What is the smallest capital city in the world by land area?

Victoria is a lush, quaint and vibrant city well known for its regional cuisine. This tiny, capital city of the Seychelles is only 20 km² (7.7 sq. mi) making it the smallest capital city in the world by land area.

In 1814, British colonists established Victoria in the northeast of Mahe Island, the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago. It was once a habour and only attained city status in 1960 and a third of the island’s population call Victoria home today. Victoria is not at all a megacity, but its tiny capital can be proud of its unique features, which can be seen while driving through it. The UK government gifted the clock tower, a miniature version of Big Ben, to the city as a reminder of British control and is located on the main street.

Visit the National Museum of History to find out more about the city’s past. There you can view the unusual collections of butterflies and moths, a skeleton of an extinct Seychelles crocodile, sea turtles and other fish species inside the museum. Other intriguing antiquities include the wreckage of a historic ship that sank in 1750 and a variety of household items used by early Seychelles residents.

In addition, Victoria is home to the Sir Selwyn Clarke Market, often known as the Victoria Market, which is one of the most well-known island marketplaces. The market’s vibrancy designates it as the true heart of the capital and demonstrates how the traditional and contemporary Seychellois ways of life coexist together.