a world power, part of a well-off nation, and is a clean and beautiful city. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/2 "2010-06-05T16:03:43Z")
My apartment in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It’s on the bus line, and sometimes I even vacuum. Watch out for my cat, sometimes he’s a little crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/3 "2010-06-05T16:16:29Z")
Santiago!, never!, Argentinians would never accept it, they (Chileans) are our hated “Brother Country”, and without us the world government could never work… ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/4 "2010-06-05T16:18:20Z")
Bayonne, New Jersey ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/5 "2010-06-05T16:51:05Z")
If the OP is implying that the world government should be in a nice city that is not a world power, there are certainly better choices than Santiago, not that I have anything against Santiago. It’d be cliche to go to Europe, but like it or not places like Brussels or Geneva are pretty logical spots. Small countries, but rich, great infrastructure, good airports. If you don’t need the “not a world power” requirement then New York City would be a pretty logical spot, inasmuch as the UN’s already there. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/6 "2010-06-05T17:01:40Z")
One book I read had it in Antarctica. Equal-opportunity inconvenience? 🙂 How about Hawaii? It’s also a long way from everywhere. Nicer climate though. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/7 "2010-06-05T17:06:11Z")
What about Singapore? It’s clean, safe, the food is awesome and it lies somewhere between democracy and authoritarian Asian on the political scale. Great airport, nice accommodations, excellent nearby beaches, great infrastructure. Modern with rich cultural ties to most of Asia, as well as a large expat base, the banking is sound, the country runs on a surplus, largely corruption free, four official languages including English. What’s not to love? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/8 "2010-06-05T17:26:53Z")
Vatican City. Or Jerusalem. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/9 "2010-06-05T18:08:16Z")
Somewhere in Switzerland perhaps? With that neutral reputation they have going it might work. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/10 "2010-06-05T19:20:59Z")
Pyongyang. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/11 "2010-06-05T19:25:34Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > If there is a workable world government where should its capital be? > > I would suggest Santiago, Chile as its not part of a world power, part of a well-off nation, and is a clean and beautiful city. The Americas have a population of ~1 billion on a planet with ~6 billion people. I think you’d want the World Captial to be somewhere where 5/6ths of the Worlds Population (or their Representitives) wouldn’t have to fly across an ocean to get to. According to wikipedia, the Center of Population is in N. Afganistan, which obviously has some infrastructure problems. But to minimize distance of travel for the largest part of the population, putting it as close to there as possible is probably a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/12 "2010-06-05T19:25:55Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Vatican City. Too Christian. > [@Lemur866](#): > > Or Jerusalem. Too Abrahamic. The Hindus, Shintoists, and Buddhists will never go for them. > [@Aesiron](#): > > Pyongyang. _After_ the regime change, when it’s the new peace city, the second Hiroshima. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/13 "2010-06-05T19:28:28Z")
I’m pretty sure that when we finally get a world government, it will be located on the Internet, and all official business will be in leetspeak. Can I haz tax brake plz? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/14 "2010-06-05T19:41:03Z")
The only logical place is [Timbucktu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu) in Mali ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/15 "2010-06-05T19:43:50Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I’m pretty sure that when we finally get a world government, it will be located on the Internet, and all official business will be in leetspeak. > > Can I haz tax brake plz? LOL ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/16 "2010-06-05T19:44:01Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > _After_ the regime change, when it’s the new peace city, the second Hiroshima. Wouldn’t it be the third? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/17 "2010-06-05T20:41:38Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > The Americas have a population of ~1 billion on a planet with ~6 billion people. I think you’d want the World Captial to be somewhere where 5/6ths of the Worlds Population (or their Representitives) wouldn’t have to fly across an ocean to get to. … by this logic you’d want China - they wouldn’t even have to leave the country! ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/18 "2010-06-05T20:42:48Z")
Hong Kong would make some since, as it’s already a bit of a halfway world between the west and China, the biggest powers to appease. Real estate might be an issue, Gonna have to built a couple hundred more acres of islands. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/19 "2010-06-05T21:10:18Z")
I actually like the Pyongyang idea. It’s already got a [great place](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel) for the politicians to hang out, [efficient](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGbQ7QRndcA&feature=related) traffic enforcement, [uncrowded](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=pyongyang&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pyongyang&ll=39.021847,125.780593&spn=0.001825,0.005284&t=h&z=18) roads ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/20 "2010-06-05T22:25:29Z")
A good place would be the oldest or one of the oldest cities on earth. But Damascus Syria isn’t too palatable as a city for this kind of thing. By the time something like this happens China will be the world’s biggest superpower. So Beijing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068.md?page=2)