Which statement describes a common rationale for relocating a capital to a new city?

• A. To centralize political power in the historic core.
• B. To promote uniform national language.
• C. To distribute administrative functions and reduce congestion by relocating the capital to a purpose-built city.
• D. To reduce the size of the country.

Answer: (C)

Relocating a capital is often about moving governance to a place designed to handle government functions efficiently and to ease pressure on crowded old capitals. The best choice describes distributing administrative functions and reducing congestion by moving the seat of government to a purpose-built city. A planned capital can host ministries and agencies in one organized center, lessen bottlenecks in the former capital, and symbolize a new national direction. This idea is seen in examples like Brasília in Brazil and Canberra in Australia, where a new, purpose-built city was created to spread development and administrative load. The other statements don’t fit this practical rationale: shifting power to the historic core would not be relocation; promoting a uniform national language isn’t a direct result of moving the capital; and changing the country’s size isn’t affected by where the capital sits.