List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil

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.

State capitals

Acre

created out of Bolivia

Porto Acre, present Xapuri (1899-1903) - seat city for the Independent State of Acre
Rio Branco (1920–1963) - seat city for the territory do Acre
Rio Branco (1963–present) - seat city for the State of Acre

Alagoas

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

Amapá

created out of Pará

Macapá (1943–1988) - seat city for the territory do Amapá
Macapá (1988–present) - seat city for the State of Amapá

Amazonas

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

Bahia

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

Ceará

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

Espírito Santo

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

Goiás

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

Maranhão

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

Mato Grosso

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

Mato Grosso do Sul

created out of Mato Grosso

Campo Grande (1975–present) - seat city for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul

Minas Gerais

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

Pará

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

Paraíba

without a seat 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"

Paraná

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

Pernambuco

Olinda (1537–1630) - seat city for the Captaincy of Pernambuco
Mauritsstad or Cidade Maurícia (1630–1654) - seat city for the Dutch administration.
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

Piauí

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 Dutch administration (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 and 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

Rio de Janeiro

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

Rondônia

Created in 1943 under the name of "territory of Guaporé", out of Mato Grosso. Reorganised into the State of Rondônia in 1988.

Porto Velho (1988–present)

Roraima

Created in 1943 under the name of "territory of Rio Branco", out of Amazonas. Reorganised into the State of Roraima in 1988.

Boa Vista (1988–present) - formerly named "Rio Branco"

Santa Catarina

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) - until 1894, named "Nossa Senhora do Desterro"; seat city for the State of Santa Catarina

São Paulo

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

Sergipe

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

Tocantins

created out of Goiás

Palmas (1988–present)

Extinct federated units

Guanabara

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) )

Iguaçu

Created in 1943 under the name de "territory do Iguaçu". Merged back to Paraná and the Santa Catarina.

Laranjeiras do Sul (1943–1946)

Ponta-Porã

Created in 1943 under the name de "territory de Ponta-Porã". Merged back to Mato Grosso.

Ponta Porã (1943–1946)

São João da Palma

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 Pedro I of Brazil. Today part of Pará and Tocantins.