عاصمة

(تم التحويل من العاصمة)
طوكيو، عاصمة اليابان، و أكبر مركز حضري في العالم

عاصمة بلاد أو ولاية هي المدينة التي تقع فيها السلطة. ولبعض الدول أكثر من عاصمة واحدة، فبعض فروع الحكومة تقع في مدينة واحدة والبعض الآخر في مدينة أخرى. في القديم كان لبعض الملوك عاصمة صيفية وعاصمة شتوية، لكي لا تزعجهم حرارة الصيف.

الأصول

بكين, as the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, has served as the country's political centre for most of the past eight centuries.

Historically, the major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through conquest or federation.[1] Historical examples are ancient Babylon, ancient Athens, ancient Rome, Abbasid Baghdad, Constantinople, Chang'an, and ancient Cusco. The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an itinerant (wandering) government was common.[2]

The capital city attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of national or imperial governments, such as lawyers, political scientists, bankers, journalists, and public policy makers. Some of these cities are or were also religious centres,[3] e.g. Constantinople (more than one religion), Rome/Vatican City (the Roman Catholic Church), Jerusalem (more than one religion), Babylon, Moscow (the Russian Orthodox Church), Belgrade (the Serbian Orthodox Church), Paris, and Beijing. In some countries, the capital has been changed for geopolitical reasons; Finland's first city, Turku, which had been the country's most important city since the Middle Ages and became capital in 1809, lost its position during the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, when Helsinki was made the current capital of Finland by the Russian Empire.[4][5]

The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals as is the case with Nanjing by Shanghai, Quebec City by Montreal, and several US state capitals. The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred at Babylon[6] and Cahokia. "Political nomadism" was practiced in ancient Near East to increase ties between the ruler and the subjects.[7]

Although many capitals are defined by constitution or legislation, many long-time capitals have no such legal designation, including Bern, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London, Paris, and Wellington.[بحاجة لمصدر] They are recognized as capitals as a matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them.

عواصم حديثة

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, and the largest metropolitan area in Western Europe
Paris, the capital of France, and the largest metropolitan area in the European Union
Moscow, the capital of Russia, and the former capital of the Soviet Union

Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions.