What is the capital city of Australia?

Introduction / Context:
Australia is a large country and continent in the Southern Hemisphere, and its capital city is a favourite topic in general knowledge exams because many people mistakenly think of another, more famous city. This question asks you to pick the correct capital of Australia from among several real cities, including Sydney, which is often wrongly assumed to be the capital.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The country is Australia.
• The options are Copenhagen, Canberra, Athens, Helsinki and Sydney.
• Exactly one option is the official capital of Australia.
• We assume current political arrangements, where the national capital is located in the Australian Capital Territory.

Concept / Approach:
The capital city of Australia is Canberra. It is a planned city located in the Australian Capital Territory, chosen as a compromise between the larger cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, Athens is the capital of Greece, Helsinki is the capital of Finland and Sydney, while the largest city in Australia, is not the capital. The approach is to recognise that this is a classic trick question designed to test whether you know that the capital is Canberra, not Sydney.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Australia created a separate territory and built Canberra as a planned capital city.Step 2: Recognise that Canberra houses the Australian Parliament and key government buildings.Step 3: Identify Copenhagen as the capital of Denmark, not Australia.Step 4: Note that Athens is the capital of Greece.Step 5: Remember that Helsinki is the capital of Finland.Step 6: Understand that Sydney is Australia's largest city and a major tourist destination but not the capital.Step 7: Conclude that Canberra is the only correct choice for the capital of Australia.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify your answer by recalling that Australia chose Canberra to avoid rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Most political news about Australia refers to decisions made in Canberra, and the national parliament and prime minister's offices are located there. In contrast, international travel and tourism information often highlight Sydney for its harbour and opera house, which can cause confusion. However, official documents and maps clearly identify Canberra as the capital city, which confirms the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Copenhagen is in Europe and serves as the capital of Denmark, so it cannot be the capital of Australia. Athens belongs to Greece, another European country with a very different history and geography. Helsinki is associated with Finland in northern Europe. Sydney is within Australia but is not the capital; it is included in the options as a common trap. Since the question is specifically about the political capital, the presence of government institutions in Canberra and not in Sydney makes Sydney an incorrect answer.

Common Pitfalls:
The major pitfall is assuming that the most famous or largest city is always the capital. This error appears repeatedly in questions about Australia, Switzerland, the United States and Turkey. To avoid this, students should make a special note of cases where the capital is a smaller or planned city, such as Canberra for Australia and Bern for Switzerland. Repeated revision of such exceptions will help you avoid falling for the Sydney option in exam settings.

Final Answer:
The capital city of Australia is Canberra.