Home

 › 

Featured

 › 

Travel

 › 

The Love, Money, UFO and 28 Other Unofficial Capitals of the World

The Love, Money, UFO and 28 Other Unofficial Capitals of the World

Seven U.S. cities claim to be the Watermelon Capital of the World, while countless other towns dub themselves the capital of some quirky, obscure, or mundane attribute, such as leap year, raisins, or hubcaps.

24/7 Tempo reviewed hundreds of unofficial capitals of the world, and selected 30 that possess substantial evidence to back their titles. Some claims are statistically validated, such as the skin cancer and bourbon capitals of the world, while others remain subjective. 

There are some unique capitals you may have never heard of before. In fact, some of the cities in general on the list you have probably never heard of. DO you know where Ouagadougou is? It’s where two-wheel vehicle rule the world. 

You can probably find a capital of anything — animals, fruits, various types of crime, consumer goods, and some other very strange things. It’s not easy to measure bizarreness, but some quirks stand out more than others — just like in these examples of surprising things countries are No. 1 at.

Source: LauriPatterson / Getty Images

1. Chicago, Illinois: Hot Dog Capital of the World

Chicago has some competition for this title as the town of New Castle, Pennsylvania, declared itself Hot Dog Capital of the World in the 1970s because of its popular Greek-style chili dogs. But the Windy City has its own way of dressing up a hot dog that includes mustard, relish, a pickle spear, tomatoes, and diced onions.

Source: J. Stephen Conn / Flickr

2. Willow Creek, California: Bigfoot Capital of the World

Near the remote recording site of the Patterson-Gimlin film, the most famous piece of alleged bigfoot footage in the world, Willow Creek in Northern California is home to dozens of bigfoot statues and murals, a museum, and an annual bigfoot festival.

Source: momo11353 / Getty Images

3. Queensland, Australia: Skin Cancer Capital of the World

With a melanoma rate of 71 cases per 100,000 people, the state of Queensland in Australia leads the world in instances of skin cancer, due to the area’s climate and demographics. Melanoma rates are expected to rise among the elderly because of damage to the skin already done, long before the skin cancer awareness campaign had begun.

Source: 70251312@N00 / Flickr

4. Colon, Michigan: Magic Capital of the World

In 1925, two famous magicians, Harry Blackstone and Percy Abbott, opened a magic shop in Colon, Michigan, making the town a destination for top-name magicians from around the world. An annual magic convention still takes place every August.

Source: justhavealook / Getty Images

5. Bangkok, Thailand: Gay Capital of the World

Bangkok is one of the top destinations for gay travelers, and is known for its accepting culture, high-profile transgender community, and incredibly creative gay nightlife scene.

Source: gilaxia / Getty Images

6. Queenstown, New Zealand: Extreme Sports Capital of the World

The birthplace of bungee jumping, Queenstown is now a destination for thrillseekers. Canyon swinging, skydiving, and paragliding are a few of the extreme sports the area is famous for.

Source: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

7. Huntsville, Texas: Execution Capital of the World

The state of Texas executes more prisoners than any other state in the U.S. and Huntsville is where the executions take place.

Source: mseidelch / Getty Images

8. Geneva, Switzerland: Peace Capital of the World

Home to multiple international organizations, including the Red Cross and the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva is a hub of humanitarian organizing and global peace strategizing.

Source: gilaxia / Getty Images

9. Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada: Honeymoon Capital of the World

Niagara Falls earned the reputation as the Honeymoon Capital of the World in the early 1900s, and currently about 50,000 couples per year honeymoon at the iconic waterfall.

Source: Joakim Leroy / Getty Images

10. Paris, France: Love Capital of the World

Paris has long been a top destination for honeymoons, proposals, and romantic getaways. From the iconic Pont des Arts bridge, to which lovers once attached padlocks as symbols of their affection, to the Eiffel Tower, to the legendary Moulin Rouge Cabaret, the city is full of romantic places to explore.

Source: Courtesy of Unclaimed Baggage

11. Scottsboro, Alabama: Lost Luggage Capital of the World

Once lost airline luggage is declared unclaimed — usually after three months — the Unclaimed Baggage Center buys the baggage sight unseen and sells the contents out of a huge retail center in Scottsboro, Alabama.

Source: Travis K. Witt via Wikimedia Commons

12. Cimarron, New Mexico: Cowboy Capital of the World

Former home of Buffalo Bill, Cimarron, New Mexico, ties with Bandera, Texas, and Oakdale, California — both rodeo towns — for the title of Cowboy Capital of the World.

Source: ferjflores / Flickr

13. Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela: Lightning Capital of the World

According to a NASA study, Lake Maracaibo has lightning storms nearly 300 nights of the year, with over 600 bolts of lightning per square mile annually.

Source: kellyvandellen / Getty Images

14. Bardstown, Kentucky: Bourbon Capital of the World

In the state where 97% of all bourbon is made, Bardstown is home to multiple distilleries including Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam, as well as an annual week-long bourbon festival.

Source: UygarGeographic / Getty Images

15. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Motorbike Capital of the World

Bicycles, mopeds, and motorbikes rule the streets of Burkina Faso, a West African country where two-wheeled vehicles outnumber cars two to one.

Source: kables via Wikimedia Commons

16. Belleville, Wisconsin: UFO Capital of the World

Wisconsin, which ranks second in number of UFO sightings in the U.S. after New Mexico, is home to three cities that claim the title of UFO Capital: Belleville, Dundee, and Elmwood.

Source: 24736216@N07 / Flickr

17. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Hurricane Capital of the World

Grand Cayman Island is hit by more hurricanes than any other location in the Atlantic. Since 1871, at least 64 hurricanes have touched down on the Caribbean Island.

Source: MEGiordano_Photography / Getty Images

18. New Smyrna Beach, Florida: Shark Attack Capital of the World

New Smyrna Beach, a popular surf spot, has the highest rate of shark-related incidents per square mile in the world. It’s estimated that anyone who has swum there has been within ten feet of a shark.

Source: Oduvanchik21 / Getty Images

19. Milan, Italy: Fashion Capital of the World

Home to such iconic brands as Prada, Versace, and Armani, Milan is world famous for its Fashion Week, design museum, and high end boutiques.

Source: Pgiam / Getty Images

20. New York City, New York: Money Capital of the World

Home to the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization, New York City recently overtook London as the financial center of the world, after the U.K. decided to leave the European Union.

Source: A8-dct / Getty Images

21. Tokyo, Japan: Culinary Capital of the World

Tokyo has 230 Michelin-starred restaurants. That’s more than any other city in the world and double the amount found in Paris.

Source: ClaudioStocco / Getty Images

22. Korube, Japan: Zipper Capital of the World

Korube is the home to the world’s largest zipper manufacturer, Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha or YKK, which produces half of the world’s zippers.

Source: jameslee999 / Getty Images

23. Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada: Lobster Capital of the World

Lobstering has been a part of the Shediac economy since at least the 1860s, and the town hosts an annual lobster festival that focuses not only on serving perfectly cooked lobsters, but also on preserving the lobster population.

Source: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

24. Tijuana, Mexico: Television Capital of the World

Tijuana is one of the world’s top producers of HDTV and plasma televisions. About 120 electronics manufacturing companies — many based in East Asia — have factories in the Mexican border city.

Source: ehughes / Getty Images

25. Parkfield, California: Earthquake Capital of the World

This small California town lies along the San Andreas Fault and has been consistently monitored for earthquakes due to a detectable pattern of 6.0 quakes that occurred an average of 22 years apart starting in 1857.

Source: sborisov / Getty Images

26. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Red Light Capital of the World

Prostitution has been legal in Amsterdam since 1999, and the city is famous for its red light district, where sex workers display themselves behind large windows facing the street.

Source: BrianNRogers / Getty Images

27. Te Kuiti, New Zealand: Sheep-Shearing Capital of the World

In a country where sheep outnumber humans seven to one, the art of shearing sheep has been honed for ages. Te Kuiti hosts an annual sheep-shearing competition and a running of the sheep down Main Street.

Source: Lux Blue / Getty Images

28. Los Cabos, Mexico: Murder Capital of the World

Los Cabos just topped Caracas, Venezuela, as the Murder Capital of the World, with an average of 111.33 murders per 100,000 people, the majority of which can be attributed to the drug trade.

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

29. Macau: Gambling Capital of the World

The Gambling Capital of the World has over 40 casinos and makes a significant portion of its revenue catering to high-spending VIP customers, who gamble in private rooms.

Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime

30. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Oil Capital of the World

In 1905, drillers struck oil in the Glenn Pool in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. By 1907, over 100 oil companies were tapped into the Glenn Pool. The oil boom financed much of the building of historic Tulsa.

To top