The following relatively poor countries and often recipients of international and/or U.N. aid have built new capital cities:
1. Brazil - Brasilia (replaced Rio de Janeiro)
2. Pakistan - Islamabad (replaced Rawalpindi)
3. Myanmar - Naypyidaw (replaced Yangon)
4. Tanzania - Dodoma (replaced Dar es Salaam)
5. Nigeria - Abuja (replaced Lagos)
It seems that these countries are desperately poor lands that do not have a new capital among the top of their needs lists. If I had to guess, these cities were built first so that the ruling classes would not have to put up with a teeming, crowded city such as Rio. Also, the cities, I believe, are major ego trips for the ruling classes.
To be fair, I am "equal opportunity" when it comes to building new capital cities. I think building Washington, D.C. was improvident. New York City as capital was just fine. However, the U.S. was receiving help from no one in those days, and federal resources were not expected to be used for social needs. Now it's a different story.
I think aid donors such as the U.N. and the U.S. should be very skeptical
1. Brazil - Brasilia (replaced Rio de Janeiro)
2. Pakistan - Islamabad (replaced Rawalpindi)
3. Myanmar - Naypyidaw (replaced Yangon)
4. Tanzania - Dodoma (replaced Dar es Salaam)
5. Nigeria - Abuja (replaced Lagos)
It seems that these countries are desperately poor lands that do not have a new capital among the top of their needs lists. If I had to guess, these cities were built first so that the ruling classes would not have to put up with a teeming, crowded city such as Rio. Also, the cities, I believe, are major ego trips for the ruling classes.
To be fair, I am "equal opportunity" when it comes to building new capital cities. I think building Washington, D.C. was improvident. New York City as capital was just fine. However, the U.S. was receiving help from no one in those days, and federal resources were not expected to be used for social needs. Now it's a different story.
I think aid donors such as the U.N. and the U.S. should be very skeptical