Caput Mundi

Caput Mundi is a Latin phrase taken to mean "capital of the world". (literally: "head of the world",^[1] see capital, capitol). It originates out of a classical European understanding of the known world: Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. Because of the enduring power of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, and the Roman Catholic Church, in this sphere, the city of Rome has been known for centuries as Caput Mundi.

Rome

Rome's influence in the ancient world began to grow around the 2nd century BC as the Republic expanded across Southern Europe and North Africa. For the next five centuries, Rome would govern much of the known world. The cultural influence of the local language of Rome (Latin) as well as Roman art, architecture, religion and philosophy was immense.

Constantinople

Constantinople was built as the second Rome by Emperor Constantine in 330 AD.

The Byzantine Empire lasted for over a thousand years with the center always at Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was centered in the capitals of Nicaea, Trebizond, and Arta. The city was seen as the "Capital of the World" because of its prime trading position in the center of the medieval world. Between 330 and 1453, one could see in Constantinople the faces of Ethiopians, Egyptians, Arabs, Franks, Italians, as well as the Chinese and Indians, who were a very rare sight in Europe for the time^{[citation needed]}. The city was also the center of half of the Christian world as the seat of the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox church. Thus as the world center for commerce, diplomacy, religion, education,^{[citation needed]} it could well have been said that during the city's heyday, Constantinople was indeed the capital of the world. Napoleon Bonaparte is quoted as saying, "If the Earth were a single state, Constantinople would be its capital." Today, the city's name is Istanbul.

London

Capital of the British Empire, London, Great Britain was often seen as the heir apparent of Rome.

Though the empire has since passed, London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, technology, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city. Many of the world's largest corporations have their headquarters in London, the city taking a central role as a part of the wider global economy. In addition London in time and on maps is the direct center of the world, with the Prime Meridian running directly through Greenwich (also known as the Greenwich Meridian), with its time zone as GMT+0 (UTC+0). The decision made at the International Meridian Conference was due to the dominance of the British Empire; for logistical reasons, and because the United Kingdom and London remain a major global influence, the position remains.

Several sources claim that within the last few years, London has eclipsed New York City as a financial centre, establishing itself as the financial capital of the world.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]}

The situation of numerous iconic landmarks, such as Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, as well as modern architecture such as the Gherkin, Tower 42, the London Eye and the O2 drawing approximately 15 million international tourists in 2010. London was the most visited city in the world for international tourists in 2009.^[14]

Berlin

Adolf Hitler, the dictator of the Third Reich, as part of his proposed New Order, planned to make Berlin the "Caput Mundi", directing Albert Speer to formulate the Welthauptstadt Germania--a plan to rebuild Berlin in an Imperial architectural style. The central edifice of Berlin would have been the Volkshalle, from which Hitler would have issued his Imperial decrees as the absolute ruler of Europe.

New York City

New York City, the most populous city in the United States, is sometimes described by the Latin phrase "Novum Caput Mundi" ("New Capital of the World"); or by the English phrase "Capital of the World".^[15][16][17] A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. As the home of the United Nations Headquarters,^[18] it is an important center for international affairs, despite not being the modern capital of the United States or even of New York State, and is often deemed the cultural capital of the world.^{[19][20][21][22][23]} As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.^[24]

Numerous national and international private corporations have headquarters in New York City. New York City's financial district, anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, is claimed to function as the financial capital of the world^{[25][26][27][28][29][30]}and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by total market capitalization of its listed companies.^[31]

Tourism is vital to New York City, with nearly 50 million annual visitors,^[32][33] and Times Square, at the hub of the Broadway theater district, is nicknamed "The Crossroads of the World".^{[34][35][36][37]}

Washington, D.C.

Capital of the United States and the seat of the American government, it holds the headquarters of important world organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States. The signing of the North Atlantic Treaty took place in Washington;^[38][39], establishing NATO which took part in the Cold War, and by its end Washington was viewed by the Washington Post as the capital of the world^[40]

See also

• Globalization
• World City
• Welthauptstadt Germania
• Washington Consensus

References

1. ^ Dictionary of Latin Phrases and Proverbs: C
2. ^ [1]
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10. ^ "Capital City". The Economist. http://www.economist.com/node/8058157. 
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12. ^ The Global Financial Centres Index 6
13. ^ "Asian cities close in on London and New York in Global Financial Centres Index; Dublin tumbles 13 places." Finfacts Ireland.
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40. ^ Broder, David S. "Nation's Capital in Eclipse as Pride and Power Slip Away", The Washington Post, February 18, 1990. Accessed October 18, 2010. "In the days of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and the creation of NATO, [Clark Clifford] said, we saved the world, and Washington became the capital of the world."