In politics, a caipital city (cried heidtoun, heidsteid or political caipital an aw — awtho the latter haes a seicont meinin based on anither sense o "caipital") is the heid city or toun associatit wi a kintra's govrenment. It is awmaist aye the city that physicalie hauds the offices an meetin steids o the seat o govrenment an is fixt bi law.

Tallinn, Estonie
Helsinki, Finland
  Kintras whose caipital is on the coast
  Kintras whose caipital is not on the coast
  Kintras that currently have multiple caipital ceeties
  Kintras that had multiple caipital ceeties, but now only have one caipital ceety

The wird caipital cums frae the Laitin caput meinin "heid".

Seats o govrenment in mukkil sub-kintra stewartries is aften cried "capitals", but this is forordnar the case anerlie in kintras wi sum amoont o federalism, whaur mukkil sub-kintra stewartries haes an element o sovereignty. In unitary kintras, "admeenistrative centur" or ither siclyk terms is forordnar uised. For byspel, the seat o govrenment in a state o the Unitit States o Americae is forordnar cried its "caipital", but the main city in a region o Ingland isna. At lawer administrative subdiveesions, terms sic as coontie toun, coontie seat, or burgh seat is forordnar uised.

In ither senses, the wird "caipital" is uised ti mein "heidsteid" (heidquarters).