Stop 1 · Australia
Canberra
Sydney and Melbourne both wanted the capital, so the constitution demanded a new city at least 100 miles from Sydney. Parliament finally moved in 1927.
Capitals built from scratch to be capitals
None of these cities grew slowly into importance. Each was drawn on a map, funded by a government, and populated by decree.
The five stops
Stop 2 · Brazil
Brasília
The whole modernist plan became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the youngest site ever listed at the time.
Stop 3 · Nigeria
Abuja
Aso Rock, the 400 m monolith behind the presidential complex, is so identified with power that "Aso Rock" is shorthand for the government itself.
Stop 4 · Myanmar
Naypyidaw
It covers roughly six times the area of New York City with a fraction of the people. Its name means something close to "abode of kings".
Stop 5 · Kazakhstan
Astana
Second-coldest capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar. Norman Foster designed both the pyramid and the vast tent-shaped shopping centre.
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Think you'd have found them? Play today's expedition, or replay this one from the archive.