# Which two capital cities are closest together? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896 "2014-04-24T21:31:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/1 "2014-04-24T21:31:50Z")
This might be a short thread as the factual answer to this must be straightforward. However I couldn’t find a definite answer and have been scanning Google Earth. I thought at first it might be Tallinn and Stockholm but Jerusalem and Amman seem closer. Vienna and Bratislava might be closer still or possibly some of the former Yugoslavia countries. Any other good candidates? ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/2 "2014-04-24T21:36:50Z")
Vatican City and Rome, I would say ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/3 "2014-04-24T21:37:23Z")
Pest and Buda. ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/4 "2014-04-24T21:39:52Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > Vatican City and Rome, I would say This, technically. And just 60km separate Vienna (Austria) from Bratislava (Slovakia), so I guess that’s another good one ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/5 "2014-04-24T21:42:35Z")
Nicosia and Lefkoşa ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/6 "2014-04-24T21:46:05Z")
Also Nicosia in Cyprus and Lefkosa (Turkish name for Nicosia) in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (only recognized as an independent state by Turkey admittedly) are only separated by a fence in places. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/7 "2014-04-24T21:47:14Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Nicosia and Lefkoşa Simulpost ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/8 "2014-04-24T21:53:48Z")
[Brazzaville,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville) capital of the Republic of the Congo, and[Kinshasha,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinshasa) capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are separated only by the width of the Congo River. This would be the closest for two member states of the UN, since neither Vatican City nor Turkish Cyprus are. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/9 "2014-04-24T22:07:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Brazzaville,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville) capital of the Republic of the Congo, and[Kinshasha,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinshasa) capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are separated only by the width of the Congo River. This would be the closest for two member states of the UN, since neither Vatican City nor Turkish Cyprus are. Ooh I think we might have a winner. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/10 "2014-04-24T22:07:50Z")
Brussels, Belgium is a little over 100 miles from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Podgorica, Montenegro is less than a 100 miles from Tirana, Albania ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/11 "2014-04-24T22:26:53Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > This would be the closest for two member states of the UN… Does this make a difference? (no snark intended, just curious why you mentioned it) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/12 "2014-04-24T23:36:37Z")
A post from [a recent thread on adjacent capitals](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16816814&postcount=49) came up with a list of nine national capitals within 100 km of each other. The closest ones have been mentioned here. Vatican City-Rome, Brazzaville-Kinshasa, and Vienna-Bratislava wrap up the top 3. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/13 "2014-04-25T00:07:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Mangetout** : > > Does this make a difference? (no snark intended, just curious why you mentioned it) It’s a good criterion for what counts as a “real” country, in case someone says that Vatican City doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/14 "2014-04-25T00:36:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Brazzaville,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville) capital of the Republic of the Congo, and[Kinshasha,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinshasa) capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are separated only by the width of the Congo River. This would be the closest for two member states of the UN, since neither Vatican City nor Turkish Cyprus are. Dang, beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/15 "2014-04-25T00:56:05Z")
There’s a lot of interesting information here: [http://basementgeographer.com/capital-ideas-part-iii-distances-between-world-capitals/](http://basementgeographer.com/capital-ideas-part-iii-distances-between-world-capitals/) Closest capitals, farthest capitals, closest farthest capitals… ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/16 "2014-04-25T02:04:30Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s a good criterion for what counts as a “real” country, in case someone says that Vatican City doesn’t count. Or if the Vatican does actually have a capital. Does it? (Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?) ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/17 "2014-04-25T02:40:50Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > There’s a lot of interesting information here: [http://basementgeographer.com/capital-ideas-part-iii-distances-between-world-capitals/](http://basementgeographer.com/capital-ideas-part-iii-distances-between-world-capitals/) > > Closest capitals, farthest capitals, closest farthest capitals… I guessed correctly Canberra and Wellington the least close closest combo. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/18 "2014-04-25T03:00:34Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > Or if the Vatican does actually have a capital. Does it? (Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?) Indeed. That’s like asking what’s the capital of Singapore. > [@Cugel](#): > > I guessed correctly Canberra and Wellington the least close closest combo. Trivia: Wellington is the southernmost national capital. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/19 "2014-04-25T03:55:24Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Does this make a difference? (no snark intended, just curious why you mentioned it) It eliminates some de facto but mostly unrecognized states like Turkish Cyprus. Vatican City is a somewhat different issue, since it may be questionable to say that a city-state has a capital, when the city is coterminous with the entire country. This also would be an issue with Monaco and Singapore. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896/20 "2014-04-25T23:03:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s a good criterion for what counts as a “real” country, in case someone says that Vatican City doesn’t count. > [@Colibri](#): > > It eliminates some de facto but mostly unrecognized states like Turkish Cyprus. > > Vatican City is a somewhat different issue, since it may be questionable to say that a city-state has a capital, when the city is coterminous with the entire country. This also would be an issue with Monaco and Singapore. Thanks - that makes sense. Understood. I wasn’t entirely serious with Nicosia and Lefkoşa anyway - as they’re not really two separate cities. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-two-capital-cities-are-closest-together/686896.md?page=2)