Category CAPITAL CITIES

            Solomon Island is a country in The Pacific Ocean consisting of six main islands and over 900 smaller ones. Honiara, located at the mouth of the Mataniko River on the north coast of Guadalcanal, is the capital of the country.

            The town is an important port and communication centre. The economy of Honiara depends on trade chiefly in coconut, timber, fish and gold. The urbanization of the city started in the 1960s. Today, most of the government buildings and institutions and important educational centres are housed in the town. One of the main attractions of the city is its market, known as the Honiara Central Market. The market is the centre of trading activity in the islands.

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          Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, is located in the extreme south of North Island. A beautiful city, Wellington is located on the shores and hills surrounding Wellington Harbour known as Port Nicholson. A landlocked bay, Port Nicholson is one of the finest harbours in the world.

          The city is reputed for its spellbinding natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with exquisite suburbs of colonial villas. A good portion of the city is built on land reclaimed from the bay. There are many important monuments in the city such as the Parliament buildings, the National Library, the City Gallery Wellington and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Another tourist attraction, the old Government Building, which was built in 1876, is one of the World’s largest wooden structures.

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               The Federated States of Micronesia is an independent republic associated to the United States. Palikir is the capital of the country. It was an inconsequential village long ago. Colonialism slowly transformed the place to a town. Located on the north-west side of Pohnpei Island, the town is a high volcanic island surrounded by a beautiful fringing coral reef. The largest settlement of Palikir is Kolonia, situated at the northeast side of the island. One of the most favourite locations for tourists are the underwater coral reefs, which are found all around the coastal region of the island.

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Tarawa is the capital of Kiribati, a country in Micronesia in the central Pacific Ocean. In Kiribati mythology, Tarawa meant the earth. According to the legends, Nareau the spider, the creator of the universe, after creating the earth, called the sky ‘karawa’ and the ocean, ‘Marawa’. He stood on the ground and called it ‘Tarawa’.

            The city’s economy is supported by its export of Copra and mother-of-pearl. There are light manufacturing facilities in the city too. When the war between the U.S. and the Japanese took place, the city suffered significant damage. Tarawa is an atoll, meaning that it is a lagoon surrounded by a coral rim. There are many culturally significant spots in the city.

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          Suva is not only the capital of Fiji, but also the chief port and commercial centre of the country. The city is situated on Suva Point between the mouth of the Rewa River and Suva Harbour.                              The economic activities of the city include tourism and light manufacturing such as cigarette making and soap-making, copra crushing, baking and brewing. The city is home to the Fiji School of Medicine, the main campus of the University of the South Pacific, the Pacific Theological College, and the Pacific Regional Seminary. The city accommodates a teachers’ training college, an institute of technology and several hospitals. The Fiji Museum in the city has numerous important historical and ethnographical exhibits.

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          The federal capital of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory. Canberra is a planned city. Due to the influence of the Garden City Movement that necessitated the involvement of natural vegetation in the city design, Canberra is sometimes referred to as the ‘Bush Capital’.

         Tourism and light industry are the two major sources of the city’s income. The Mount Stromlo Observatory, the National Library of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the Australian National Gallery, the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Australian National War Memorial and Parliament House are some of the most notable features of Canberra. Batemans Bay, a popular holiday spot on the New South Wales coast, is only around two hours from the city.

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          Buenos Aires, the capital and the largest city in Argentina, was established by the Spanish in 1536.

          From its earliest days, Buenos Aires depended primarily on trade, and it developed into an important port, both under the Spanish, and later, the British. It became the seat of the Argentine government in 1880, and also an economic power hub as well.

          Today, Buenos Aires is the most visited city in South America. It is a top tourist destination that is known for its European style architecture, and vibrant atmosphere.

          Over the last 150 years, millions of immigrants from all over the world have made Buenos Aires their home.

          An interesting fact is that Buenos Aires has the widest avenue, in the world- Avenida 9 de Julio, which is an impressive 16 lanes wide!

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            Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, was founded in 1960. Till then the capital was Rio de Janeiro, but it was felt that a more central location was needed, and Brasilia was planned and developed to fulfill this need. The city is distinguished by its modern, White architecture and its shape which resembles an aero plane or a bird in flight. Beauty, simplicity and functionality are the keywords that describe the city. It is a harmonious blend of magnificent administrative centres, Public places and innovative ideas of urban living that include six storey housing blocks supported on pylons that allow the landscape to flow beneath and around them. It is this visionary planning and futuristic architecture that has made Brasilia a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

            One of the principal cities of South America, Caracas is the capital of Venezuela. Officially, the city is known as Santiago de Leon de Caracas. It is situated along the Guaire River, a short river in Venezuela.

             While there are many prosperous cities in Venezuela, governments have had difficulty in dealing with poverty and lawlessness in Caracas.

            The city lacked in running water, electricity and social services. There was a steady increase in the crime rate in Caracas and this has resulted in it being termed as the most dangerous city in Latin America. Some of the most important historic buildings and monuments of the city include the Caracas Cathedral, the National Capitol, the Municipal Council building, the Miraflores Palace, the National Pantheon and the twin towers of the Simon Bolivar Centre.

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