List of capitals in Brazil

This is a list of the cities that are or have been considered national or state capitals of Brazil.

National capitals

• Salvador (1534-1763)
  • Salvador (1572-1578/1581) - capital city of the State of Maranhão
  • Salvador (1621-1640) - capital city of the State of Maranhão under the Iberian Union
• São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (1572-1578/1581) - capital city of the State of Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro (1763-1815) - capital city of the Viceroyalty of Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro (1815-1822) - capital city of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves
• Rio de Janeiro (1822-1889) - capital city of the Empire of Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro (1889-1960) - capital city of the Republic of the United States of Brazil
• Brasília (1960-present) - capital city of the Republic of the United States of Brazil, and since 1967 of the Federative Republic of Brazil

Notes: Although not being accurately correct to consider that a colony has a capital (since the very idea of capital city is related to the concept of sovereignty), the city of Salvador is usually called the "first capital of Brazil" for being more than two centuries the seat for the Portuguese colonial administration in Brazil (general government and viceroyalty). Strictly, however, Brazil only had a de jure and de facto capital since its Independence in 1822.

State capitals

Acre

created out of Amazonas

• Porto Acre, present Xapuri (1899-1903?) - seat city for the State Independent do Acre
• Rio Branco (1920-1963) - seat city for the territory do Acre
• Rio Branco (1963-present) - seat city for the State of Acre

Alagoas

created out of Pernambuco

• Alagoas (1817-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Alagoas
• Alagoas (1822-1839) - capital city for the Province of Alagoas
• Maceió (1839-present) - capital city for the Province of Alagoas
• Maceió (1889-present) - capital city for the State of Alagoas

Amapá

created out of Pará

• Macapá (1943-1988) - seat city for the territory do Amapá
• Macapá (1988-present) - seat city for the State of Amapá

Amazonas

created out of Pará

• Mariuá (1755-1791) - seat city for the Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro
• São José da Barra do Rio Negro (1791-1799) - seat city for the Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro
• Mariuá (1799-1808) - seat city for the Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro
• São José da Barra do Rio Negro (1808-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of São José do Rio Negro; since 1856, named Manaus
• subject to the Province of Grão-Pará (1822-1850)
• Manaus (1850-1889) - seat city for the Province of Amazonas
• Manaus (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Amazonas

Bahia

• Arraial de Vila Velha (1534-1549)
• Cidade do São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (1549-1709) - seat city for the Captaincy of Baía de Todos os Santos
• Salvador (1709-1889) - seat city for the Captaincy of Bahia
• Salvador (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Bahia
• Salvador (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Bahia

Ceará

• Aquiraz
• Fortaleza (1799-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Ceará
• Fortaleza (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Ceará
• Fortaleza (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Ceará

Espírito Santo

• Vitória (1812-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Espírito Santo
• Vitória (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Espírito Santo
• Vitória (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Espírito Santo

Goiás

created out of São Paulo

• Goiás (1748-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Goiás
• Goiás (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Goiás
• Goiás (1889-1937) - seat city for the State of Goiás
• Goiânia (1937-present) - seat city for the State of Goiás

Maranhão

created out of Pará

• São Luís (1772-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Maranhão and Piauí
• São Luís (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Maranhão
• São Luís (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Maranhão

Mato Grosso

created out of São Paulo

• Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade (1748-1821) - seat city for the Captaincy of Mato Grosso
• Cuiabá (1821-1889) - seat city for the Province of Mato Grosso
• Cuiabá (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso do Sul

created out of Mato Grosso

• Campo Grande (1975-present) - seat city for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul

Minas Gerais

created out of São Paulo

• Vila Rica (1720-1822) - since 1822, named Ouro Preto; seat city for the Captaincy of Minas Gerais
• Ouro Preto (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Minas Gerais
• Ouro Preto (1889-1897) - seat city for the State of Minas Gerais
• Belo Horizonte (1897-present) - seat city for the State of Minas Gerais

Pará

• Belém (1737-1772) - seat city for the State of Grão-Pará and Maranhão
• Belém (1772-1822) - seat city for the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro
• Belém (1822-1850) - seat city for the Province of Grão-Pará
• Belém (1850-1889) - seat city for the Province of Pará
• Belém (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Pará

Paraíba

• sem sede to the Captaincy of Itamaracá (1534-1574)
• capitania extinta (1574-1585)
• Nossa Senhora das Neves (1585-1588)
• Filipéia (1588-1634)
• Frederikstadt (1634-1654)
• Nossa Senhora das Neves (1654-1753) - seat city for the Captaincy of Paraíba
• subject to the Captaincy of Pernambuco (1753-1799)
• Paraíba do Norte (1799-1817) - seat city for the Captaincy of Paraíba
• Paraíba do Norte (1817-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Paraíba
• Paraíba (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Paraíba
• João Pessoa (1889-present) - até 1930, named "Cidade da Paraíba"

Paraná

created out of São Paulo

• Curitiba (1853-1889) - seat city for the Province of Paraná
• Curitiba (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Paraná

Pernambuco

• Olinda (1537-1630) - seat city for the Captaincy of Pernambuco
• Mauritsstad or Cidade Maurícia (1630-1654) - seat city for the administration holandesa
• Olinda (1654-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Pernambuco
• Olinda (1822-1837) - seat city for the Province of Pernambuco
• Recife (1837-1889) - seat city for the Province of Pernambuco
• Recife (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Pernambuco

Piauí

created out of Maranhão

• Parnaíba (1718-1759) - seat city for the Captaincy of Piauí (subject to Maranhão)
• Oeiras (1759-1811) - seat city for the Captaincy of Piauí (subject to Maranhão)
• Oeiras (1811-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Piauí
• Oeiras (1822-1852) - seat city for the Province of Piauí
• Teresina (1852-1889) - seat city for the Province of Piauí
• Teresina (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Piauí

Rio Grande do Norte

• Captaincy of Rio Grande, sem sede (1534-1634)
• subject to the administration holandesa (1634-1654)
• subject to the Captaincy of Bahia (1654-1701)
• subject to the Captaincy of Pernambuco (1701-1822)
• Natal (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Rio Grande do Norte
• Natal (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Rio Grande do Norte

Rio Grande do Sul

• Viamão (until 1773)
• Porto Alegre (1773-1807) - até 1773 named "Porto dos Casais"
• Porto Alegre (1807-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Pedro do Rio Grande do Sul
• Porto Alegre (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Rio Grande do Sul
• Porto Alegre (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Rio Grande do Sul

Rio de Janeiro

• Niterói (1834-1889) - até 1835, named "Vila Real da Praia Grande"; seat city for the Province of Rio de Janeiro
• Niterói (1889-1892) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
• Petrópolis (1894-1903) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
• Niterói (1903-1975) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro
• Rio de Janeiro (1975-present) - seat city for the State of Rio de Janeiro

Rondônia

Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Guaporé", desmembrado do Mato Grosso. Transformado in State of Rondônia in 1988.

• Porto Velho (1988-present)

Roraima

Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Rio Branco", desmembrado do Amazonas. Transformado in State of Roraima in 1988.

• Boa Vista (1988-present) - anteriormente named "Rio Branco"

Santa Catarina

created out of São Paulo

• Nossa Senhora do Desterro (1738-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Santa Catarina
• Nossa Senhora do Desterro (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of Santa Catarina
  • Laguna (1839) - seat city for the República Juliana
• Florianópolis (1889-present) - até 1894, named "Nossa Senhora do Desterro"; seat city for the State of Santa Catarina

São Paulo

• São Vicente (1534-1709) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Vicente
  • Santos (1534-1624) - seat city for the Captaincy of Santo Amaro
• São Paulo (1709-1822) - anteriormente named "São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga"; seat city for the Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro
• São Paulo (1709-1720) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Paulo
• São Paulo (1822-1889) - seat city for the Province of São Paulo
• São Paulo (1889-present) - seat city for the State of São Paulo

Sergipe

created out of Bahia

• São Cristóvão (1820-1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of Sergipe
• São Cristóvão (1822-1855) - seat city for the Province of Sergipe
• Aracaju (1855-1889) - seat city for the Province of Sergipe
• Aracaju (1889-present) - seat city for the State of Sergipe

Tocantins

created out of Goiás

• Palmas (1988-present)

Extinct federated units

Guanabara

Created in 1960 out of the territory of former Distrito Federal. Merged with the State of Rio de Janeiro in 1975.

• Rio de Janeiro (1960-1975)

Fernando de Noronha

Created in 1943 under the name of "territory de Fernando de Noronha". Incorporated by Pernambuco state.

• Vila dos Remédios (main inhabited nucleus of Fernando de Noronha (1943-1988) )

Iguaçu

Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Iguaçu". Merged back to Paraná and the Santa Catarina.

• Laranjeiras do Sul (1943-1946)

Ponta-Porã

Created in 1943 under the name de "territory de Ponta-Porã". Merged back to Mato Grosso.

• Ponta Porã (1943-1946)

Former territories of Brazil

Cisplatina

• Montevidéu (1809-1828)

Guiana Francesa

• Caiena (1809-1817)