List of sister cities in Maryland

This is a list of sister states, regions, and cities in the U.S. state of Maryland. Sister cities, known in Europe as town twins, are cities which partner with each other to promote human contact and cultural links, although this partnering is not limited to cities and often includes counties, regions, states and other sub-national entities.

Many Maryland jurisdictions partner with foreign cities through Sister Cities International, an organization whose goal is to, "Promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation."[1] The first sister city relationship in Maryland, however, was between Salisbury, Maryland and Salisbury, England, and predated Sister Cities International. Sister cities interact with each other across a broad range of activities, from health care and education to business and the arts.[2] The partnerships in this list vary in how formalized their relationships are. Recently, a number of Maryland cities have partnered with cities in Estonia through a program developed by the Maryland National Guard after Estonia gained its independence from the Soviet Union.[3]

## Sister states, regions and cities of Maryland

[edit]

A major street in the city of Huainan, northern Anhui Province, one of Maryland's sister regions. Maryland Jurisdiction  | Sister State, Region, or City  | Country  | Since

|
|
|

State of Maryland | Anhui Province |  China  | 1980[4]
Tartu |  Estonia  | 2003[3]
Gyeongsangnam-do Province |  South Korea  | 1991[4]
Jalisco State |  Mexico  | 1993[4]
Kanagawa Prefecture |  Japan  | 1981[4]
Bong County |  Liberia  | 2007[4]
Maryland County |  Liberia  | 2007[4]
Łódź Voivodeship |  Poland  | 1993[4]
Nord-Pas de Calais |  France  | 1981[5]
State of Rio de Janeiro |  Brazil  | 1999[4]
Saint Petersburg
Leningrad Oblast |  Russia  | 1993[4][6]
Wallonia Region |  Belgium  | 1989[4]
County Cork |  Ireland  | [7]

## Sister cities of Maryland cities and counties

[edit]

Maryland Jurisdiction  | Sister State, Region, or City  | Country  | Since

|
|
|

Annapolis | Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia  |  Canada  | 1980[8]
Changsha, China |  China  | Unknown[9]
Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway |  Scotland, UK  | 1987[10][11]
Newport |  Wales, UK  | 1982[8]
Niterói, Rio de Janeiro  |  Brazil  | 1982[8]
Tallinn, Harju County |  Estonia  | 1999[8]
Wexford, County Wexford |  Ireland  | 1993[8]
Baltimore | Alexandria, Alexandria Governorate |  Egypt  | 1995[12][13]
Ashkelon, Southern District |  Israel  | 2005[12]
Changwon |  South Korea  | 2018[13]
Gbarnga, Bong County |  Liberia  | 1973[12]
Genoa, Liguria  |  Italy  | 1985[12]
Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture  |  Japan  | 1978[12]
Luxor, Luxor Governorate |  Egypt  | 1981[12]
Odesa, Odesa Oblast |  Ukraine  | 1974[12]
Piraeus, Attica |  Greece  | 1982[12]
Rotterdam, South Holland |  Netherlands  | 1985[12]
Xiamen, Fujian  |  China  | 1985[12]
Charles County | Jõgeva, Jõgeva County |  Estonia  | 2012[14]
Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg |  Germany  | 2002
Columbia | Cergy-Pontoise, Île-de-France  |  France  | 1977[15]
Tres Cantos, Community of Madrid |  Spain  | 1990[15]
Cumberland | Tapa, Lääne-Viru County |  Estonia  | 2000[16]
District Heights | Mbuji-Mayi, Kasai-Oriental Province |  DR Congo  | 2008[17]
Thomonde, Centre |  Haiti  | [citation needed]
Frederick | Aquiraz, Ceará  |  Brazil  | 2006[18]
Mörzheim, Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate  |  Germany  | 1982[19]
Schifferstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate  |  Germany  | 1982[19]
Frostburg | Viljandi, Viljandi County |  Estonia  | 2000[16]
Grantsville | Tõrva, Valga County |  Estonia  | 2000[16]
Hagerstown | Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia  |  Germany  | 1952[20]
Havre de Grace | Sillamäe, Ida-Viru County |  Estonia  | 2000[16]
McHenry | Otepää, Valga County  |  Estonia  | 2000[16]
Montgomery County | Gondar, Amhara |  Ethiopia  | [citation needed]
Morazán Department |  El Salvador  | 2011[21]
Oakland | Tőrca, Valga County  |  Estonia  | [citation needed]
Valga, Valga County  |  Estonia  | 2000[16]
Ocean City | Finale Ligure, Liguria  |  Italy  | 1996[22]
Pärnu, Pärnu County |  Estonia  | 2003[23]
Prince George's County | Rishon Le Zion, Central District |  Israel  | 1990[24]
Royal Bafokeng Nation, North West Province |  South Africa  | 1998[25]
Ziguinchor, Casamance |  Senegal  | 1987[26]
Riverdale Park | Ipala, Chiquimula |  Guatemala  | 2008[27]
Rockville | Jiaxing, Zhejiang ("friendly" relations)  |  China  | 2008[28]
Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein  |  Germany  | 1957[29]
Yilan City, Yilan County  |  Taiwan  | 2019[30]
Salisbury | Salisbury, Wiltshire  |  England, UK  | 1932[31]
Tartu, Tartu County |  Estonia  | 1999[32]
Salinas, Santa Elena |  Ecuador  | 2017[33]
Westminster | Paide, Järva County |  Estonia  | 2002[34]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mission and Goals". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on April 27, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
2. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
3. ^ a b Teel, Mark. "Maryland-Estonia State Partnership Program". Estonian Advantage. American Chamber of Commerce in Estonia. Archived from the original on December 7, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Maryland Sister State Program". Office of the Secretary of State of Maryland. Archived from the original on July 30, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
5. ^ Verbrugghe, Ginette (June 21, 2002). "RAPPORT SUR LA POLITIQUE DE COOPERATION AU DEVELOPPEMENT ET DE SOLIDARITE INTERNATIONALE" (PDF). Région Nord-Pas de Calais. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
6. ^ "Maryland will not sever 'Sister City' status with St. Petersburg over anti-LGBT law". Metro Weekly. Washington, D.C. August 9, 2013. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
7. ^ "Membership Directory New – Sister Cities International (SCI)". Retrieved March 14, 2025.
8. ^ a b c d e Kaley, Kevin (April 19, 1999). "Closer ties with sister cities?". Capital-Gazette Communications, Inc. The Capital (Annapolis, MD.).
9. ^ "Maryland city gets 40,000 mask donations from Chinese city". Associated Press. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
10. ^ "Annapolis Tartan Day". City of Annapolis, MD. April 3, 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
11. ^ "Dumfries Male Voice choir celebrates 60 years". www.dailyrecord.co.uk. March 12, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mayor's Office of International Affairs". City of Baltimore. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
13. ^ a b "BALTIMORE SISTER CITIES". Baltimore Sister Cities. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
14. ^ "Charles County Commissioners Meeting Agenda". Southern Maryland Online. January 2012. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
15. ^ a b "International Student Exchange - Sister Cities Program". The Columbia Association. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
16. ^ a b c d e f "Mayor and City Council Year 2000 Minutes". City of Cumberland, MD. July 11, 2000. Archived from the original on October 11, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
17. ^ McGill, Natalie (April 24, 2008). "District Heights, Congo city form relationship". The Gazette. Gaithersburg, Md. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
18. ^ Mullen, Katharine (November 16, 2006). "City of Frederick gains a new sister city at ceremony tonight". The Gazette. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
19. ^ a b "August 3, 2003 City Council Minutes". City of Frederick, MD. August 3, 2003. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
20. ^ "Augustoberfest". City of Hagerstown, MD. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
21. ^ "Montgomery County & El Salvador Sister City Agreement". YouTube. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
22. ^ "Council Meeting Minutes". Town of Ocean City, Maryland. October 4, 2004. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
23. ^ "Council Meeting Minutes". Town of Ocean City, Maryland. November 12, 2003. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
24. ^ "Rishon LeZion - One of a Large Family of "Twinned" Cities". Rishon LeZion. Archived from the original on June 24, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
25. ^ Pierre, Robert (March 5, 1998). "Pr. George's Receives Royalty in Sisterly Relationship; County and Nation in South Africa Establish Ties". The Washington Post.
26. ^ "County Executive Returns From Successful Business Development and Goodwill Mission in Senegal". Prince George's County. March 28, 2005. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
27. ^ McGill, Natalie (April 23, 2009). "Riverdale Park and Ipala celebrate sister city partnership". The Gazette. Gaithersburg, Md. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
28. ^ "Rockville to welcome another Sister City: Jiaxing, China". gazette.net. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
29. ^ "Welcome". Rockville Sister City Corporation. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
30. ^ "Rockville, MD". Rockville, MD. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
31. ^ "Delegation From Salisbury, England, Visits SU". Salisbury University. September 27, 2006. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
32. ^ "City Council Minutes". City of Salisbury, Maryland. May 24, 1999. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
33. ^ "City of Salisbury Announces Partnership with Salinas, Ecuador - City of Salisbury MD". City of Salisbury MD. March 14, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
34. ^ "Westminster Maryland-Paide, Estonia Partner City Program". City of Westminster, Maryland. January 15, 2004. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2007.

* v
* t
* e

Lists of twin towns and sister cities

Africa|

* Cape Verde
* Egypt
* Kenya
* Morocco
* South Africa
* Tunisia

Asia|

* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bangladesh
* China
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Malaysia
* Northern Cyprus1
* Pakistan
* Palestine1
* Philippines
* South Korea
* Taiwan1
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Vietnam

Europe|

| Eastern|

* Belarus
* Bulgaria
* Czech Republic
* Hungary
* Moldova
* Poland
* Romania
* Russia
* Slovakia
* Ukraine

|

Northern|

* Denmark
* Faroe Islands
* Estonia
* Finland
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Norway
* Sweden
* United Kingdom
* England
* Scotland
* Wales

Southern|

* Albania
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia
* Greece
* Italy
* Kosovo1
* Malta
* Montenegro
* North Macedonia
* Portugal
* Serbia
* Slovenia
* Spain

Western|

* Austria
* Belgium
* France
* Germany
* Luxembourg
* Netherlands
* Switzerland

North America|

* Canada
* Cuba
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* United States
* Arizona
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Florida
* Illinois
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* New Hampshire
* New York
* North Carolina
* Ohio
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* Texas
* Vermont
* Washington

Oceania|

* Australia
* Fiji
* New Zealand

South America|

* Argentina
* Brazil
* Chile

1Partially recognised country · See also: Sister Cities International
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