Category: mapping

A country’s capital can hold a lot of symbolism. Yet depending on the size of the country, the population of these capital cities varies significantly. The largest world capital is home to more than 21.5 million people, while no one resides permanently in a couple of the smallest capitals.

And while even the smallest capital is typically the most well-known and populous in the country, that’s not the case in 36 countries where their capital is far from their largest city.

View World Capitals in a full screen map

National capitals data from Wikipedia. Countries whose capital is not their largest city data also from Wikipedia

10 Most Populous Capitals in the World

Nearly 119 million people altogether live in 10 of the world’s largest capitals. Can you guess which one is home to the most?

• Beijing – population of 21,542,000
• Tokyo – 14,094,034
• Moscow – 13,104,177
• Kinshasa – 12,691,000
• Jakarta – 10,562,088
• Cairo – 10,107,125
• Seoul – 9,508,451
• Mexico City – 9,209,944
• London – 9,002,488
• Dhaka – 8,906,039

Among the 10 most populous world capitals listed above, Beijing, the capital of China, stands out with a staggering population of 21,542,000. Even though it’s the largest capital, Beijing’s population represents just 1.5% of the rest of the country. Moreover, this large capital is only China’s third largest city, after Chongqing and Shanghai.

Asia is home to the majority of the most populous capitals. In addition to Beijing, Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul, and Dhaka all rank within the top 10 for population. Of these, the highest percentage of the entire country’s population lives in Seoul (18.3%).

Check out the rest of the most populous capitals on the map before moving on to the opposite… least populous.

Smallest World Capitals

On the other hand, less than 600 people reside in each of the 10 smallest capitals, the smallest of which house zero people.

• Ngerulmud – population of 0
• Plymouth – 0
• King Edward Point – 22
• Adamstown – 40
• West Island – 134
• Kingston – 341
• Brades – 449
• Vatican City – 453
• Atafu – 541
• Alofi – 597

Two of the world’s capitals have no permanent residents. Ngerulmud, the capital of island country Palau, became the capital in 2006, but has no residents. As for Plymouth, Montserrat, volcanic eruptions caused evacuation starting in 1995, but it has not been replaced as the official capital.

Shockingly, the remaining small capitals (the ones with people living in them) are the largest city in each country. That’s not the case for the countries in the next section.

36 Countries Whose Capital Is Not Their Largest City

A country’s capital is typically the most well-known and populous. Yet in 36 countries, the capital is not the largest city. Of these, the largest discrepancy between the population of a country’s capital city and their largest city is over than 19,750,00 people. Let’s go over that and others with big gaps now.

Country (or territory)	Capital	Population	Largest city	Population	Ratio
India	New Delhi	249,998	Mumbai	20,000,000	80
Palau	Ngerulmud	0	Koror	11,200	41.32
Burundi	Gitega	135,467	Bujumbura	1,092,859	26.06
Ivory Coast	Yamoussoukro	361,893	Abidjan	4,348,000	21.7
Pakistan	Islamabad	1,014,825	Karachi	14,910,352	14.69
United States	Washington, D.C.	670,050	New York City	8,398,748	12.72
Australia	Canberra	431,380	Melbourne	5,312,163	12.6
Nigeria	Abuja	1,235,880	Lagos	7,937,932	10.2
Tanzania	Dodoma	410,956	Dar es Salaam	2,497,940	7.7
Bolivia	Sucre	360,544	Santa Cruz de la Sierra	1,453,549	7.1

India’s capital, New Delhi, is home to 249,998 people. Yet you’ll have to travel across the country to get to the largest city in India. Mumbai is where 20,000,000 people live, 80 times more than the country’s capital.

Another interesting discrepancy is Palau, mentioned in the previous section. It has the second-largest difference in population between the capital and another city, due to Ngerulmud’s zero residents. Previously, Koror was the capital until 2006 and it remains the largest city in the country with 11,200 people.

Even though Koror is home to the most people in Palau, it’s far from one of the Biggest Boomtowns of Every U.S. State.

Exactly 100 years ago, in 1924, a crop of famous people were born that would make great impacts on the world. From politicians to actors, athletes to musicians, they made their mark on history, and their paths were as diverse as the reasons for their fame. Most have passed away, though a rare few could still hit the century mark.

So let’s delve into the lives of some of the most celebrated figures of that remarkable cohort, including Shirley Chisholm, Daniel Inouye, and George H. W. Bush. We’ll take a look at the most common occupations of famous Americans born in 1924, where they were born, and the exciting centennial celebrations that lie ahead.

And it all starts with this map built from a list of names, birthdates, and birthplaces:

View American Celebrities Born 100 Years Ago in a full screen map

Most Common Occupations of Famous Americans Born in 1924

The American celebrities born 100 years ago all shared the same birth year. But the reasons for their celebrity varied significantly, though some were more common than others.

• American politician – 22 American celebrities born in 1924
• American actress – 17
• American actor – 17
• American musician – 5
• American basketball player – 5
• American singer – 4
• American female baseball player – 4
• Actress – 4
• American judge – 3
• American female professional baseball player – 3
• American baseball player – 3

The majority of 280+ celebrities born in 1924 were famous for their jobs as politicians, actors, or athletes. Famous politicians born in the year included Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first woman to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for President. Also among this group are Daniel Inouye, Frank Church, and Ed Koch.

However, politicians with more than one occupation are not included among these, such as George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the U.S.

As for athletes, among the five American basketball players is Bob Kurland. Kurland played for the Phillips 66ers and was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

American’s pastime is also well-represented by the likes of Gil Hodges, Al Rosen, and Pepper Paire, a member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which was featured in the movie “A League of Their Own.” Check out the rest of the occupations on the map before moving on to birthplaces.

Where Were They Born?

The map highlights the 281 famous Americans born in 1924, which is certainly the case for the majority (97.5%). Yet several people were born in countries other than the U.S. before moving and making a name for themselves.

The two German-born celebs were German-American physicist and astrophysicist Gerson Goldhaber, born in February and actress Maria Riva, born in December. There are also two Canadians (artist Buddy MacMaster and politician Weston E. Vivian). Additionally, there is one person from Austria, China, and Italy each.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., New York (51), Texas (21), and Illinois (18) are the top three homestates, with N.Y.C. (20), Chicago (11), and Brooklyn (10) being the most popular cities.

Celebs Celebrating Their 100th Birthdays in 2024

Enough about occupations and birthplaces… it’s time for even more personal details about these famous folks born 100 years ago: their ages. Here are the 19 people who may celebrate their 100th birthday in 2024.

Birth Month	Name
January	Charlie Munger
March	William H. Webster, Herbert Gold
May	Priscilla Pointer
June	Leonard Everett Fisher, Charles Norman Shay
July	Charley Winner, Eva Marie Saint, Charles C. Droz, Gloria Stroock, Oscar Wyatt, James L. Greenfield
August	Ella Jenkins, Frank Joseph Guarini, Robert Solow
September	Russell M. Nelson, J. William Middendorf, Merwin Coad
October	Jimmy Carter

July 2024 is gearing up to be the most popular month for centennial birthdays. Turning 100 at the beginning of the month may be football player Charley Winner (2nd), actress Eva Marie Saint (4th), and politician Charles C. Droz (8th). In mid-July, actress Gloria Stroock (10th), businessman, self-made millionaire Oscar Wyatt (11th), and administrator James L. Greenfield (16th) may also celebrate this big birthday.

Looking for another blast from the past? Check out this map of the most impactful 1924 events.

George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Let’s do our best to avoid that, starting by looking at major events from 100 years ago.

Between January and December of 1924, 87 political, sporting, criminal, technological, educational, social, cultural, and more events occurred in the U.S. and internationally that have repercussions today.

View 1924 events in a full screen map

The US’s Political, Social, and Cultural Events

Nellie Tayloe Ross, Calvin Coolidge (both public domain)

Of the 87 major events that took place 100 years ago, 24 are focused on one country: the United States. The most common categories of these U.S.-based events are political, social, and cultural.

Several of the political events surrounded the 35th presidential election, which took place in November of 1924. Democrats nominated John W. Davis of West Virginia for President in July of 1924. However, Republican Calvin Coolidge would go on to defeat both him and Progressive Robert M. La Follette Sr. in November. While not presidential, Wyoming also notably elected the U.S.’s first woman governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, the same month.

The year was also significant for Greek life and other clubs. For example:

• In Omaha, Nebraska, 14 teenagers founded the oldest Jewish youth fraternity (Aleph Zadik Aleph) as the Jewish community was typically not allowed into Greek fraternities.
• Four students of Loyola University Chicago founded the religious Alpha Delta Gamma fraternity.
• Ralph C. Smedley founded The Toastmasters Club in order to improve the communication skills of the young men under his charge at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California.

There were also two of each of the following types of events that year in the U.S.: disaster, crime, business, and art and music. Check out the rest of the U.S.’s events on the map before moving on to the ones that occurred internationally in 1924.

Major International Incidents

While 24 major 1924 events took place in the U.S., the majority (63) happened internationally, especially politically in the United Kingdom.

In January, Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. One month later, the United Kingdom recognized the Soviet Union. Additionally, in October of 1924, the British press published the Zinoviev letter, a directive from Grigory Zinoviev, head of the Communist International in Moscow, to the Communist Party of Great Britain.

Meanwhile, multiple technological advancements were made in the U.K. In London, the Royal Greenwich Observatory broadcasted a radio time signal for the first time. Later that year, Harry Grindell Matthews attempted to demonstrate his “death ray.”

Even so, the U.K. was not the only non-U.S. country with many major events in 1924: France (6), Germany (5), and Italy (4). And while these may be from different countries, they fall into the same categories.

The 16 Categories of 1924 Events

We’ve mentioned the types before, but here’s the full breakdown of the 16 categories these major 1924 events fall into:

Category	No. of 1924 Events
Politics	36
Sports	6
Crime	5
Technology	4
Social & Culture	4
Education	4
Disaster	4
Conflict	4
Business	4
Exploration	3
Aviation	3
Art & Music	3
Science	2
Massacre	2
Historical	2
Nature	1

Sports is almost always a popular category, and 1924 was no different, especially considering it was an Olympic year. In January, the first Winter Olympics opened in Chamonix, France while the 1924 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies were held in Paris later in the year. During those Summer Olympics, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi won the 1,500 and 5,000 m runs within two hours of each other.

The year was a big one for Canadian sports as well when Canada’s National Hockey League expanded to the United States for the first time with the inclusion of the Boston Bruins. Earl W. Bascom, rodeo cowboy and artist, also designed and made rodeo’s first one-hand bareback rigging at Stirling, Alberta, Canada the same year.

Group your data in a similar way when you map it with BatchGeo. And don’t miss what you can also learn from years past: 100 years since 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923.