This category contains cities that once served as the capital of their respective countries, which countries have since ceased to exist. Any such city may be included, even if the capital were transferred before the country ceased to exist.

Not included in this category are:

• Former capitals of countries that still exist (see Category:Former national capitals), unless they were also capitals of former countries.
• Former national capitals that are now the capital of another country. For example, Kyiv would not be included on this list by virtue of its serving as an early capital of Kievan Rus' (predecessor to Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine) because it is now the capital of Ukraine. Likewise, Belgrade, Berlin, Moscow and Prague were the capitals of former communist countries (Yugoslavia, East Germany, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia), but they are now the capitals of Serbia, Germany, Russia and the Czech Republic respectively.