What is the northernmost capital city of a sovereign state?

Reykjavík is the northernmost capital city of a sovereign state. Iceland's capital lies at approximately 64°08′ north latitude on the country's southwest coast, making it farther north than Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki.

The name Reykjavík means “Smoky Bay,” a reference traditionally associated with steam rising from geothermal areas. The modern city grew from farmland and became an important centre of Icelandic administration, commerce and national life. Iceland became a sovereign kingdom in 1918, and Reykjavík serves as its political capital.

The main source of confusion is Nuuk, Greenland, which lies slightly farther north at about 64°10′ north. Greenland, however, is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark rather than a sovereign independent state. That distinction is why Reykjavík holds the conventional world record.

Reykjavík is also Iceland's largest city and the centre of the country's most populous urban region. The Alþingi, Iceland's historic parliament, was re-established there in 1845, helping cement the city's role as the national political centre.