But how are capital cities chosen, anyway? Location is often key. Many countries choose a geographically central capital in order to emphasize the equity of their government; this way, the capital isn’t as likely to be, or seem to be, biased toward one region or another.

Sometimes, countries choose an existing city as the capital, often picking a city that contains a substantial portion of the country’s population. Examples of such capitals include Lima, Peru, and Seoul, South Korea. Other times, countries build a completely new capital city.

Capitals are thus both directly and indirectly different from other cities. One manifestation is that the capital city is usually larger, more subsidized, or more bombastic than the rest of the nation's cities. National governments treat capital cities differently, wanting the capital to look and act differently than other cities in the nation.

Some countries choose new capitals that are more easily defended in a time of invasion or war. Some new capitals are planned and built in previously undeveloped areas to spur development. New capitals are sometimes in regions deemed neutral to competing ethnic or religious groups as this could promote unity, security, and prosperity.