Altitude (the so-called absolute height) is the height of a point on the surface of the Earth above sea level. This characteristic helps to accurately determine the position of the object relative to the overall geodetic mark. The highest mountain capitals of the world are located on different continents, in different areas of relief, but the magnitude of the altitude of the city center allows you to objectively rank them.
Quito (Ecuador) - 2850 m above sea level
The championship of the Ecuadorian capital is sometimes disputed by the actual (but not constitutional) capital of Bolivia, La Paz - a city located at an absolute height of 3640 m. Formally, it is San Francisco de Quito that is the highest official capital in the world.
The center of the Ecuadorian capital is not only the highest mountain, but also one of the most valuable in the architectural and historical sense. Together with the Polish Krakow, it was first declared in 1978 as an object of cultural heritage of world significance. The UNESCO Commission appreciated the good preservation of buildings that have undergone minor changes since the founding of the city in 1556.
Today, 2.67 million people live in Quito on an area of ​​372 km 2 - this is the second largest city in the country, the real political, cultural and economic center of Ecuador. It plays a serious role in the life of the whole continent - in the vicinity of Quito is the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations.
Sucre (Bolivia) - 2810 m
The official (constitutional) main city of Bolivia is also rightfully included in the highest mountain capitals of the world. Although only the Supreme Court remained of the main government bodies in Sucre, it is one of the most important cities in the country. Sixth in terms of population (about 300 thousand), it is the center of the Chukisak department.
Founded in 1538 under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo (the city of silver New Toledo), Sucre has a turbulent historical past and has changed its name several times. It received its current name in 1839 in honor of the Bolivian revolutionary leader Antonio José de Sucre, who became the first president of the country.
Like all alpine cities, Sucre is located in a very picturesque place. Together with well-preserved architectural monuments, this makes it especially attractive for tourists from all over the world.
Thimphu (Bhutan) - 2648 m
The capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan, located between India and China, is much higher than Kathmandu (Nepal) - the capital of another state, lost among the highest mountains of the planet - the Himalayas. Half of the entire country (384,000 km 2 ) is located above 3,000 m, a fifth of it is covered with eternal snows and glaciers.
Thimphu became the capital of the kingdom since 1952, when the main legislative and executive bodies of Bhutan were located in a monastery built in the 13th century. Today, here is the residence of the current official head of state - King Jigme Singh Wangchuk and a religious leader named Jae Khempo. The capital city of the kingdom has about 100,000 inhabitants.
Bogota (Colombia) - 2625 m
Bogota is a real metropolis. This is one of the largest cities in the highest mountain capitals of the world and one of the continental leaders of South America in area and population. In 2015, about 8.5 million people lived here with a constant increase in the number of newcomers.
The city is located on a plain, which is part of the vast Altiplano plateau, located among the Cordillera. This area is considered seismic hazard. Although Bogotá is located at almost zero latitude, at the equator, there is no heat due to its high altitude. In the vicinity, a special natural zone was formed, a type of savannah favorable for farming.
The Colombian capital was founded in 1536 by the famous Spanish conquistador Jimenez de Quesada. She was the center of the liberation movement, survived many internal conflicts. Today, Bogotá is a powerful economic and cultural center of the country and the whole continent with high potential. The harmonious development of infrastructure is the main task faced by all the largest capitals of the world. Until recently, the list of urban problems was led by high crime, but thanks to decisive actions by the authorities, it has lost its sharpness.
The city is characterized by a division into several districts that are distinguished by the socioeconomic status of the population, characteristic of all of South America. Inhabitants of affluent neighborhoods pay additional taxes to support slum dwellers.
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - 2355 m
The city, whose name from the language of one of the nationalities - Amhara - translates as “new flower”, plays an important role as the capital of the African Union. The population has a growth rate of about 4% per year and amounts to about 3.5 million people.
The Ethiopian capital is located at the foot of Mount Entoto, from the mark of 2326 m in the area of ​​Bole International Airport and to an altitude of more than 3000 m in the northern part. The combination of highlands and the equatorial zone makes the climate comfortable compared to the lowlands of Africa.
Addis Ababa was founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II in the place chosen by his wife Taita. She was attracted by the springs of mineral water that hit at the foot of the mountain. Today the city is turning into the resort capital of Africa, where hotels, shopping and entertainment centers of a high level are being built.
Asmara (Eritrea) - 2325 m
Two highland countries located on a single highland - Ethiopia and Eritrea, for a long time constituted a single federation. When Ethiopian authorities proposed in 1961 to make Eritrea one of their provinces, the struggle for its independence began.
In 1993, a new state appeared on the African continent, and Asmara added to the list mentioning the highest mountain capitals of the world. The city has a population of 650,000.
Eritrea formed on the basis of territories that were Italian colonies in Africa. The current appearance of the capital is largely formed in the 30s of the XX century, when Mussolini wanted to make Asmara a stronghold of the future colonial empire. Asmara was called “Little Rome”, and Italian names and traditions are still preserved in the city.
Sana'a (Yemen) - 2250 m
The city with a population of about 2 million people is one of the oldest cities in the world. According to legend, it was founded by Shem, the son of Noah. The city has preserved the real pearls of Arabian architecture, having a thousand-year history. In 1986, the city was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. The preservation of historical monuments is under threat due to the location of Sana'a in a place of strategic importance for the entire region. The city often became the scene of armed conflicts of various sizes.
These places are attractive for settlement by a rare version of the desert climate. The high location of the city contributes to the fact that it is more moderate than in many places on the Arabian Peninsula. Extreme cold and tiring heat are rare here.
Mexico City (Mexico) - 2240 m
The Mexico City Valley, surrounded by mountains and volcanoes reaching a height of 5000 m, is located on a high plateau that is part of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. On the site of the present agglomeration was a huge lake of Texcoco. In its central part, on the island, in 1325, the Aztecs laid the city of Tenochtitlan, today's Mexico City.
Built on the site of what was a lake, the giant metropolis inherited the following problems: the lack of drainage for water flowing from the mountains, and loose soil, which does not provide a reliable foundation for buildings. The fight against water and air pollution, the prevention of soil subsidence, the counteraction of seismic activity - have always been important areas of activity of the city authorities of Mexico City.
In the world there is no human settlement of this magnitude located at such a height. On an area of ​​1485 km 2 , about 8.9 million people live. If we are talking about Greater Mexico City, to which is added the environment associated with Mexico City economically and technologically, then we mean the largest metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere, with about 21 million inhabitants.
Mexico City is included in the most influential capitals of the world. The list of the richest cities in the world, where he entered under the eighth number, speaks of its political, economic and cultural significance for the entire civilization.
Cities with high position
Surprisingly, there are capitals located below sea level: the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, is 28 meters lower than it. And among those that can be attributed to the highlands - Nairobi (Kenya) - 1795 m, Kabul (Afghanistan) - 1790 m, Windhoek (Namibia ) - 1721 m, Maseru (Lesotho) - 1673 m, Kigali (Rwanda) - 1567 m, Guatemala (Guatemala) - 1529 m, Harare (Zimbabwe) - 1483 m, Kathmandu (Nepal) - 1400 m.