Countries, Capitals and Currencies List

Countries, capitals and currencies form one of the most basic and frequently tested areas of static general knowledge. Questions such as "What is the capital of Kazakhstan?" or "Which country uses the Rand?" appear regularly in bank PO and clerk exams (which especially like currency questions), SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, railway, insurance and state PCS exams. For UPSC, this knowledge supports map-based questions in Prelims and International Relations topics in Mains. There are about 195 countries in the world, but exams focus on a smaller set: India's neighbours, major economies, members of groupings like G20, BRICS, SCO and ASEAN, and countries that appear in the news. This note covers them continent by continent, with tips to avoid common traps.

Quick Facts at a Glance

• UN member states: 193 (plus two observer states: the Holy See and Palestine).
• Largest country by area: Russia. Smallest: Vatican City.
• Most populous country: India, which overtook China in 2023 according to UN estimates.
• Euro area: 21 EU countries use the Euro after Bulgaria joined on 1 January 2026.
• Countries with more than one capital: South Africa (Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein), Bolivia (Sucre, La Paz).

1. India's Neighbours

2. Asia and the Middle East

3. Europe

4. Africa

5. The Americas and Oceania

6. Tricky Capitals Often Asked

Many students wrongly choose the largest or best-known city instead of the capital. Remember these: Australia's capital is Canberra, not Sydney; Canada's is Ottawa, not Toronto; Brazil's is Brasília, not Rio de Janeiro; Türkiye's is Ankara, not Istanbul; Nigeria's is Abuja, not Lagos; Pakistan's is Islamabad, not Karachi; Myanmar's is Naypyidaw, not Yangon; Kazakhstan's is Astana, not Almaty; Tanzania's is Dodoma, not Dar es Salaam; and Switzerland's is Bern, not Zurich or Geneva. Several of these countries deliberately built or chose new capitals for administrative or political reasons. Brasília, for instance, was built in the 1950s to develop the country's interior, and Abuja replaced Lagos in 1991 partly because of its central location.

7. Common Currency Names

• Dollar: USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and others.
• Rupee: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles.
• Peso: Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Philippines, Cuba.
• Dinar: Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Serbia, Tunisia.
• Riyal / Rial: Saudi Arabia, Qatar (Riyal); Iran, Oman (Rial).
• Krona / Krone: Sweden (Krona), Norway and Denmark (Krone).
• Shilling: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia.

8. Shared and Regional Currencies

Some currencies are used by several countries at once. The Euro is the best-known example. It was introduced in 1999 as an electronic currency and in 2002 as notes and coins, and it is managed by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. Not all European Union members use it; Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Denmark, for example, keep their own currencies. In West and Central Africa, about 14 countries use versions of the CFA franc, historically linked to France and now pegged to the Euro. In the Caribbean, several island nations use the East Caribbean dollar. Bhutan's Ngultrum and Nepal's Rupee are pegged to the Indian Rupee, and the Indian Rupee is widely accepted in Bhutan and Nepal, which reflects close economic ties.

9. Recent Name and Capital Changes

• Türkiye: In 2022, the United Nations accepted Turkey's request to be officially called Türkiye.
• Kyiv: The Ukrainian spelling "Kyiv" is now widely used in place of the older Russian-based "Kiev".
• Astana: Kazakhstan's capital was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 and changed back to Astana in 2022.
• Nusantara: Indonesia is building a new capital on the island of Borneo to reduce pressure on Jakarta, which faces congestion and land subsidence.
• Eswatini: Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini in 2018.
• Czechia and North Macedonia: Czech Republic adopted the short name Czechia in 2016; Macedonia became North Macedonia in 2019 after an agreement with Greece.

Examiners like such changes because they test whether you follow current affairs. Keep a small list of recent renamings and update it whenever you read about one.

10. Memory Tricks

• Link the capital to a story: "Ottawa, not Toronto" – Canada chose Ottawa as a compromise between English-speaking and French-speaking regions.
• Use sound links: Ghana's Cedi and Ghana's Accra both start with hard sounds; Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania all use Shillings.
• Group by grouping: Learn the capitals of all BRICS members together (Brasília, Moscow, New Delhi, Beijing, Pretoria, plus newer members such as Cairo, Addis Ababa, Tehran, Abu Dhabi and Jakarta).
• Use a map: Marking capitals on a blank map is the most effective revision, and it also prepares you for UPSC map-based questions.

11. Practice Questions

1. What is the currency of Malaysia? Answer: Ringgit.
2. What is the capital of Nigeria? Answer: Abuja.
3. Which country uses the Kyat? Answer: Myanmar.
4. What is the currency of the Maldives? Answer: Rufiyaa.
5. What is the capital of Türkiye? Answer: Ankara.
6. Which country uses the Zloty? Answer: Poland.

12. Why This Topic Matters for UPSC

For UPSC aspirants, knowing countries and capitals is not about isolated facts. Prelims frequently asks map-based questions, such as which countries border a sea, which countries a river flows through, or which country is located between two others. Mains questions in GS Paper 2 discuss India's relations with countries in West Asia, Central Asia, Africa and the Indo-Pacific. When you read about India's connectivity projects such as the International North-South Transport Corridor (linking India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia), the Chabahar port in Iran or the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a clear mental map of the countries involved helps you write precise, well-informed answers.

Similarly, news about currencies, such as Rupee trade settlement with other countries, the strength of the US Dollar, or the Euro's role in global trade, connects directly to the Economy syllabus. Bank exams, in particular, ask about currency names and central banks, so it is useful to pair each currency with its central bank: the Federal Reserve (USA), the European Central Bank (Euro area), the Bank of England (UK), the Bank of Japan, the People's Bank of China and the Reserve Bank of India.

How to Revise This Topic in 15 Minutes a Day

Divide the world into six regions and revise one region each day of the week, using a blank outline map. On the seventh day, test yourself on all regions with 30 random questions. Keep a separate list of "trap" capitals and recent changes, and read it once before every mock test. Within a month, most capitals and currencies will become automatic.

Bonus fact: Landlocked countries, which have no coastline, are a favourite exam theme. In South Asia, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan are landlocked, which is why transit routes through India, Pakistan or Iran matter so much for their trade.

Related Notes

• India and Its Neighbours Notes
• Global Groupings: BRICS, SCO, Quad and G20
• Important Organisations and Headquarters Notes
• Major Mountains, Rivers, Lakes and Deserts of the World

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the capital of Australia?

Canberra, not Sydney.

What is the currency of Bangladesh?

The Taka.

What is the currency of Bhutan?

The Ngultrum, which is pegged to the Indian Rupee.

Which country has three capitals?

South Africa: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial).

What is the capital of Myanmar?

Naypyidaw.

What is the currency of Brazil?

The Real.

Which countries use the Rupee?

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles, among others.

What is the capital of Kazakhstan?

Astana.

What is the currency of South Africa?

The Rand.

Which country is shifting its capital to Nusantara?

Indonesia, from Jakarta to Nusantara on the island of Borneo.

What is the currency of Japan?

The Yen.

How many member states does the United Nations have?

The UN has 193 member states.