This is a list of the cities that are or have been considered national or state capitals of Brazil.
[edit] National capitals
Notes: Although not being accurately correct to consider that a colony has a capital (since the very idea of capital city is related to the concept of sovereignty), the city of Salvador is usually called the "first capital of Brazil" for being more than two centuries the seat for the Portuguese colonial administration in Brazil (general government and viceroyalty). Strictly, however, Brazil only had a de jure and de facto capital since its Independence in 1822.
[edit] State capitals
created out of Amazonas
[edit] Alagoas
created out of Pernambuco
- Alagoas (1817-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Alagoas
- Alagoas (1822-1839) - capital city for the Province of Alagoas
- Maceió (1839-present) - capital city for the Province of Alagoas
- Maceió (1889-present) - capital city for the State of Alagoas
created out of Pará
- Macapá (1943-1988) - seat city for the territory do Amapá
- Macapá (1988-present) - seat city for the State of Amapá
[edit] Amazonas
created out of Pará
- Aquiraz
- Fortaleza (1799-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Ceará
- Fortaleza (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Ceará
- Fortaleza (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Ceará
[edit] Espírito Santo
- Vitória (1812-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Espírito Santo
- Vitória (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Espírito Santo
- Vitória (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Espírito Santo
created out of São Paulo
- Goiás (1748-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Goiás
- Goiás (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Goiás
- Goiás (1889-1937) - seat city for the State of Goiás
- Goiânia (1937-present) - seat city for the State of Goiás
[edit] Maranhão
created out of Pará
- São Luís (1772-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Maranhão and Piauí
- São Luís (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Maranhão
- São Luís (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Maranhão
[edit] Mato Grosso
created out of São Paulo
[edit] Mato Grosso do Sul
created out of Mato Grosso
- Campo Grande (1975-present) - seat city for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul
[edit] Minas Gerais
created out of São Paulo
- Vila Rica (1720-1822) - since 1822, named Ouro Preto; seat city for the Captaincy of Minas Gerais
- Ouro Preto (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Minas Gerais
- Ouro Preto (1889-1897) - seat city for the State of Minas Gerais
- Belo Horizonte (1897-present) - seat city for the State of Minas Gerais
- Belém (1737-1772) - seat city for the State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão
- Belém (1772-1822) - seat city for the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro
- Belém (1822-1850) - seat city for the Province of Grão-Pará
- Belém (1850-1889) - seat city for the Province of Pará
- Belém (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Pará
[edit] Paraíba
[edit] Paraná
created out of São Paulo
- Curitiba (1853-1889) - seat city for the Province of Paraná
- Curitiba (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Paraná
[edit] Pernambuco
- Olinda (1537-1630) - seat city for the Captaincy of Pernambuco
- Mauritsstad or Cidade Maurícia (1630-1654) - seat city for the administration holandesa
- Olinda (1654-822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Pernambuco
- Olinda (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Pernambuco
- Recife (1837-1889) - seat city for the Province of Pernambuco
- Recife (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Pernambuco
created out of Maranhão
- Parnaíba (1718-1759) - seat city for the Captaincy of Piauí (subject to Maranhão)
- Oeiras (1759-1811) - seat city for the Captaincy of Piauí (subject to Maranhão)
- Oeiras (1811-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Piauí
- Oeiras (1822-1852) - seat city for the Province of Piauí
- Teresina (1852-1889) - seat city for the Province of Piauí
- Teresina (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Piauí
[edit] Rio Grande do Norte
- Captaincy of Rio Grande, sem sede (1534-1634)
- subject to the administration holandesa (1634-1654)
- subject to the Captaincy of Bahia (1654-1701)
- subject to the Captaincy of Pernambuco (1701-1822)
- Natal (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Rio Grande do Norte
- Natal (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Rio Grande do Norte
[edit] Rio Grande do Sul
[edit] Rio de Janeiro
- Niterói (1834-1889) - até 1835, named "Vila Real da Praia Grande"; seat city for the Province of Rio de Janeiro
- Niterói (1889-1892) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
- Petrópolis (1894-1903) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
- Niterói (1903-1975) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
- Rio de Janeiro (1975-present) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
[edit] Rondônia
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Guaporé", desmembrado do Mato Grosso. Transformado in State of Rondônia in 1988.
[edit] Roraima
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Rio Branco", desmembrado do Amazonas. Transformado in State of Roraima in 1988.
- Boa Vista (1988-present) - anteriormente named "Rio Branco"
[edit] Santa Catarina
created out of São Paulo
[edit] São Paulo
- São Vicente (1534-1709) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Vicente
- Santos (1534-1624) - seat city for the Captaincy of Santo Amaro
- São Paulo (1709-1822) - anteriormente named "São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga"; seat city for the Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro
- São Paulo (1709-1720) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Paulo
- São Paulo (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of São Paulo
- São Paulo (1889-present) - seat city for the State of São Paulo
[edit] Sergipe
created out of Bahia
[edit] Tocantins
created out of Goiás
[edit] Extinct federated units
[edit] Guanabara
Created in 1960 out of the territory of former Distrito Federal. Merged with the State of Rio de Janeiro in 1975.
[edit] Fernando de Noronha
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory de Fernando de Noronha". Incorporated the Pernambuco.
- Vila dos Remédios (principal núcleo habitado de Fernando de Noronha (1943-1988)
[edit] Iguaçu
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Iguaçu". Merged back to Paraná and the Santa Catarina.
[edit] Ponta-Porã
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory de Ponta-Porã". Merged back to Mato Grosso.
[edit] Former territories of Brazil
[edit] Cisplatina
[edit] Guiana Francesa
[edit] Themed capitals
[edit] See also