This is a list of the cities that are or have been considered capitals of one of the country subdivisions of Brazil. For the national capital see: Capital of Brazil.
created out of Amazonas
Porto Acre, present Xapuri (1899-1903?) - seat city for the State Independent do Acre
Rio Branco (1920–1963) - seat city for the territory do Acre
Rio Branco (1963–present) - seat city for the State of Acre
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
created out of Pará
Macapá (1943–1988) - seat city for the territory do Amapá
Macapá (1988–present) - seat city for the State of Amapá
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
Arraial de Vila Velha (1534–1549)
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
Aquiraz
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
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
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
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
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
created out of Mato Grosso
Campo Grande (1975–present) - seat city for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul
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
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
sem sede to the 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"
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
Olinda (1537–1630) - seat city for the Captaincy of Pernambuco
Mauritsstad or Cidade Maurícia (1630–1654) - seat city for the administration holandesa
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
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 administration holandesa (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 do 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
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
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Guaporé", desmembrado do Mato Grosso. Transformado in State of Rondônia in 1988.
Porto Velho (1988–present)
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Rio Branco", desmembrado do Amazonas. Transformado in State of Roraima in 1988.
Boa Vista (1988–present) - anteriormente named "Rio Branco"
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) - até 1894, named "Nossa Senhora do Desterro"; seat city for the State of Santa Catarina
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
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
created out of Goiás
Palmas (1988–present)
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) )
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Iguaçu". Merged back to Paraná and the Santa Catarina.
Laranjeiras do Sul (1943–1946)
Created in 1943 under the name de "territory de Ponta-Porã". Merged back to Mato Grosso.
Ponta Porã (1943–1946)
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 Don Peter I. Today part of Pará and Tocantins.
Barra do Tacay-Una (currently Marabá) (1808-1810)
Vila de Palma (currently Paranã) (1810-1814)
Cavalcante (1821-1823)
Montevidéu (1809–1828)
Caiena (1809–1817)
