Top Ten Best Capital Cities - TheTopTens® Top Ten Best Capital Cities MatrixGuy The Top Ten 1 Islamabad It is an amazing;highly developed and absolutely safe capital city, but also regarded as one of the best capitals in Asia and can be competed with any glorious capital city in the world - even from a highly developed country. There is no doubt that international developments are rapidly appearing in nearly every corner of the city. Its unique and awe-inspiring surrounding makes it more than a capital! If compared with Delhi (capital of India) it will surely win. Each and every Pakistani should pleased with such a world-class capital, despite the financial crisis political and religious conflicts, vulnerability to terrorism across the country and several other issues. Thus making a Pakistani proud for what he/she has I love this city I search in Internet for this city is so beautiful I have never been there always wanna be there but I live in London it is in Pakistan I have heard that Pakistan is so beautiful place to visit I love this country always wanna be there I love there national anthem as well I can't understand in there language but the translation is so beautiful Clean and green, peaceful and quiet with all sorts of places to go to and all sorts of activities to do.

I Love Pakistan and Islamabad. It promotes the country well and surely makes many Pakistani's proud of their capital. V 360 Comments 2 London London is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south eastern part of the island of Great Britain, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. London has more history and it's landmarks are recognised throughout the world. It's one of the world's top financial cities and at the height of the British Empire it was the most powerful city in the world. London is the natural and totally apt international cosmopolitan capital of the cultural world. No other city can come close to the historical, cultural diversity, architectural, commercial, financial and internationally connected hub that London is. It spans the globe and belongs to everyone on the planet! 'When a man is tired of London! He is tired of life' - You can find almost anything and anyone (one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, anyone from any country will surely find a restaurant or shop or community centre belonging to theirs), there's constantly new things opening here and new areas to explore (I.

E dalston and Stratford being redeveloped), there's something for everyone and it's so easy to get around with the underground transport, this is also where much of the world has been ruled and developed from historically and where so much has and will happen Lovely people, Natural beauty, Great country to visit V 10 Comments 4 Paris Paris is for sure the most beautiful city in the world, and has so much landmarks! If I were a country, it would be the 11th economy in the world! Paris is strong on all fronts and is therefor the world's best capital city Beatiful architecture, few eyesores, great atmosphere Splendid city, architectures from ages to modern building, among the most numerous cathedrals and Churches, abundance of all kinds of restaurants offering top international cuisine and of course French one. So many theaters, exhibitions, festivals etc... And that also through the country France . :-)) Was pleasantly surprised by my visit to Paris the people were much nicer than I thought.

Versailles was amazing want to go back V 26 Comments 5 Berlin Even after being completely destructed during the 2nd world war in 1945, still city like Berlin was able to rise up and include itself amongst the topmost earning and the busiest capitals of the world. So much history and very nice people, I would say this is by far better than London as it is safe and not full of drug smugglers who want to mug you. There is a diverse culture, many museums and fantastic architecture. So vote for the best! One of the best city I have ever been! Lots of museums, cultural landmarks and very modern at the same time V 6 Comments 6 Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Ottawa is magnificent. The Neo Gothic Parliament Buildings are second to none. The Parliament Buildings are situated on Parliament Hill, on a precipice overlooking the Ottawa River and Province of Quebec across the river. Ottawa has some of the best "green belt" parks of any city in the world, let alone a capital city. It is a compact city, easy for walking.

In the winter, it is glorious to skate on the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Is amazing to see civil servants, with their long coats, suits, ties and brief cases, skating to work on the Rideau Canal. Where else in the world would one see this? Amazing. In May the tulip festival is also worth a visit. The tulips are an annual gift from The Netherlands in thanks for Canada harbouring Queen Juliana, who gave birth to one of her daughters while in exile during WW2 in Ottawa. The Dutch have never forgotten. Ironically, it was the Canadian army that liberated most of Holland in WW2. In the summer, there is Chamberfest, an annual ... more Its perfect! Good night life, world class museums, many land marks, great places for site seeing, great food and culture. Also it's not a concrete city, balancing nature with the city, a great place to visit in all seasons Beautiful Ottawa Amazing place, can't be beat. The best part is enjoying a nice crisp winter day in ottawa! Ottawa has a great museum too. 7 Washington A great capitol city with impressive architecture Incredible city with a very unique nightlife. A lot of interesting history packed into a fairly combat place.

Strongly recommend. Lol, just about all of these cities on this list are on my bucket list... - DieGedankenSindFrei Should be on the first number V 5 Comments 8 Athens Agree with the dude who said a must see before you die.Athens is not only damn gorgeous but it hss also amazing friendly people gorgeous girls and great food.Its also very safe. It's a lovely city I think it should be higher in the list because of the amazing climate, the museums, the safety it provides to you and the great food. Without a doubt it has to be in the top tens! The best capital city in the must beautiful country! Beautiful, historic, full of sun, great, unbelievable, full of tourists city. V 13 Comments 9 Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark . At a population of 591,481 inhabitants as of January 2016, it is also the largest city in the country . It is located in the Hovedstaden region of Denmark and is home to the world famous Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest operating amusement parks ... read more .

The city is beautiful but I hated my trip to the city because of it's people. Very rude, cold and unpolite unless you are blond like them. I went to Malmo and Stockholm and Oslo and the people are sparkling happy and talkative, pride to help, to give an information... As a tourist I felt the racism and xenophobia in Copenhagen several times in one week as I never felt even just one time while visiting Russia for one entire month for example. I was counting so much the days to get out of the country that I changed my plans and went for 3 days to Malmo by train, just to get out of there. Was a great decision I made, loved Malmo people... I imagine how it would be with me in a daily basis to live in Copenhagen. By the way I am (or I thought I was) European (I'm Portuguese), with white skin but black hair and eyes. For just 2 times I found myself needing information and no one even stopped to listen to me with a city map in the hand. In the restaurants and coffee I went, I found the same, ... more Stupid dull city, racist and rude people. Why it's here?

It should not even touch the top 30. Fantastic capital. Top10 world at least Horrible city and people. V 1 Comment 10 Rome Rome is wonderful city, which I have visited. It is wonderful to see such great constructions and historical legacy Rome have, especially the monuments speaks their history and culture Most beautiful capital in the world Birthplace of the roman empire, church, so much history! Totally amazing! Bucket list. Me and my mom plan to go there someday The Contenders 11 New Delhi New Delhi is the capital and seat of government of India. It is also a municipality and district in Delhi and serves as the seat of Government of Delhi. The only city in the world to have a long historical background even before Buddha was born New Delhi has the historical monuments coolest places in India. Yes, New Delhi provides you a long lasting impression... here in New Delhi people comes form the different different part of the world, its spicy food and many more Mumbai is better. 12 Madrid Amazing nightlife, amazing culture, amazing art, amazing people! Number 1 for me and I am from Barcelona. Latest among the European capitals, dates only from the sixteenth century. Lacking in History, just like a new-town.

Madrid is cool, but would not be in my top 10. I lived in Madrid for 14 years and it doesn't have as much to offer as other cities (other than party and some monuments) in my opinion. In my opinion the greatest in the world. Amazing V 2 Comments 14 Amsterdam Beautiful, human scale city, excellent public transport, excellent for cycling, Van Gogh and Rembrandt paintings, beautiful people and lots of joy of living. Should bee the second better capital World capital of art. Within 1 sq. Kilometer all the top museums of the world. Scenic canals, great restaurants and lovely people! Comfortable city, beautiful historic city with a safe village feel. Lovely town old and full of history. Very kind helpful people can't wait to visit again 15 Canberra Is actually the capital of Australia, not Sydney, which seems to be higher rated in this list. The dumbass who put Sydney on the list obviously knows nothing about Australia. THIS is the capital city, not Sydney! Canberra is certainly one of the most amazing capital cities in the world in terms of wealth, education, security and environment.

Nice place but unfriendly people V 5 Comments 17 Edinburgh By far the most beautiful city on this list near to wonderful nature and great entertainment. Good food and lovely people will always go back again and again Beautiful city full of history wonderful architecture. And very safe. 18 Vienna Vienna should be in the top 10. Friendly, safe, clean, historical, worlds capitol for classic music, according to MERCER index the best city to live in the world, architecture like Paris and, thank god, without the French Very beautiful, safe and clean place. Beautiful city but the people are very rude and unfriendly. I have bèn in 20 different countries and the Austrian people are by far the nastiest I have ever met 19 Bangkok It might not be the most beautiful capital but I think Bangkok has its own charm and filled of endless things to do. Beautiful beach and friendly people. The land of smile #1 in Southeast Asia! This is SEA's Powerful Tiger City! - VNTMFans For me it's the best city ever.

V 5 Comments 20 Seoul Seoul – officially the Seoul Special City – is the capital and largest metropolis of the Republic of Korea, forming the heart of the Seoul Capital Area, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, the world's 14th largest city and second largest metropolitan area. Seoul is the best I went there it is amazing Seoul is the a bit underesteemed treated as unpopular city but if you go over and experience there, you might turn your impresson of it. It combines varaity of shopping that has many products to choose, sightseeing that is unique not a spectacular but breeze on spring and autumn season and exotic night cultures... Etc. Try to go there! It's treasure under the sea. ! Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World Places 63 comments This is something interesting merely about the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. Their beauty as well as being the capital of the country made them enlisted in the top ten beautiful capital in the world. A presentation in table form is given while the detail of each is given below. Look ahead and enjoy!! Sr. No. Russia 10.

Moscow Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is the most beautiful city and the lat but not least one to be named under the top ten beautiful capitals of the world. People think of this city as the city with long history and with lots of skyscrapers too. Moscow has the largest group of people of billionaires in the world. Moscow is the northernmost mega city on Earth along with it; Moscow is the most crowded city in Europe. The city is served by a wide-ranging passage set-up. This setup includes four international airports and the nine railway terminals along with one of the deepest subversive metro systems in the world. That deepest subversive metro system is known as the Moscow Metro, which is ranked third to Tokyo and Seoul in conditions of passenger figures. It is acknowledged as one of the city’s landmarks due to the well-off and speckled structural design of its 188 stations. Moscow is the beautiful, stunning, sparkling, dramatic, eye-catching, surprising and attractive place to visit. The people and their civilization worth a visit to Moscow. It stood first in terms of beauty in nature as well as in development of structures too.

Over all a beautiful place to see and feel and which is why it is enlisted in the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. 9. Ottawa Ottawa being famous for its stunning and fascinating nature along with the eye-catching beauty is the capital of Canada. Ottawa is listed under the category for the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. Ottawa is wonderful, glorious, superb and splendid. Ottawa has a little of the best “green belt” parks of any city in the world. It is a dense city which facilitates you for easy walking. While in the winter season, it is wonderful to skate on the Rideau Canal which is a UNESCO Heritage Site. And then in May the tulip event is also appealing for a visit. The tulips are a yearly gift from The Netherlands in appreciation for Canada harboring Queen Juliana. The queen Juliana gave birth to one of her daughters in Ottawa, while in exile during WW2. The Dutch have never elapsed that. Then again in the summer, there is Chamber fest that is celebrated an once a year, Chamber Music Festival for music lovers. Ottawa holds a lot of grand, vast and admired museums.

The National Art Gallery is appealing one too in Ottawa. It is said to be perfect with outclass and remarkable but trendy museums. Ottawa is one of the greatest of the places to see having great food and great civilization. Indeed an amazing place to visit in all seasons. For dignifying Ottawa’s beauty it is enlisted under top ten beautiful capital cities. 8. Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. The most beautiful one is the next in our cont down to be observed for the top 10 beautiful capital cities. People visited the place and reviewed it as the most beautiful city having quite a friendly people with an incredibly good food and excellent Hungarian wine too. People also named it as the most beautiful city they ever visited. The past of Budapest began with Aquincum that became the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia. Cited as one of the most gorgeous cities in Europe, its wide-ranging World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes’ Square and the Millennium Underground Railway for being the second oldest in the world. The city draws attention of about 4.3 million tourists a year that in result makes it the 25th most well-liked city in the world according to Euro monitor.

Budapest is also considered as the economical hub in the central Europe. This beautifying place is a continuous source to provide the people with the true joy, essence of beauty by the natural scenes captured and matured. A great diversity of people along with their cultures is seen here. From the food to the advanced fashion and high structures Budapest is the one admired for its beauty. 7. Tokyo Tokyo is the beautiful and elegant capital of Japan officially known as Tokyo Metropolis. Tokyo is the next to be highlighted in our list for the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. Tokyo is famous for being incredibly secure, hygienic, fresh, wonderful foods, fashion, arts, for being crowded too and for the urbane cultures; you are just blemished for choices. Tokyo is also the largest metropolitan area in the world. Tokyo is frequently reflected of as a city but is commonly referred to as a “metropolitan state”. Tokyo is said to be an advanced city, an up-to-dated one and along with it, it is called alpha world city.

It is also said to be the most expensive city too for the expatriated as being researched by the Mercer and the Economists Intelligence Unit back in the year 2012. Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympic Games in the year 1964 and is programmed to congregate again in 2020. Tokyo is overall an amazing city to visit, this is what the visitors and tourists think and they paste Tokyo to their first priority while planning for the tourism. This beautiful place along with the sparkling, glittering and stunning nights with the essence of natural beauty and topped of the versatile food; an incredible place to tour for. Tokyo is the capital city to be named as beautiful capital city of the world. 6. Rome Rome is the beautiful city that is the capital of Italy. It is to be enlisted under the top ten beautiful capitals in the world. People visited Rome and they loved to hang out there again for they say Rome is a wonderful city and it is amazing to watch and enjoy such great structures and historical legacy Rome have, proud to name that the monuments speaks their history and civilization quite well. Rome is the only city in the world to hold in its heart an entire state; the closed society of Vatican City.

Rome has a rank for being the global city. Back in the year 2007, Rome was the 11th-most-visited city in the world and along with it. It was the 3rd most visited in the European Union, and the most popular vacationer magnetism in Italy. This city is one of Europe’s and the world’s most triumphant city “brands” when we talked about both in language of standing and possessions. Rome is the greatest place to be visited for it captures the true beauty inside it and holds the true essence of fascination too. People in large visit this place and enjoys. For all theses good reasons Rome is enlisted under the top ten most beautiful capitals of the entire world. 5. Paris Paris is the capital of France and is enlisted under the top ten most beautiful capital cities in the entire world. With no uncertainty, Paris is the most beautiful city of the world including a lot more of the land marks. Paris is well-built on all fronts and is therefore said to be the world’s best capital city. Paris has beauty in its art, craft, atmosphere, sceneries and even within is history too.

Today it is one of the world’s foremost commerce and artistic centers, and its authority in political affairs, tutoring, amusement, media, science, fashion and the rest of the arts all put in to its rank as one of the world’s major cities ever known. This city has high attentiveness of nationwide and global political, artistic and systematic institutions that over all makes it one of the world’s chief tourist destinations. Centuries of artistic and opinionated development have taken Paris to a diversity of museums, theatres, monuments and architectural styles. A large number of the master pieces of Paris such as the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe are iconic buildings and the Eiffel Tower, which is its internationally recognized symbol. Paris is regarded long for being the international center of arts, its works by history’s most famous artists can be initiate in the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and its many other museums and galleries. Paris is said to be the global hub of fashion and has been referred to as the “international capital of style”. Paris is said to be enlisted under the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. 4. Washington Washington D.C, officially called the District of Columbia, is the capital of United States.

It was founded in 1791 to give out as the new capital of Unites States. It is also the 24th most populous places of the world and along with that; it is the 7th largest urban area too. Washington D.C is one of the extremely beautiful places of the world, or its better to say one of the most stunning capital city if the entire world. People call it the best to be viewed at night for its remarkably stunning looks and sparkling notions. Washington D.C is the name that is quite well-known to all the people around the globe. Washington D.C is the busiest one, economical too and up to date in every field. It holds its name at first for being best in beauty, fascination, attractiveness, eye-catching looks, aesthetically cool, classy, clean, and green and many more yet to be mentioned. People love to visit that place for spending holidays and for planning out tours due to its soothing essence and for being very close to nature too. Keeping in mind all these figures and facts Washington D.C is placed under the list for top ten most beautiful capitals in the world. 3. Berlin Berlin is the capital of Germany and even one of the 16 states of Germany.

Berlin is one of the top ten beautiful capitals of the world. City like Berlin was able to rise up after the devastating destruction back in the year 1945, and even after that it stood up appearing as one of the greatest competitors to its neighboring cities. It is amongst the top most busiest and most producing one city that cranks up the growth too. Berlin involves a diversity of culture and people. People consider it as the safe and most beautiful city they visited ever. Berlin is said to be the largest city of Germany while the second most popular one. Berlin acquires a pleasant seasonal climate too that adds up to its beauty. One third of the Berlin comprised of parks, gardens, lakes, rivers and forests. Berlin, one of the top ten beautiful cities of the world, is a city of technology, science, culture, tradition, media, politics and entertainment having diverse range of creative and innovative industries. Due to its dignifying beauty it is the most populous capital for tourist’s viewpoint. It is a tourism destination for the entire world, people visit, enjoys and then takes away the essence of Berlin with them. It is specified for bio-chemical engineering, biotechnology, traffic engineering, medical pharmaceutical industries, electronics and many many more.

It is a home for many famous and pompous industries, universities, research organizations, orchestras, museums, and superstars too. It is well known for its festivals too. For these and so many more reasons along with the striking and stunning beauty Berlin is enlisted in one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. 2. Islamabad Islamabad, one of the most beautiful capitals of the world, famous for its beauty, decor, fascination, attractiveness and the one regarded fully. Islamabad being the glorious one could be competed over the entire cities of the world. It is highly developed and the developments can been seen in every angle of the city, moreover it is also included in the list of largest cities in the world.. The most beautiful capital of the world is the one on which entire Pakistan feel proud and very well pleased. People thought to visit Islamabad for Islamabad being too striking, fine-looking and stunning. It is also famous for being clean, cool, calm, peaceful, sparkling, hygienic, fresh and dirt free. It is the most broad-based and urbanized city of the Pakistan. It is very up-to-dated one, modern and very well maintained lie at the northern part of the country capturing the beauty of northern areas of Pakistan.

Islamabad is efficient, well-ordered, well planned and well-maintained city being divided into different zones and sectors each with a distinction of its own beauty. Islamabad is quite very source of amusement and a great place to spend holidays and to visit too due to its adorable beauty not only of buildings but of the green lands and parks and many more. For keeping in view all these dignified facts and figures Islamabad is enlisted in the top ten beautiful capital cities. 1. London The most beautiful capital city in the world is London. It is said to be the powerful city for being the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. London is one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Capitals In The World. London has such landmarks that are considered over the entire world even more then that these are renowned well. It is also one of the top economical cities of the British Empire. London is the one heavily populated and metropolitan zone. It is considered as the largest city in the entire European region. The capital of England is the principal global city that resides the power in its trade, commerce, schooling, fine arts, investment, entertainment, fashion, health, specialized services, researches, tourism and development.

London is the most beautiful city according to most of the people who visited it. It constitutes not only larger buildings but natural scenes are well managed. London is also the popular for being the leading economical hub. It is also known as the artistic capital of the world as well as the world’s most traveled city when measured by the international arrivals. It includes 43 universities along with that, it has variety of people with variety of culture living in it with even more then 300 languages been spoken. London holds many things in the history that are recorded quite well. For the beauty and the sense of fascination residing in the city it is enlisted in the top ten beautiful capital cities. Share this: Sorry, New York, London Is The World's Capital City - Business Insider print Getty Images Europe It's an endless debate, and a matter of great pride in both cities. Which of the world's two most financialised, globalisation-cheering megacities can reasonably be described as the world's capital? One hundred and fifty years ago, the answer was indisputably London. Fifty years ago, the answer was indisputably New York. Now? Well it's not so clear.

Here's Business Insider UK's best case that it's London, not New York, that deserves the crown. It's One Of The World's Financial Capitals In terms of stock exchanges, calling London the world's financial capital looks ludicrous. The London Stock Exchange isn't even the second-largest stock exchange in the world after the New York Stock Exchange. It's the fourth (after the Nasdaq and Tokyo). But this is totally unfair to London: The volume of equities trading done on the London Stock Exchange doesn’t capture at all equities trading done in any one place — just the ones local to that economy. So of course London’s stock exchange is smaller than New York’s: the UK’s economy is much smaller than that of the US. But we’re comparing the cities here, not the countries. So it's good to look at a more international measure of finance: currency markets. In terms of foreign exchange market turnover, the UK isn’t just the leader, it's still gaining ground, according to the Bank of International Settlements . In 1998, 32.6% of the world’s forex trading was done in the UK (almost all of which takes place in London), against 18.3% in the US.

By 2013, the UK had grown to make up 40.9% of the global market, seeing a daily average of $2.73 trillion in turnover. Every day. Everyone Wants To Work In London When the Boston Consulting Group polled more than 200,000 people in 189 countries, London trounced the rest of the world when it came to where they would move to work . Unprompted, 16% of respondents said they would move to the city, well clear of New York's 12.2%. Boston Consulting Group That’s not entirely surprising when you look at London’s demographic makeup. Three million of London’s 8 million inhabitants were born outside of the UK. In fact, the non-UK born population makes up 105% of the city's population growth between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. (Why 105%? Because native Brits left, causing negative growth, and the immigrants more than eclipsed that.) What’s more, the eurozone’s dismal growth prospects and eye-watering rates in youth unemployment mean this trend probably isn’t going to slow anytime soon.

The number of people moving to the UK from the rest of Europe has increased significantly. In 2007-2008, 15,400 Italians registered to work in the UK, a figure that was up to 44,110 by 2013. Europe’s young workforce is increasingly migrating to the UK (where its workers don’t need visas to live and work), and a huge number seek out London. One of the most well-educated generations in history is streaming to London to live and work, and that's an enormous benefit to the city. And Everyone Wants To Live Here, Too London reigns at the top of Knight Frank’s global wealth report in 2014 . Endless anecdotes in the reports show exactly where the world's wealthiest people want to own homes, and the British capital comes out ahead of New York. The cost of buying and renting is something that makes Londoners want to weep: but it's a side effect of the city's incredible success. In 2012-2013, 49% of buyers in London's prime central market were not British, illustrating the huge demand from abroad.

And they're not just buying to hold property as an investment: Only 28% of buyers live outside the UK, showing that a huge number of international buyers want to live in the city. It's The Capital Of Digital Media Deloitte London-based media organizations dramatically outperform in Comscore’s English-language ratings. The two biggest English-language newspaper websites in the world are London-based British organisations. The Daily Mail’s Mail Online and The Guardian's website have broken into first and second place , according to comScore’s traffic figures. That's even accounting for the fact that New York-based newspapers have a far bigger native American audience than London-based newspapers can find in the UK. A Deloitte survey puts London not only as the world's leader of highly skilled workers in media (particularly digital media), but as one of the areas in which it is extending a lead over the others. Check out the chart above. The report suggests that although US cities take the lead in terms of film and TV, the London is way out ahead in terms of digital media. And The Capital Of Culture According to Japan’s Institute for Urban Strategies, London takes a commanding lead over New York (and every other major city) on cultural grounds.

That is based on a blend of cultural resources, facilities for visitors, and how trendsetting the city is. The Tall Ship Tectona, built in India in 1929, is moored outside the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, the location of one of London's Unesco world heritage sites. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett Part of this stems from a history that New York simply can't match: in the 19th century, it became only the second city since the fall of the Roman Empire to reach a population of over one million. Attractions like Westminster Hall (the great hall of the UK's parliament) are almost twice as old as European colonization in the Americas, and four times older than the US as a country. London has four UN world heritage sites , against New York’s one. It's not just British culture that is on offer. In GfK's survey of more than 5,000 people who visited some of the world's biggest cities, London ranks highest when visitors are asked whether they can "find people who appreciate my culture and with whom I could easily fit in." So, sorry, New York. Sorry Seoul. Sorry Paris. Sorry Shanghai. Sorry Singapore. Sorry Hong Kong.

For now, London is the world's global capital. World Capitals World Capitals Find the capitals of every country in the world and their population. Country Baku, 2,118,600 (metro area), 1,235,400 (city proper), a port on the Caspian Sea Prague, 1,378,700 (metro. area), 1,169,800 (city proper) Santo Domingo, 2,851,300 (metro. area), 2,252,400 (city proper) Paris, 9,854,000 (metro. area), 2,110,400 (city proper) Budapest, 2,597,000 (metro. area), 1,769,500 (city proper) Rome, 3,550,900 (metro. area), 2,455,600 (city proper) Amman, 2,677,500 (metro.

area), 1,293,200 South Africa Pretoria, 1,501,000; Legislative capital and largest city: Cape Town, 3,562,000. Judicial capital: Bloemfontein, 468,000. No decision has been made to relocate the seat of government. South Africa is demarcated into nine provinces, consisting of the Gauteng, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, North West, KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Free State. Each province has its own capital Top 10 Museums and Galleries -- National Geographic Top 10 Museums and Galleries Experience fine art at one of the top ten museums and galleries in the world. View Images The Louvre Museum as seen through the Louvre Pyramid glass in Paris, France. Photograph by Horst Friedrichs, Anzenberger/Redux From the National Geographic book The 10 Best of Everything Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian is the world’s largest research and museum complex, with 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and various research stations.

More than 137 million objects detailing America’s story are housed here, so you’d better prepare for a long week of walking. There’s so much to see that, if you spent one minute day and night looking at each object on exhibit, in ten years you’d see only ten percent of the whole. Therefore, it’s wise to head out with a plan. Focus on only one or two exhibits at two or three different museums. Main attractions: Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, the dresses of the First Ladies, and the original Star-Spangled Banner at the National Museum of American History; the Gem Hall (including the Hope Diamond) at the National Museum of Natural History; and the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Apollo 11 command module at the National Air and Space Museum. Le Louvre, Paris, France The Louvre was a medieval fortress and the palace of the kings of France before becoming a museum two centuries ago. The addition of I. M. Pei’s pyramid shocked many when it was unveiled in 1989 as the new main entrance, yet it somehow works, integrating the palace’s disparate elements.

The museum’s collections, which range from antiquity to the first half of the 19th century, are among the most important in the world. A good place to start is the Sully Wing, at the foundations of Philippe-Auguste’s medieval keep—it’s in the heart of the Louvre, kids love it, and it leads straight to the Egyptian rooms. Main attractions: “Venus de Milo,” “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” and Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” The Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece The stunning ground floor gallery houses finds from the slopes of the Acropolis. Its amazing transparent glass floor provides a walk over history, with a view of the archaeological excavation, while sloping upward to the Acropolis with sanctuaries of the Athenians from each historic period nearby. Smaller settlements have been excavated, yielding glimpses of Athenian life. For the first time, the exhibits in the Archaic Gallery allow visitors to take in all sides of the objects, which are displayed in open spaces characterized by changing natural light.

Main attractions: The frieze of the Parthenon is mounted on a structure with exactly the same dimensions as the cella of the Parthenon, giving comprehensive viewing of every detail. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia Russia may be isolated from the artistic centers of Paris, Rome, and London, but the Hermitage has managed to acquire a spectacular collection of world art—more than three million items—spanning the years from the Stone Age to the early 20th century. The museum occupies six buildings along the Neva River, the leading structure being the confection-like Winter Palace. This gloriously baroque, blue-and-white structure was finished in 1764 and over the next several centuries was the main residence of the czars. Catherine the Great founded the museum that same year when she purchased 255 paintings from Berlin. The museum’s focal point is Western European art—120 rooms in four buildings ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. Rembrandt, Rubens, Tiepolo, Titian, da Vinci, Picasso, Gauguin, Cézanne, van Gogh, and Goya are all represented here.

For in-depth tours, contact Glories of the Hermitage. Main attractions: The Treasure Gallery’s Gold Rooms showcase golden masterpieces from Eurasia, the Black Sea Littoral in antiquity, and the Orient. The museum also houses pieces from Nicholas II’s private collection, including paintings, drawings, and medals created to commemorate his coronation. The British Museum, London, England Britain’s largest museum looks after the national collection of archaeology and ethnography—more than eight million objects ranging from prehistoric bones to chunks of Athens’ Parthenon, from whole Assyrian palace rooms to exquisite gold jewels. Main attractions: The Egyptian gallery boasts the world’s second finest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt, including the Rosetta Stone, carved in 196 B.C. The Prado, Madrid, Spain The Spanish royal family is responsible for the Prado’s bounty of classical masterpieces . Over centuries, kings and queens collected and commissioned art with passion and good taste. In addition to stars of Spanish painting such as Velázquez, Goya, Ribera, and Zurbarán, the Prado has big collections of Italian (including Titian and Raphael) and Flemish artists.

Fernando VII opened the collection to the public in 1819, in the same neoclassic building it’s housed in today, designed by Juan de Villanueva. Main attraction: “The Three Graces” by Rubens. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere. Its collection of more than two million items is not only broad—covering the entire world, from antiquity to the present—but deep, with holdings so large in a number of areas that some might be considered museums unto themselves. Its European paintings are stunning: works by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, Rodin, and other luminaries. The Egyptian Collection showcases the tomb of Perneb (circa 2440 B.C.) and the exquisite Temple of Dendur (circa 23-10 B.C.). The American Wing contains American arts and crafts, including a room from a Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie House. And the list goes on and on.

Main attractions: “Adam and Eve,” the well-known engraving by Albrecht Dürer, is only one of the many impressive pieces you will discover at the Met. The Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Italy Twenty-two separate collections comprise the Musei Vaticani , each one more spectacular than the next. The most famous are probably the Museo Pio-Clementino, with its splendid classical sculpture; the Raphael Rooms, entire rooms painted by Raphael; the Pinacoteca (picture gallery), which contains the cream of the Vatican’s collection of medieval and Renaissance paintings; and, of course, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. But there is also the ancient Egyptian exhibits of the Museo Gregoriano Egizio, as well as the Etruscan offerings of the Museo Gregoriano Etrusco. And that’s just a start. Main attractions: The renowned Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms are not to be missed. The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy “Great” is an overworked adjective in Italy, where so many of the country’s monuments and works of art command the highest praise.

In the case of the Galleria degli Uffizi , it barely does justice to a gallery that holds the world’s finest collection of Renaissance paintings. All the famous names of Italian art are here—not only the Renaissance masters, but also painters from the early medieval, baroque, and Mannerist heydays. Main attraction: “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli is one. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands About 900,000 objects fill the Rijksmuseum , the largest collection of art and history in the Netherlands . It is most famous for its paintings by 17th-century Dutch masters, including Ruysdael, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, and Rembrandt van Rijn. Established in 1800 to exhibit the collections of the Dutch stadtholders, the Rijksmuseum also displays art from the Middle Ages. The main building is closed for renovation until 2013; collection highlights are displayed in the Philips Wing and at Rijksmuseum Schiphol. Main attraction: “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt.

Comment on This Story Top 10 cities | The Rough Guide to 2015 | Rough Guides The Rough Guide to 2015 Top 10 cities 1. Johannesburg, South Africa Jo’burg has a reputation problem. But South Africa’s biggest city is finally beginning to break free from the chains of its troubled past, and parts – like the arty Maboneng quarter – have rooted themselves as exciting cultural hubs. New clusters of forward-thinking museums, galleries and shops are set to emerge in 2015, though better-known attractions like Constitution Hill and the poignant Apartheid Museum should still be on the to-do list of any first-time visitor. Johannesburg represents the future. My version of what I think the world is going to become looks like Johannesburg. - Neill Blomkamp (movie director) 2. Málaga, Spain Founded by the Phoenicians, the ancient city of Málaga has far more to offer than the usual Spanish cocktail of sun, sea and sangria – though all of those things are still in plentiful supply.

In 2015, a cube-shaped building on the quay will swing open its doors as an offshoot of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, featuring works by Málaga-born Pablo Picasso. Other projects signalling Málaga’s cultural revival include a new museum of Russian art, set to light up a former tobacco factory, and the continued development of mural-daubed Soho, which attracts trailblazing street artists. 3. New Orleans, USA There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better. – Bob Dylan (musician) A decade on from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is back. Not just as a tourist destination, but as one of the world’s most exciting places for food and music. There are now more than 1400 restaurants in the city – that’s double the amount before the hurricane rolled in – and NOLA’s music scene is back in the swing of things, most audibly in the Upper Ninth Ward’s brightly painted Musician’s Village, purpose-built to rehouse performers who were displaced by the storm. 4. Hamburg, Germany Cheap, cool and crazy about techno, Berlin has long been the go-to European city for wide-eyed night owls.

But Hamburg , around half Berlin’s size, also has a whopper of a party scene. Steer clear of sleazy, neon-lit Reeperbahn (a street known locally as the “most sinful mile”) and you’ll find countless kitschy bars, boozy beer gardens and wild rock venues, plus throbbing, Berlin-style dance clubs housed in old factories. Our tip? Allow an extra day or two at the end of your trip to catch up on sleep. 5. Nizwa, Oman Once the capital of Oman (that title now goes to Muscat), Nizwa’s historical importance shouldn’t be underestimated. This was the sultanate’s capital for more than 1000 years, attracting artists, scholars and traders from across the region. And in 2015, when Nizwa takes over from Sharjah as the Islamic Capital of Culture, its history and future will be celebrated with a series of events across the city. 6. Wellington, New Zealand Big-budget films helped bring tourists to New Zealand and now Wellington , which celebrates 150 years as the country’s capital in 2015, is giving visitors plenty of reasons to stick around.

There’s a real buzz about the city’s café scene and smart new craft-beer bars are bubbling up across the city. Be sure to check out Te Papa (the New Zealand National Museum), which is packed with treasures from across the Pacific. Highlights include the elaborate feather cloak that was given to the English explorer James Cook in Hawaii. 7. Belgrade, Serbia One of the unexpected high points on any European itinerary. – The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget Easily squeezed into an overland tour of Europe and small enough to explore on foot, Belgrade is changing fast. Long-neglected neighbourhoods like Savamala are being redrawn as artists’ hangouts, while slick bars and clubs pop up in dilapidated, box-like buildings – hangovers from Serbia’s war-torn past. Another reason to go: the ten-hour train ride connecting Belgrade with Podgorica, in Montenegro, is spectacularly scenic. 8. Salta, Argentina Stretching out beneath the scorched peaks of the Andes, sunny Salta is the definition of a pretty Argentinian city.

Colonial-era church spires pierce the sky, palm trees edge the plazas and the foot-stomping sound of Andean folk music floods out from boisterous peña clubs. When you’ve had your fill of art, music and history, head out to explore the cacti-spiked deserts, or the high but fertile vineyards just a few hours south, which produce some of the country’s best wines. 9. Birmingham, England Midway between two of England’s big cultural powerhouses – London and Liverpool – Birmingham has often missed out on its share of the limelight. Creative hotspots are beginning to emerge in the urban sprawl, however, like the old industrial district of Digbeth, where vintage shops and street food stalls have begun to appear in and around the old Victorian buildings. Head to the old Bird’s Custard Factory for vintage kilo sales and live music performances. Plus with Birmingham New Street station reopening in 2015 after a much-needed renovation, this year is the ideal time to make a trip. 10. Yangon, Myanmar This is Burma and it is unlike any land you know about.

– Rudyard Kipling The days of tourist-free streets might be over but it’s not too late to discover Myanmar . Steamy Yangon, with its golden pagodas, red-robed monks and fin de siècle architecture, is as tantalisingly exotic as ever. Armed with the first-ever Rough Guide to Myanmar, which comes out in February 2015, you’ll have no trouble exploring beyond the city – including the untouched beaches of the Tanintharyi Division, only recently opened to tourists.

Question: In which capital city is the largest museum in the world?
Answer: Paris