10 Capital Cities by Highest Elevation In The World

1. La Paz, Bolivia

La Paz

1. La Paz, Bolivia (3,660 mts), is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of La Paz Department, and the second largest city (in population) only after Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It is located in the western part of the country on the department of the same name. It is located at an elevation of 3,660 meters above sea level, making it the world's highest "de facto" capital city, or administrative capital. The official capital of Bolivia is Sucre and it is the seat of Justice, La Paz has more government departments, hence the "de facto" qualifier.

2. Quito, Ecuador

Quito

2. Quito, Ecuador (2,800 mts), is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. With a population of 1,397,698 according to the last census (2001), and, as estimated by the municipality, approximately 1,504,991 in 2005, Quito is the second most populous city in Ecuador, after Guayaquil.The elevation of the city's central square is 2,800 m (about 9,186 ft), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz,Bolivia), and the highest legal capital (ahead of Sucre, also in Bolivia, and Bogotá, Colombia).

3. Bogota, Colombia

Bogota

3. Bogota, Colombia (2,640 mts), is the capital city of Colombia, as well as the most populous city in the country, with an estimated 7,304,384 inhabitants as of 2009. Bogotá and its metropolitan area, which includes municipalities such as Chía, Cota, Soacha, Cajicá and La Calera, had an estimated population of 8,566,926 in 2009. In terms of land area, Bogotá is the largest city in Colombia, one of the biggest of Latin America, figures in the 30th largest cities of the world, and it is the third-highest capital city in the world (after La Paz and Quito) at 2640 metres above sea level. With its many universities and libraries, Bogotá has become known as "The Athens of South America".

4. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa

4. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2,390 mts), is the capital city of Ethiopia.It is the largest city in Ethiopia, with a population of 3,384,569 according to the 2007 population census.As a chartered city, Addis Ababa has the status of both a city and a state. It is where the African Union and its predecessor the OAU are based. Addis Ababa is therefore often referred to as "the political capital of Africa", due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. The city is populated by people from different regions of Ethiopia – the country has as many as 80 nationalities speaking 80 languages and belonging to a wide variety of religious communities. It is home to Addis Ababa University.

5. Asmara, Eritrea

Asmara

5. Asmara, Eritrea (2,325 mts) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. At an elevation of 2,325 meters (7,628  ft), Asmara is on the edge of an escarpment that is both the northwestern edge of the Great Rift Valley and of the Eritrean highlands. Textiles and clothing, processed meat, beer, shoes, and ceramics are the major industrial products. 

6. Thimphu, Bhutan

Thimphy

6. Thimphu, Bhutan (2,300 mts) is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the name of the surrounding valley is dzongkhag, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961. As of 2005 it had a population of  79,185, with 98,676 people living in the entire Thimphu district.The city is spread out longitudinally in a north-south direction on the west bank of the valley formed by the Wang Chuu, also known as the Thimphu Chuu River. Unusually for a capital city, Thimphu is not served by an airport, but relies on the airport at Paro, connected by road some 54 kilometres (34 mi) away. 

7. Sana'a, Yemen

Sana'a

7. Sana'a, Yemen (2,260 mts) is the capital of Yemen and the centre of San‘a’ Governorate. Sana'a is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. At an altitude of 2,260 meters, it is also one of the highest capital cities in the world. Sana'a has a population of 1,747,627 (2004 census), making it Yemen's largest city. 

8. Mexico City, Mexico 

Mexico City

8. Mexico City, Mexico (2,230 mts) is the capital and largest city in Mexico as well as the largest city in the Americas and the world's third largest metropolitan area by population, after Seoul and Tokyo. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole. Mexico City is the most important political, cultural, and financial center in the country.The 2009 estimated population for the city proper was around 8.84 million people and has a land area of 1,485 square kilometres (573 sq mi). According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments, the Mexico City metropolitan area population is 21.2 million people, making it the largest metropolitan area in the Americas and the fifth largest agglomerationin the world.

9. Kabul, Afghanistan

Kabul

9. Kabul, Afghanistan (1,800 mts) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, located in the Kabul Province. According to the 2008 official estimates, the population of Kabul metropolitan area is 2.8 million people. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 ft (1,800 m) above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River. The city is linked with Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e Sharif via a circular highway that stretches across the country. 

10. Johannesburg, South Africa 

Johannesburg

10. Johannesburg, South Africa (1,770 mts) is the largest city in South Africa. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa. The city is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and is also the world's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline. According to the 2007 Community Survey, the population of the municipal city was 3,888,180 and the population of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area was 7,151,447.