Which capital city is built on 14 islands?

The capital city built on 14 islands is Stockholm, Sweden. The city occupies a strategic position where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, making water central to its geography and identity.

Stockholm’s oldest core is Gamla Stan, located on Stadsholmen and nearby small islands. The settlement developed in the 13th century, traditionally dated to 1252, as a fortified trading town controlling movement between the lake and the Baltic. Over time, the urban area spread across additional islands and adjoining mainland districts, linked by bridges, roads, railways, and ferries.

The 14 islands of the city should not be confused with the much larger Stockholm Archipelago, which contains more than 30,000 islands, islets, and skerries beyond the capital. Stockholm’s island setting helped earn it the nickname “Venice of the North,” although its landscape also includes extensive parks and rocky shorelines.

Oslo, Helsinki, and Copenhagen are Nordic capitals with important waterfronts, but Stockholm is the one associated with the 14-island description.