Sister ceety

Sign denotin twin touns oNeckarsulm,Germany

Twin tounsansister ceetiesare twa o mony terms uised tae describe the cooperative agreements atween atoun,ceetiesan evencoontiesin geographically an poleetically distinct auries tae promote cultural an commercial ties.

Terminology

In theUnitit Kinrick,the termtwin townsis maist commonly uised, generally referrin taetoun-twinninwi Europe, differentiating wi the termsister ceeties,that is uised for agreements wi touns an ceeties in the Unitit States. InEurope,a variety o terms are uised; maist commonlytwin touns,butpairtnership touns,pairtner tounsanfriendship touns,are uised an aa.GermanyuisesPartnerstadt(Pairtner Toun/Ceety),FraunceuisesVille Jumelée(Twinned Toun/Ceety).In theNetherlands,the termStedenband(Ceety bond)is uised.North Americae,Sooth Americae,Sooth Asie,AustralasieanAsiegenerally uise the termsister ceeties.In the umwhileSoviet Bloc kintrastwin tounsis uised, in addition tae the termbrither ceeties,that is uised on occasion.

Whiles, ither govrenment bodies enter intae a "twinnin" relationship, lik the agreement atween theprovincesoHainaninCheenaeanJeju-doin theRepublic o Korea,or atweenWashington, D.C.,anBeijing.

TheDouzelageis a toun twinnin association wi ane toun frae ilk o the member states o theEuropean Union.

Ither meanins

Whiles, the phrase "sister ceeties" is uised tae refer tae ceeties athout a formal agreement that hae seemilar culturs an/or historical backgrounds, likGalveston, TexasanNew Orleans,twa ceeties that war historically major Southern ports on theGulfcoast.

Criticism

The concept o sister ceeties haes been criticized as an unnecessary an expensive endeavor for ceeties tae partak in wi nae or naur nae accoontability or obvious signs o economic development resultin frae the arrangement.Politeecians are frequently accuised o uisin sister ceeties as an excuse tae tak a pleasure trip at public expense, commonly referred tae as a junket.

See an aa

• Paradiplomacy
• Leet o twin touns an sister ceeties
• Cross-border toun namin
• Partnership 2000
• Warld Ceety

Faur readin

• "Twinnings for The morra's Warld - A Practical Handbook"(PDF).Brussels:CEMR Council o European Municipalities an Regions.Archived fraethe original(PDF)on 13 Mey 2008.Retrieved11 Januar2010.

Freemit airtins

• Germany an the toun twinnin movement
• Toun twinnin in Europe's municipalities, touns an regionsArchived2006-12-22 at theWayback Machine
• Toun twinnin in Breetain syne 1945Archived2010-07-24 at theWayback Machine
• Twinnin in Europe
• UK Toun Twinnin PortalArchived2009-05-17 at theWayback Machine