Oceania's capitals are spread across a vast expanse of the Pacific, with several having been deliberately chosen or built to serve as national centers. Canberra, Australia's capital, is a planned city chosen as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne when the federation was formed, and it is located in the Australian Capital Territory. Wellington, New Zealand's capital, is the southernmost capital city of a sovereign state, located at the southern tip of the North Island and known for its windy conditions.
The Pacific island nations feature smaller but strategically located capitals. Suva, Fiji's capital, lies on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu and is the largest city in the South Pacific outside of Australia and New Zealand. Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua on the southeastern coast, in one of the most linguistically diverse regions in the world. Apia, Samoa's capital, sits on the north coast of the island of Upolu and is one of the last places on Earth to see the sunset each day due to its position near the International Date Line.