This is a list of the cities that are or have been considered capitals of one of the country subdivisions of Brazil.
State capitals
Acre created out of Bolivia Porto Acre, present Xapuri (1899-1903) - seat city for the Independent State of 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 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 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 without a seat 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 Dutch administration. 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 Dutch administration (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) - named "Porto dos Casais" until 1773 Porto Alegre (1807–1822) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Pedro and 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 of "territory of Guaporé", out of Mato Grosso. Reorganised into the State of Rondônia in 1988. Porto Velho (1988–present)
Roraima Created in 1943 under the name of "territory of Rio Branco", out of Amazonas. Reorganised into the State of Roraima in 1988. Boa Vista (1988–present) - formerly 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) - until 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 (1709–1720) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro São Paulo (1720–1821) - seat city for the Captaincy of São Paulo São Paulo (1821–1889) - seat city for the Province of São Paulo São Paulo (since 1889) - 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)
São João da Palma Built in 1808 as captaincy by decree of King João VI under the name "São João das Duas Barras", was abolished in 1814. Recreated as an autonomous province in 1821 under the name of "São João da Palma", extinct in 1823 by Pedro I of Brazil. Today part of Pará and Tocantins.Diário do Senado Federal - 14 de março de 2004 - Senado Federal do Brasil
Barra do Tacay-Una (currently Marabá) (1808-1810) Vila de Palma (currently Paranã) (1810-1814) Cavalcante (1821-1823)
Former territories of Brazil
Cisplatina Montevidéu (1809–1828)
Guiana Francesa Caiena (1809–1817)
See also Capital of Brazil
References