What is the capital of your state?

What does this answer mean?

Name the capital city of the state where you live. Each state has its own government, with a governor, a legislature, and courts, and the capital is the city where that state government is based. Because every state has a different capital, the answer depends on where you live.

This question belongs to a group on the test about how power is shared between the federal government and the states. The federal government is based in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, which is a separate question. States handle many things themselves, such as schools and police, and they make those decisions from their own capitals.

To check yours, use the picker above or look up your state on our state pages.

If you live in Washington, D.C., USCIS's official answer is that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. If you live in a U.S. territory, such as Puerto Rico or Guam, name the capital of your territory.