A is one of the most common letters found at the beginning of city names. There are 16 "A" cities that are capitals of sovereign nations, and a few more that are former capitals. Of the Asian cities in this list, however, only two are national capitals - with a third city that has temporary capital status due to an ongoing civil war.
Ashgabat (meaning "city of love" in Persian) is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan, one of the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1948, it was rebuilt with plenty of monumental white marble buildings during the rule of notorious dictator Saparmurat Niyazov. Amman, the capital of Jordan, is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with a population of over 4 million. It is an ancient city, probably founded around 1800 BC; its oldest nucleus, Jabal Amman, is built on seven hills like Rome, and includes buildings from many historical eras. The de facto capital of Yemen (whose official capital is Sana'a), Aden lies on the gulf named after it, east of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait that connects the Red Sea with the Arabian Sea. Home to over one million people, in the past Aden exploited its strategic location and natural harbour to become a major trading city.
Aleppo (the Italianized form of the Arabic name Halab) is Syria's largest city - home to over 2 million people - and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Sadly, in recent times this ancient city has been torn apart by war, which has caused massive damage to its rich cultural heritage. Located in southern Turkey, at a short distance from the Mediterranean coast, Antakya is better known by its old name of Antioch, one of the most prominent cities in the Levant from its foundation in the 4th century BC well into the High Middle Ages. In February 2003, Antakya was heavily damaged by a major earthquake that also hit northern Syria.
Three of the Asian cities listed here are among India's major urban centres. The largest city of the western state of Gujarat, Ahmedabad (also known as Amdavad) is home to over 5 million people, and one of the country's fastest-growing cities. It also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with outstanding museums and learning institutions. Amritsar, the economic capital of Punjab, in northern India, has a population of about 2 million. Its famed Golden Temple is the most significant place of worship ("gurdwara") for the Sikh religion. With its many historic sights, Amritsar is also a major tourist destination - as is Agra, the former capital of the Mughal Empire, home to one of the world's most iconic monuments, the Taj Mahal. The city, located on the Yamuna River, in the state of Uttar Pradesh (also in northern India), also boasts other important monuments from the Mughal era - such as the 16th-century Agra Fort and the tomb of Emperor Akbar the Great.
The remaining two Asian cities on the list lie almost at opposite ends of that vast continent. Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan (replaced in 1997 by another "A" city, Astana), is located in the southeastern part of the world's largest landlocked nation. Even after having lost its status of capital, it remains the country's most populous city, home to over 2 million people - as well as its most important cultural and economic centre. Asahikawa, on the other hand, is the second-largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's major islands. With a population of over 300,000, it is one of Japan's coldest and snowiest cities, and hosts a famous Winter Festival. It is also known for its zoo (which houses polar bears, penguins, and Japanese macaques) and its soy sauce-based ramen noodle soup.
There are three capitals in the list of non-Asian cities: Asmara (Eritrea), Accra (Ghana), and Asunción (Paraguay). Though Abidjan is technically the former capital of Ivory Coast, many government offices are still located there. The best-known (and most populous by far) of the various world cities named Alexandria is the one located in Egypt, on the Mediterranean coast. Agadir is also located in Africa, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Aachen is Germany's westernmost city, bordering Belgium and the Netherlands. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, while Adelaide is the capital of the state of South Australia. In spite of its Spanish name (meaning "yellow"), Amarillo is in the US (Texas), as is Atlanta, one of the country's major cities. Arequipa (Peru) and Antofagasta (Chile) both lie in western South America, at a distance of about 815 km (506 mi) from each other.
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