What country have you been to the most...but never visited its capital city?
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
Without a lot of other examples (Australia, NZ, Canada, Brazil) many countries pick their largest or most distinguished city for the capital (or this happened so long ago that it's not really a matter of being picked by the country) yet by contrast, in the USA, many state capitals are not the largest or most distinguished city: Harrisburg, Bismarck, Tallahassee, Baton Rouge, Sacramento, Albany, Columbus, Tucson, Juneau, etc. One could arguably put Austin and Madison on the list too. Elsewhere, it's more common for provincial capitals to also be the largest and/or most distinguished city such as in Canada, France, Spain, Australia, etc. in general. Of course, Canberra, Brasilia, and (long ago) Washington were constructed for the purpose of becoming the capital, while Bonn was picked for political/geographical and anti historical reasons.
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,609
Germany (I went annually 1994-2011 and a final 2013 transit) but never Bonn (former) or berlin.
plus no Ottawa for Canada. no KL for Malaysia.
For my other handfuls of nations visited, I seem to have been to their capitals!
plus no Ottawa for Canada. no KL for Malaysia.
For my other handfuls of nations visited, I seem to have been to their capitals!
#50
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: DL Gold, AA Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 253
...in the USA, many state capitals are not the largest or most distinguished city: Harrisburg, Bismarck, Tallahassee, Baton Rouge, Sacramento, Albany, Columbus, Tucson, Juneau, etc. One could arguably put Austin and Madison on the list too. Elsaewhere, it's more common for provincial capitals to also be the largest and/or most distinguished city such as in Canada, France, Spain, Australia, etc. in general. Of course, Canberra, Brasilia, and (long ago) Washington were constructed for the purpose of becoming the capital, while Bonn was picked for poilitical/geographical and anti historical reasons.
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,224
Switzerland and Canada are the stand-outs for me. However, for very many people who take their annual holidays in Spain or Portugal or Turkey or France or Italy or Greece (etc.) but don't otherwise travel, the answers would be very different.
Also, the question that might be more relevant for FTers would related to countries visited where you have not been to the largest city and, for me, that would only be countries where I've visited for a beach holiday.
Also, the question that might be more relevant for FTers would related to countries visited where you have not been to the largest city and, for me, that would only be countries where I've visited for a beach holiday.
#52
#53
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Olde Dominion
Programs: DL Silver - uh huh!
Posts: 948
I have visited the capital of every country I have visited more than once except Germany (Berlin) - although I did visit Bonn when it was the capital of West Germany.
For those countries I have visited only once, I have not visited the capitals of 8/26 (Austria, Burma, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey), although I did drive through Belgrade on the highway and transit LIS (left the airport briefly) and RGN (didn’t leave the airport).
For those countries I have visited only once, I have not visited the capitals of 8/26 (Austria, Burma, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey), although I did drive through Belgrade on the highway and transit LIS (left the airport briefly) and RGN (didn’t leave the airport).
#57
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: OZ Diamond, QR Gold, HH Gold, IHG Plat, Accor Plat
Posts: 669
I have visited UAE 27 times but have never visited Abu Dhabi.
After that would be South Africa which I have visited 16 times without ever visiting Pretoria.
Have also visited Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Sweden, USA and Vietnam without visiting respective capitals.
After that would be South Africa which I have visited 16 times without ever visiting Pretoria.
Have also visited Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Sweden, USA and Vietnam without visiting respective capitals.