Washington became the US capital thanks to a political compromise
As the BBC notes, Israel has long considered Jerusalem its capital. The government building, the residences of the prime minister and president are located there, but until now no country has recognized the city as Israel's capital. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem and move the US embassy there has caused discontent among many. It's time to ask the question: how do countries choose their capitals and what does that choice mean?
1. A symbol of unity and an instrument of control
The English word "capital" comes from the Latin capitalis, meaning primarily "pertaining to the head." It is the city that heads a territory. It is associated with power; government institutions are located there, and in monarchical countries, the royal family lives there.
A capital must be protected, but it also issues directives; it is a symbol of unity. Therefore, many capitals are geographically located in the center of the country – this makes them easier to reach from all corners, and this position helps them fulfill their symbolic, representative function.
Madrid, for example, is located exactly in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Abuja, which officially became the capital of Nigeria in 1991, was built almost from scratch in the center of the country to symbolize the unity of a nation divided by religious conflicts and spread over a large territory.
Following the same principle, Brazil moved its capital in 1961 from the overcrowded port city of Rio de Janeiro to Brasília, located in the central part of the country. "Bring progress to the center of Brazil," said architect Oscar Niemeyer, who designed the government buildings in the new capital.
2. Political compromise
Today, Washington is torn by political contradictions, but in 1790, the decision that the city would be the US capital was the fruit of a political compromise. The northern states, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted the federal government to assume part of their debt and were willing to make a deal with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who wanted the capital to be in the south. The site on the Potomac River, south of the Mason-Dixon line, where Washington was later built, was personally chosen by George Washington. The rest is history.
Some tourists visiting Australia are surprised to learn that its capital is not Sydney. They are usually told that the city of Canberra is the "bush capital," chosen as a compromise between the continent's largest city, Sydney, and its southern rival, Melbourne. Some historians, however, believe this is not the case, and that Canberra was chosen largely because coastal Melbourne and Sydney are too hot in summer.
"The main argument, with which all politicians of the time agreed, was that white people could only thrive in a relatively cool climate," historian David Headon said in an interview with Australian Geographic magazine.
3. Complex historical circumstances
Berlin or Bonn? This question was heard shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. A reunified Germany was choosing its capital. During the Cold War, when Germany was divided, Bonn was the capital of the western part, and Berlin was the capital of the eastern part, the GDR.
Today, only a few tourists spending time in iconic nightclubs and photographing the picturesque remnants of the wall in Berlin realize that Bonn could have become Germany's capital. The decision that the capital would be in Berlin was made in the Bundestag on June 20, 1991, with a margin of only 17 votes. 387 deputies voted for Berlin, and 320 for Bonn.
Germans had to choose between two capitals, but South Africa today actually has three. The bodies of different branches of government are spread across different cities – legislators work in Cape Town, administrative bodies are in Pretoria, and the main courts are in Bloemfontein (except for the constitutional court, which is in Johannesburg).
This is a legacy of post-colonial times – the Union of South Africa was created in 1910. Four British colonies united and could not agree on a capital. In 1994, with the end of apartheid, a movement arose to create a new capital, as in Brazil or Australia, but this never happened.
4. The whim of those in power
Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997. It is a brilliant futuristic city, a symbol of the ambitions of authoritarian President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled Kazakhstan since 1991. Among Astana's attractions is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, a pyramid of glass and concrete with an opera hall for 1,500 people, designed by architect Norman Foster. This city, located in the snowy steppe, was formerly called Akmola. The name was changed to Astana because Akmola means "white grave."
Another geographically isolated capital is Naypyidaw. The capital of Myanmar was built for itself in 2005 by the then paranoid military government, long before Myanmar embarked on the path to democracy. The huge city has everything – spacious roads, a zoo, and a golf club, but there are few people on the streets.