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Should Poor Countries Build New Capital Cities?

jbg

Council Member
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
 

jbg

Council Member
Why should the U.N. pay for new capital cities in desperately poor countries like Tanzania?
 

EatTheRich

President
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
I don't know about those other countries, but with Nigeria a big part of building a new capital was that Lagos was so dominated by the Yoruba tribe which was wealthy compared with the large Hausa/Fulani plurality ... Abuja created a new capital that was not controlled by any of the major tribes (Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani) and located in between the power centers of these tribes. A bit like the selection of Washington in that respect.

Building a new capital also creates a lot of jobs, although it's not clear that it's the best investment in that respect. It seems to have jump-started Brazil's economy though.
 

jbg

Council Member
I don't know about those other countries, but with Nigeria a big part of building a new capital was that Lagos was so dominated by the Yoruba tribe which was wealthy compared with the large Hausa/Fulani plurality ... Abuja created a new capital that was not controlled by any of the major tribes (Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani) and located in between the power centers of these tribes. A bit like the selection of Washington in that respect.
Interesting points.

However I still believe that it was a poor use of resources for a country that can't afford minimally decent conditions. I think the Hausa and Fulani areas would be better off with law and order and education than a new capital. Why do I care? In one way or another moneys are funneled through NGO's, the UN or direct aid to these countries or they pay less in. Also their problems are a bottomless pit for the world.

Building a new capital also creates a lot of jobs, although it's not clear that it's the best investment in that respect. It seems to have jump-started Brazil's economy though.
The joke about Brazil is that "it's the country of the future and always will be." Their corruption and financial crises have been interminable. They certainly haven't gotten any better, when Brasilia was built. And Rio gets less attention since the government does not have to put up with its crime and squalor.
 
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