Which is the only country in the world with three official, internationally recognised, capital cities?

"One country, one capital" is the norm, but there are (currently) 12 countries around the world that have multiple capital cities for a variety of reasons.

Most split administrative/ executive, legislative and judicial headquarters between two cities, but South Africa has a different capital for each branch and is therefore the only country in the world with three official capital cities:

1. Cape Town: Legislative capital

2. Pretoria: Administrative capital

3. Bloemfontein: Judicial capital

The reason for this goes back to the 1910 unification of South Africa. At this point in history, the newly formed South African Union consisted of four colonies (now turned provinces): The Cape Colony, Orange River Colony (renamed: Orange Free State), Transvaal Colony and Natal Colony. The provinces could not decide on a capital city that would satisfy all. They eventually compromised and agreed to each host a capital city which would administrate a different branch of their government:

1. Cape Province: Cape Town

2. Orange Free State Province: Bloemfontein

3. Transvaal Province: Pretoria

The Natal Province, with provincial capital Pietermaritzburg, was given financial compensation as part of the agreement for not hosting a national capital.

The three capital cities remained unchanged when the country became a republic in 1961 (leaving the Commonwealth) and also after transitioning from a system of Apartheid to one of majority rule in 1994.