说说首都趣事

毛里林

一般来说，首都是一个国家的最大城市。然而，华盛顿只是美国的第九大城市。瑞士的首都伯尔尼， 也只是该国的第四大城市。

根据法律规定，阿姆斯特丹是荷兰的首都。事实上，它只是名义上的首都。如议会、首相府和中央政府所有部委等政府部门都在海牙。外国驻荷兰的大使们也都留住海牙。

在澳大利亚，首都的位置曾经引起悉尼和墨尔本之间的争端。在1927之前，墨尔本是首都。最大的城市西德尼强烈反对。一度，联邦政府考虑把首都迁到悉尼，但是墨尔本说“不”。在这种情况下，政府别无选择，只好在两座城市之间建一座新首都，于是堪培拉诞生了。

蒙古的首都乌兰巴托是个会自行移动的城市。它每年向赤道移动大约4至5厘米。

沙特阿拉伯同时拥有四个首都：利雅得，行政首都；麦加，宗教首都；外交部和外交使节住吉达，被称为外交首都；塔伊夫是一个著名的避暑胜地，所以政府把它定为夏都。

Something interesting about capitals

Generally speaking, the capital is the largest city in a country. But Washington is only the 9th largest of U.S. cities. Berne, the capital of Switzerland, is the 4th largest one in that country.

According to law, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands.In fact, it is a capital only in name. The governmental units such as the Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and all the ministries of the central government are in the Hague. Foreign ambassadors to the Netherlands all stay in the Hague, too.

In Australia, the location of the capital once caused disputes between Sydney and Melbourne. Before 1927, Melbourne was the capital. Sidney, the biggest city, was strongly against it. At one time, the Federal Government thought of moving the capital to Sidney, but Melbourne said “No”. Under the circumstances, the Government had no choice but to build a new capital in a place between the two cities, and thus Canberra was born.  

Mongolia’s capital, Ulanbator, moves itself. It moves towards the equator 4 or 5 centimeters each year.

Saudi Arabia simultaneously has four capitals: Riyadh, the administrative capital; Mecca, the religious one; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign ambassadors are in Jiddah, which is called the capital of foreign affairs; finally Taif is a famous summer resort, so the Government makes it the summer capital.

文章署名： 毛里林

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