European Capitals

A national capital or, in general, a capital (of Latin “caput,” “capitis,” which means “head”) is the city or locality where the central government, and all the main supreme organs of the State, reside. Capitals in Europe are generally recognized as a city which physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of the seat of government of the State, or which is fixed by law or by the constitution. Depending on each country or jurisdiction, capitals may exist at different levels or hierarchies. For historical capitals in general, see here.

European Countries and Capitals List since 1800

United Kingdom

• COW Number: 200 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Albion; Britain; Britannia; England; Great Britain (1707+); UK/U.K.; United Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1801); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1927); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1927+)
• Capital(s) since 1800: London
• Name of United Kingdom in Spanish: Reino Unido

Ireland

• COW Number: 205 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Eire (1937-1948); Erin; Hibernia; Irish Free State; Irish Republic; Saorstat Eireann. Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1922)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Dublin
• Name of Ireland in Spanish: Irlanda

Netherlands

• COW Number: 210 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Batavian Republic / Batavian Comonwealth (1795-1806); Holland; Nederland; Republic of the United Provinces; United Netherlands (1813-1815). Part of the Low Countries or Nether Lands
• Capital(s) since 1800: Amsterdam (official); The Hague (administrative, legislative, and judicial)
• Name of Netherlands in Spanish: Países Bajos

Belgium

• COW Number: 211 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Belgie; Belgien; Belgique. Part of the Low Countries or Nether Lands
• Capital(s) since 1800: Brussels
• Name of Belgium in Spanish: Bélgica

Luxembourg

• COW Number: 212 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Letzebuerg; Luxemburg
• Capital(s) since 1800: Luxembourg City
• Name of Luxembourg in Spanish: Luxemburgo

France

• COW Number: 220 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: French Empire; French Republic; L’Hexagone; Republique Francaise
• Capital(s) since 1800: Paris (Vichy was the capital of the Vichy French regime from 1940-1942, while the rest of France was occupied by Germany)
• Name of France in Spanish: Francia

Monaco

• COW Number: 221 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Fort-Hecule/Fort Hecule. Included Menton and Roquebrone
• Capital(s) since 1800: Monaco
• Name of Monaco in Spanish: Mónaco

Liechtenstein

• COW Number: 223 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Vaduz
• Name of Liechtenstein in Spanish: Liechtenstein

Switzerland

• COW Number: 225 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Helvetia; Helvetica; Helvetic Republic or Helvetian Republic (under Napoleon); Schweiz; Suisse; Svizzera; Svizra; Swiss Confederation
• Capital(s) since 1800: Bern
• Name of Switzerland in Spanish: Suiza

Spain

• COW Number: 230 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Espainia; Espana; Espanya
• Capital(s) since 1800: Madrid (San Sebastian served as 19th Century summer capital; Valencia served as government of the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939)
• Name of Spain in Spanish: España

Andorra

• COW Number: 232 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Andorra la Vella
• Name of Andorra in Spanish: Andorra

Portugal

• COW Number: 235 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Lisbon (Rio de Janeiro 1808-1821 while leaders fled to Brazil)
• Name of Portugal in Spanish: Portugal

Hanover

• COW Number: 240 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Hannover
• Capital(s) since 1800: Hannover
• Name of Hanover in Spanish: Hanovre

Bavaria

• COW Number: 245 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Bayern
• Capital(s) since 1800: Munich
• Name of Bavaria in Spanish: Baviera

Germany

• COW Number: 255 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Deutsches Reich; Deutschland; German Empire. The COW project and many scholars consider Prussia (Preussen) to be the predecessor of Germany before unification.
• Capital(s) since 1800: Berlin (Bonn briefly after unification in 1990?)
• Name of Germany in Spanish: Alemania

German Federal Republic

• COW Number: 260 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Federal Republic of Germany (FRG); West Germany
• Capital(s) since 1800: Bonn
• Name of German Federal Republic in Spanish: República Federal de Alemania

German Democratic Republic

• COW Number: 265 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR); East Germany; German Democratic Republic (GDR)
• Capital(s) since 1800: East Berlin
• Name of German Democratic Republic in Spanish: República Democrática Alemana

Baden

• COW Number: 267 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Aquae Panoniae; Baden bei Wien
• Capital(s) since 1800: Karlsruhe
• Name of Baden in Spanish: Baden

Saxony

• COW Number: 269 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Sachsen
• Capital(s) since 1800: Dresden
• Name of Saxony in Spanish: Sajonia

Wuerttemburg

• COW Number: 271 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Wurttemburg
• Capital(s) since 1800: Stuttgart
• Name of Wuerttemburg in Spanish: Wuerttemburg

Hesse Electoral

• COW Number: 273 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Electoral Hesse; Hesse/Hessen – Kassel/Cassel; Kurhessen
• Capital(s) since 1800: Kassel/Cassel
• Name of Hesse Electoral in Spanish: Hesse electoral

Hesse Grand Ducal

• COW Number: 275 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Ducal Hesse; Hesse/Hessen – Darmstadt
• Capital(s) since 1800: Darmstadt
• Name of Hesse Grand Ducal in Spanish: Hesse Gran Ducal

Mecklenburg Schwerin

• COW Number: 280 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Schwerin (Ludwigslust from 1765-1837)
• Name of Mecklenburg Schwerin in Spanish: Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Poland

• COW Number: 290 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Polska; Rceczypospolita Polska
• Capital(s) since 1800: Warsaw (govt in exile during WWII: Paris 1939-1940, London 1940-1990; de facto capital: Lublin 1944-1945, Lodz 1945-1947)
• Name of Poland in Spanish: Polonia

Austria-Hungary

• COW Number: 300 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Dual Monarchy; Hapsburg/Habsburg Empire
• Capital(s) since 1800: Vienna
• Name of Austria-Hungary in Spanish: Austria-Hungría

Austria

• COW Number: 305 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Osterreich
• Capital(s) since 1800: Vienna
• Name of Austria in Spanish: Austria

Hungary

• COW Number: 310 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Magyar Nepkoxtarsasag; Magyar Republic; Magyarorszag; Ungarn
• Capital(s) since 1800: Budapest
• Name of Hungary in Spanish: Hungría

Czechoslovakia

• COW Number: 315 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Ceskoslovensko; Czecho-Slovakia
• Capital(s) since 1800: Prague
• Name of Czechoslovakia in Spanish: Checoslovaquia

Czechia / Czech Republic

• COW Number: 316 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Bohemia and Moravia; Ceska Republika
• Capital(s) since 1800: Prague
• Name of Czechia / Czech Republic in Spanish: Chequia / República Checa

Slovakia

• COW Number: 317 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Slovak Republic; Slovenska Republika; Slovensko
• Capital(s) since 1800: Bratislava
• Name of Slovakia in Spanish: Eslovaquia

Italy

• COW Number: 325 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Italia. The COW project and many scholars consider Piedmont-Sardinia (Savoy/Savoie/Savoia, Sardinia/Sardegna, Piedmont/Piemonte, or Piedmont-Sardinia/Sardinia-Piedmont) to be the predecessor of Italy before unification.
• Capital(s) since 1800: Rome (Torino 1861-1865, Florence 1865-1871)
• Name of Italy in Spanish: Italia

Papal States

• COW Number: 327 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Lo Stato della Chiesa; Roman Republic; States of the Church; Stati Pontificii
• Capital(s) since 1800: Rome
• Name of Papal States in Spanish: Estados Papales

Two Sicilies

• COW Number: 329 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Included Sicily and Naples
• Capital(s) since 1800: Naples
• Name of Two Sicilies in Spanish: Dos Sicilias

San Marino

• COW Number: 331 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: San Marino
• Name of San Marino in Spanish: San Marino

Modena

• COW Number: 332 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Modena
• Name of Modena in Spanish: Módena

Parma

• COW Number: 335 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Parma
• Name of Parma in Spanish: Parma

Tuscany

• COW Number: 337 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Toscana
• Capital(s) since 1800: Florence
• Name of Tuscany in Spanish: Toscana

Malta

• COW Number: 338 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: (none)
• Capital(s) since 1800: Valletta
• Name of Malta in Spanish: Malta

Albania

• COW Number: 339 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Shqiperi; Shqipni; Shqipri
• Capital(s) since 1800: Tirana (Vlore from 1912-1920)
• Name of Albania in Spanish: Albania

Montenegro

• COW Number: 341 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Crno Gora; Tsernagora
• Capital(s) since 1800: Podgorica (Cetinje until 1946)
• Name of Montenegro in Spanish: Montenegro

Macedonia

• COW Number: 343 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM); Makedonija
• Capital(s) since 1800: Skopje
• Name of Macedonia in Spanish: Macedonia

Croatia

• COW Number: 344 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Hrvatska
• Capital(s) since 1800: Zagreb
• Name of Croatia in Spanish: Croacia

Yugoslavia

• COW Number: 345 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Serbia (pre-1919 and 2006+); Serbia & Montenegro (1990s); Srbija i Crna Gora; Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (official name 1918-29); Jugoslavia
• Capital(s) since 1800: Belgrade
• Name of Yugoslavia in Spanish: Yugoslavia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• COW Number: 346 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Bosna i Hercegovina / BiH; Bosnia and Hercegovina
• Capital(s) since 1800: Sarajevo
• Name of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Spanish: Bosnia y Herzegovina

Kosovo

• COW Number: 347 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Kosova; Kossovo
• Capital(s) since 1800: Pristina
• Name of Kosovo in Spanish: Kosovo

Slovenia

• COW Number: 349 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Slovenija
• Capital(s) since 1800: Ljubljana
• Name of Slovenia in Spanish: Eslovenia

Greece

• COW Number: 350 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Ellada; Ellas; Hellas
• Capital(s) since 1800: Athens (Nafplion 1821-1836)
• Name of Greece in Spanish: Grecia

Cyprus

• COW Number: 352 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Kibris; Kypros
• Capital(s) since 1800: Nicosia
• Name of Cyprus in Spanish: Chipre

Bulgaria

• COW Number: 355 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Balgarija; Republika Bulgariya
• Capital(s) since 1800: Sofia
• Name of Bulgaria in Spanish: Bulgaria

Moldova

• COW Number: 359 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Bessarabia; Moldau; Moldavia; Moldavian Republic
• Capital(s) since 1800: Chisinau (Iasi capital of Moldavia until 1862 when unified with Wallachia to form Romania)
• Name of Moldova in Spanish: Moldavia

Romania

• COW Number: 360 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Dacia (ancient); Roumania; Rumania
• Capital(s) since 1800: Bucharest (Iasi capital of Moldavia until 1862 when unified with Wallachia to form Romania; Bucharest was capital of Wallachia; Cluj capital of Transylvania until unified with Romania in 1918)
• Name of Romania in Spanish: Rumania

Russia

• COW Number: 365 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Rossija; Rossiya; Rus; Russian Federation; Soviet Union; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics/USSR/CCCP
• Capital(s) since 1800: Moscow (Saint Petersburg 1712-1914 – renamed Petrograd 1914-1918)
• Name of Russia in Spanish: Rusia

Estonia

• COW Number: 366 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Eesti; Esthonia
• Capital(s) since 1800: Tallinn
• Name of Estonia in Spanish: Estonia

Latvia

• COW Number: 367 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Latvija; Lettland
• Capital(s) since 1800: Riga
• Name of Latvia in Spanish: Letonia

Lithuania

• COW Number: 368 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Lietuva
• Capital(s) since 1800: Vilnius (Kaunas 1922-1940)
• Name of Lithuania in Spanish: Lituania

Ukraine

• COW Number: 369 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Ukrajina; Ukrayina
• Capital(s) since 1800: Kyiv/Kiev
• Name of Ukraine in Spanish: Ucrania

Belarus

• COW Number: 370 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Belarus; Belarusia; Bielarus; Bielorussia; Byelorussia; White Russia
• Capital(s) since 1800: Minsk
• Name of Belarus in Spanish: Bielorrusia

Armenia

• COW Number: 371 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Hayasdan; Hayastan
• Capital(s) since 1800: Yerevan
• Name of Armenia in Spanish: Armenia

Georgia

• COW Number: 372 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Gruziya; Sakartvelo
• Capital(s) since 1800: Tbilisi
• Name of Georgia in Spanish: Georgia

Azerbaijan

• COW Number: 373 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Azerbaidjan; Azerbaycan
• Capital(s) since 1800: Baku
• Name of Azerbaijan in Spanish: Azerbaiyán

Finland

• COW Number: 375 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Suome Tasavalta; Suomi
• Capital(s) since 1800: Helsinki (Turku until 1812)
• Name of Finland in Spanish: Finlandia

Sweden

• COW Number: 380 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Sverige
• Capital(s) since 1800: Stockholm
• Name of Sweden in Spanish: Suecia

Norway

• COW Number: 385 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Noreg; Norge
• Capital(s) since 1800: Oslo (known as Christiania 1624-1924)
• Name of Norway in Spanish: Noruega

Denmark

• COW Number: 390 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Danmark
• Capital(s) since 1800: Copenhagen
• Name of Denmark in Spanish: Dinamarca

Iceland

• COW Number: 395 (see the “Correlates of War” Project)
• Historical Country Alternative Spellings / Names / Related Entities: Island
• Capital(s) since 1800: Reykjavik
• Name of Iceland in Spanish: Islandia