Is a Capital City Always the Largest City in Its Country?

No. A capital city is not always the most populous or prominent city in a country.

Examples

• South Africa: Three capitals—Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial). Largest city: Johannesburg.
• Australia: Capital is Canberra; largest cities are Sydney and Melbourne.
• Brazil: Capital Brasília; largest city São Paulo.
• USA: Capital Washington, D.C.; largest city New York.
• Turkey: Capital Ankara; largest city Istanbul.

Capitals are often chosen for political, geographic, or historical reasons—not population size.