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> Sister Cities
The Sister Cities program was established to create a force for international cooperation and understanding through community involvement and people-to-people relationships. The committee's programs include: school affiliations and educational exchanges, business and community interaction, technical assistance, cultural exchanges, citizens' visits, youth leadership development programs and sports exchanges.
In 1972 Baltimore entered into its first Sister City relationship. Presently, Baltimore has nine sister affiliations: Cadiz, Spain; Genoa, Italy; Gbarnga, Liberia; Kawasaki, Japan; Luxor, Arab Republic of Egypt; Odessa, Ukraine; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Xiamen, China.
CADIZ, SPAIN
The beautiful city of Cadiz is almost entirely surrounded by water; it stands on a peninsula jutting out into a bay in the Atlantic Ocean. Thought by some to be the oldest city in Europe, Cadiz was founded in 1100 BC by the Phoenicians. Cadiz possesses an interesting culture that is aside from other European cities with its rich Islamic and Moorish roots to add to the flavor of this southern Spanish city.
GENOA, ITALY
The main center of the Liguri Genuates, Genoa developed as a maritime emporium beginning in the 5th century BC. The inspiring city of Genoa serves as a commercial port, pleases the visitor as a genteel seaside resort, and offers fine 16th century palaces in a town proud of its history and legend which was the native place of Christopher Columbus.
GBARNGA, LIBERIA
A major town located in the western country of Liberia, Gbarnga bustles with its busy open-air markets where you'll find fresh produce to intricate jewelry.
KAWASAKI, JAPAN
Kawasaki, located in the Greator Tokyo metropolitan area, has made a great contribution to the development of the Japanese economy as a leading industrial city. Although Kawasaki is an industrial city, it also enjoys a reputation as an environmentally conscious city where the citizens' standard of living is considered a top priority. With many foreign residents living here, Kawasaki has become a caring, multicultural city.
LUXOR, THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
Luxor has often been called the world's greatest open-air museum. The number and preservation of the monuments in the Luxor area are beyond compare to anywhere else in the world. There is hardly a place in the city that does not have a relic that tells of the grandeur of the Ancient Egyptians several thousand years ago.
ODESSA, UKRAINE
Odessa, the third largest Ukrainian city, is a major industrial, cultural, scientific, and resort center in the Northern Black Sea region. A mild climate tied together with plenty of beaches and the Black Sea attract thousands of tourists to Odessa throughout the year, earning it the title of "Southern Palmira."
PIRAEUS, GREECE
Piraeus is one of Greece's largest cities and its biggest port. Piraeus was first settled in the time of Themistocles, when the Long Walls were built in 478 BC. The commercial harbor of Piraeus is one of the most important in the Mediterranean. The city itself with its suburbs is an industrial zone of particular importance for the Greek economy, but its center nevertheless has broad streets, spacious squares, tree-lined avenues, and parks.
ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Founded in 1328, Rotterdam is one of the largest cities of the Netherlands and is home to the largest port in the world. Once just a small, quiet fishing harbor, Rotterdam is now a bustling city that is constantly growing. Rotterdam prides itself on fascinating architecture and a society rich in culture.
XIAMEN, CHINA
Xiamen, China's cleanest, most beautiful, seaport city, is located on the southeastern coast of Fujian Province. The city can be dated back as far as the Song Dynasty and has always been an important trading port. Xiamen is a rapidly growing city, with a strong economy and a fully modern infrastructure. Over the past 10 years, Xiamen has increasingly focused on the expansion of international trade, education, and tourism.
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