[General] The practice of using capital cities to refer to a country's regime or government

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Leyland

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How long has this practice existed in English? Are there parallels in other languages?

When reading history or politics books for instance, I'll often see phrases like:

The relations between Vienna and Belgrade were at an all-time low.


How long has this been around, and how did it originate?
 

Amigos4

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An explanation for the practice of using capital cities to refer to a country's regime or government can be found here.

From Wikipedia: With the rise of the modern nation-state, the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government, and imbued with political meaning. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever a monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding, or capture of a modern capital city is a highly symbolic event.
 
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