Bolivia

Sucre is Bolivia’s official, constitutional capital and the seat of the Supreme Court. Many people answer “La Paz,” but La Paz is the seat of government—where the president and legislature sit—so it functions as the administrative (de facto) capital, not the constitutional one. Named after independence hero Antonio José de Sucre, the city retained capital status after the 1898–99 Federal War, while the executive moved to high-altitude La Paz. Memory tip: S for Sucre, S for Supreme Court; La Paz handles politics at the peaks. Santa Cruz and Cochabamba are major cities, but not capitals.