Africa's capitals range from vast megacities to small highland towns, reflecting the continent's enormous geographic and cultural diversity. Cairo, Egypt's capital, is the largest city in Africa and the Arab world, located near the Nile Delta, with the Great Pyramids of Giza on its outskirts. South Africa has a unique arrangement with three capitals: Pretoria as the executive capital, Cape Town as the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital, distributing governmental power across the country. Abuja, Nigeria's capital, is a purpose-built city that replaced Lagos in 1991, chosen for its central location and political neutrality among ethnic groups.
East and Southern Africa feature several capitals of regional importance. Nairobi, Kenya's capital, is the largest city in East Africa and a major hub for business and culture, with Nairobi National Park sitting on the city's edge. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, sits at an elevation of about 2,355 meters, making it one of the highest capitals in the world and serving as the headquarters of the African Union. Dodoma is Tanzania's official capital, though Dar es Salaam remains the largest city and main economic center; the legislature moved to Dodoma in 1996. Windhoek, Namibia's capital, is located in the central highlands at about 1,700 meters elevation and serves as the country's economic and cultural center. Kigali, Rwanda's capital, is considered one of the cleanest cities in Africa, spread across hills and valleys and having experienced rapid development since the mid-1990s.
West, Central, and island Africa round out the continent. Accra, Ghana's capital, lies on the Gulf of Guinea coast and was historically important in the gold and slave trades. Rabat, Morocco's capital, sits on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River and has been the political capital since 1912, even though Casablanca is larger. Algiers, Algeria's capital, is the country's largest city on the Mediterranean coast, with a historic Casbah that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the third-largest city in Africa and the largest French-speaking city in the world, facing Brazzaville across the Congo River. Dakar, Senegal's capital, lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of mainland Africa, and serves as a major Atlantic port. Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital, sits in the central highlands at about 1,275 meters elevation, while Maputo, Mozambique's capital, is a port city on the Indian Ocean formerly known as Lourenço Marques during Portuguese colonial rule.