Capitals of the Americas Quiz

Capitals of the Americas Quiz: From the Canadian Arctic to Tierra del Fuego

The Americas are home to 35 sovereign states spread across two continents and four major regions: North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. This capitals of the Americas quiz covers must-know capitals like Washington, Ottawa, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires, as well as cities less familiar to most people: Paramaribo, Belmopan, Castries. Three difficulty levels, 90 verified questions, and a timer to test your speed in our geography quiz collection.

North America: Washington, Ottawa, Mexico City

Three countries, three federal capitals. Washington, D.C. doesn't belong to any U.S. state: it's a federal district created in 1790 to keep the capital from being beholden to any single state. Ottawa was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1857 as a compromise between Toronto and Montreal. Mexico City, meanwhile, was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the former Aztec capital conquered by Hernán Cortés in 1521.

South America: Andean and Atlantic Capitals

South America is home to some of the world's most unusual capitals. La Paz sits at 3,640 meters — it's the seat of the Bolivian government, while Sucre retains the constitutional title. Quito, at 2,850 meters, was the first city added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. Brasília, by contrast, was built from scratch in 1960 in the center of the country, on a desert plateau, to shift Brazil's population toward the interior. Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Bogotá, and Caracas round out the list of major capitals on the continent.

Caribbean and Central America: Capitals to Know

The Caribbean has 13 independent countries, each with its own capital. Havana in Cuba, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Kingston in Jamaica, Nassau in the Bahamas, Port-au-Prince in Haiti, Bridgetown in Barbados, Castries in Saint Lucia, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. The Central American isthmus adds Guatemala City, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Managua, San José, and Panama City. Belmopan, the capital of Belize, is one of the youngest capitals in the world: it was built in 1970 to replace Belize City after a devastating hurricane.

Play in Timed Mode or Free-Entry Mode

Want to race against the clock instead of just clicking through? The timed quiz offers a countdown format that puts the pressure on every answer. Perfect for prepping for a geography competition or for a friendly challenge at game night.

Score, Timer, and Overall Leaderboard

Every quiz scores you out of 10 and records your time. Your results feed into the overall leaderboard, which tracks your performance across all Quizoland quizzes. Try the daily quiz too, to rack up bonus points and climb the leaderboard.

Fun Facts and Common Pitfalls of American Capitals

The most common mix-up? Confusing Rio de Janeiro with Brasília: Rio lost its status as capital in 1960. Another trap: Bolivia effectively has two capitals. And Belize moved its capital in 1970. These three cases trip up most players on the medium and hard levels of this quiz.