The Legal Definition of a Capital City
A de jure capital is a city officially declared by a country's constitution or founding statute as the permanent seat of supreme government. When legal frameworks intentionally refrain from elevating one municipality over another, anomalies arise.
Nauru: The Pacific Island With Zero Capital
Nauru is an island nation of 21 square kilometers in Micronesia. Unlike most countries, Nauru has no capital city at all. The country has no designated towns or cities; instead, it is divided into 14 administrative districts. The district of Yaren is often cited as the capital by foreign publications because it contains the Parliament House and government secretariat, but it is purely a district, not an official capital city.
Switzerland: The 'Federal City' Compromise
Ask most people the capital of Switzerland and they will answer Bern. However, the Swiss Federal Constitution makes zero mention of a capital city (Hauptstadt). In 1848, the Swiss Confederation sought to ensure equality among cantons so that neither Zurich nor Geneva held supreme dominance. Consequently, Bern was designated merely as the Federal City (Bundesstadt) — the seat of the Federal Assembly and Federal Council — but not a constitutional capital.
City-States: Monaco, Singapore, and Vatican City
In true sovereign city-states, the entire state is contiguous with the municipality. In Singapore and Monaco, the whole nation is technically both the country and the capital simultaneously, eliminating the separation between state and municipal seat.