# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/21 "2010-06-05T22:50:30Z")
Small Island. Big enough for an airport, sea port and a single city. Isolated enough not to necessarily be within the boundaries of another nation, but not so isolated as to make travel difficult. Ruled as per a capital city, by the world government, not by any other nation. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/22 "2010-06-05T23:13:27Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Small Island. > > Big enough for an airport, sea port and a single city. > > Isolated enough not to necessarily be within the boundaries of another nation, but not so isolated as to make travel difficult. > > Ruled as per a capital city, by the world government, not by any other nation. …with legalized coke… ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/23 "2010-06-05T23:25:12Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > According to wikipedia, the Center of Population is in N. Afganistan, which obviously has some infrastructure problems. All the more reason to build the World Capital there! Think of Afghanistan as a constituency who sorely need a few billion World Federal Credits-worth of economic development money–kind of like West Virginia and Senator Byrd on a global scale. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/24 "2010-06-05T23:27:04Z")
We usually meet at my… - oops! I’ve said too much. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/25 "2010-06-05T23:46:08Z")
No specific capital, personal opinion. Offices can be anywhere, with the internet. ---
**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 6, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/26 "2010-06-06T00:00:56Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > 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. Well I’d prefer it not to be in Europe. > [@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. > > 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. Samarakand perhaps? Or how about Karakorum in honour of Genghis Khan? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/27 "2010-06-06T00:22:31Z")
How about Ur, Persepolis, or Athens? If we research Bronze Working, we should be able to speed up development by clearing some forests. ---
**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 6, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/28 "2010-06-06T00:35:10Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > How about Ur, Persepolis, or Athens? If we research Bronze Working, we should be able to speed up development by clearing some forests. The wheel, then we conquer all our neighborhoods with our chariots and take their tech. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/29 "2010-06-06T01:19:29Z")
> [@](#): > > According to wikipedia, the Center of Population is in N. Afganistan, which obviously has some infrastructure problems. How do you determine the center of population on a sphere? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/30 "2010-06-06T01:22:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How do you determine the center of population on a sphere? **Little Nemo** , diplomat of the Mole People. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/31 "2010-06-06T03:10:53Z")
Churchill , Manitoba Declan ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/32 "2010-06-06T03:17:36Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Churchill , Manitoba > > Declan You certainly wouldn’t have anyone trying to get elected just to live there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/33 "2010-06-06T03:17:43Z")
Why not build a new world capital somewhere?? Or maybe the capital of a world wide government should shift around, perhaps moving every 4 years like the Olympics? I think picking an existing city, regardless of which city you picked, would piss off a huge percentage of your world governments citizens, getting things off to a rather rocky start right from the get go… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/34 "2010-06-06T03:24:43Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > You certainly wouldn’t have anyone trying to get elected just to live there. 😃 Lol no, every other nominated city is what you would either expect or not really be surprised by. Who would expect Manitoba. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/35 "2010-06-06T03:45:48Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Somewhere in Switzerland perhaps? With that neutral reputation they have going it might work. The boys club has regular meeting over there. I can’t think of the name, The Batenburgs? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/36 "2010-06-06T04:01:47Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Why not build a new world capital somewhere?? Or maybe the capital of a world wide government should shift around, perhaps moving every 4 years like the Olympics? Moving all the offices and bureaucracy that goes along with a simple national government would be a pretty major undertaking, nvm a world gov’t. Can you imagine relocating all the gov’t offices in DC every four years? ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/37 "2010-06-06T04:26:07Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > What about Singapore? It’s clean, safe, the food is awesome and it lies somewhere between democracy and authoritarian Asian on the political scae. But there is too little land, and not really that much fresh water to go around. I don’t think you can’t build any more thing on the island without it sinking or reclaiming more land. (But hey I am contiuned to be surprised but how they managed to squeeze usage out of every single arce) What is the function of the capital anyway? If it is just to house the high level operations of the government, anywhere with good infrastructure and easily defensible will do. I guess technology has done away with all the trappings of old capitals, where you need massive statues and well-paved roads, to awe and inspire. If it is a militant world government, I’ll suggest the moon. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/38 "2010-06-06T04:29:08Z")
> [@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. > > 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**. Islamabad then, if you want good and underused infrastructure. And English is an official language. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/39 "2010-06-06T05:17:31Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Islamabad then, if you want good and underused infrastructure. Too far south. The center is supposed to be near the confluence of Tajikistan, China, India and Pakistan - so presumably the vicinity of the [Wakhan Corridor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakhan_Corridor). So I nominate [Ab Gaj](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab_Gaj) :). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068/40 "2010-06-06T05:37:34Z")
It depends on what kind of “world government” you’re talking about. If it’s a democracy I nominate Athens. But what if it’s a totalitarian state or a theocracy? And there’s always the International Space Station . . . or even the moon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-of-a-world-government/542068.md?page=3)