The Americas stretch from polar latitudes to the southern cone, and their capitals reflect a remarkable range of geography and history. Brasília, Brazil's capital, is a planned city inaugurated in 1960, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer and urban planner Lúcio Costa to replace Rio de Janeiro and promote interior development. Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, sits on the western shore of the Río de la Plata estuary and is the most visited city in South America. Bogotá, Colombia's capital, is situated on a high plateau in the Andes at about 2,640 meters, making it one of the highest capitals in the world. Lima, Peru's capital, lies on the Pacific coast in a desert strip and was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as the capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty.
The southern and western portions of South America contain additional capitals with notable features. Santiago, Chile's capital, sits in a valley surrounded by the Andes and the Chilean Coastal Range and is home to over a third of Chile's population. Caracas, Venezuela's capital, is located in a valley in the northern coastal mountains at about 900 meters elevation and is the birthplace of Simón Bolívar. Quito, Ecuador's capital, sits at 2,850 meters above sea level, making it the highest official capital city in the world, with a well-preserved colonial center that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bolivia has two capitals: Sucre as the constitutional and judicial capital and La Paz as the administrative capital and seat of government, with La Paz at about 3,640 meters being the highest de facto capital in the world. Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, is located on the northern bank of the Río de la Plata and is home to about half of Uruguay's population. Asunción, Paraguay's capital, is one of the oldest cities in South America, founded in 1537 on the left bank of the Paraguay River. In the north, Georgetown, Guyana's capital, lies on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Demerara River, sitting below sea level and protected by a seawall, while Paramaribo, Suriname's capital, lies on the banks of the Suriname River near the Atlantic coast, with an inner city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site reflecting Dutch colonial architecture.
Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico feature a mix of ancient and colonial capitals. Mexico City is one of the most populous cities in the Western Hemisphere, built on the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan and sitting in the Valley of Mexico at about 2,240 meters elevation. Guatemala City, Central America's largest city, lies in a mountain valley and has been Guatemala's capital since 1776. Tegucigalpa, Honduras's capital, sits in a mountainous valley and is one of the few capitals in the Americas without a railway connection. San José, Costa Rica's capital, is located in the Central Valley at about 1,170 meters. Panama City sits at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal and is the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America and a major banking hub. In the Caribbean, Havana, Cuba's capital, is the largest city in the region, with Old Havana a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its colonial Spanish architecture. Kingston, Jamaica's capital, lies on the southeastern coast with a natural harbor and is the cultural capital of the Caribbean and the birthplace of reggae. Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, sits on the Gulf of Gonâve on Hispaniola and was severely damaged by a major earthquake in 2010. Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, founded in 1498. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago's capital, lies on the northwest coast of Trinidad and is famous for its annual Carnival celebration.