Liverpool is connected to multiple cities across the world - with many thousands of miles away.
Across the world cities pair with other cities to create international relations. These connections are known either as "twinning" or becoming a "sister city". The twinning of places developed in Europe after World War II, with the aim to provide a framework that would enable those cities to learn more about each other in the aftermath of the conflict.
The towns or cities which are twinned should have something in common such as their geographical setting or industrial base. A sister city is a term used primarily in the United States and Canada, whereas twinning is used primarily in Europe and other parts of the world.
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Twinning arrangements are normally formal and involve the commitment of city authorities to establish and develop links between the two places, but they can also involve ordinary people to participate in shared activities but also the opportunity to initiate arrangements. Liverpool has developed plenty of great relationships with other countries over the years.
We've taken a look at Liverpool's twins and sisters and some facts about them.
Cologne, Germany
The first of the twinning arrangement was with Cologne in 1952.
It is thought the twinning of Liverpool and Cologne was the first of its kind between a British and German city in the post-war period. It has led to many collaborations between the institutions of the two cities, particularly arts organisations and faith groups, including a performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem in both cities by the cathedral choirs.
Cologne is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany. The city's medieval Catholic Cologne Cathedral is the third-tallest church and tallest cathedral in the world.
Odessa, Ukraine
In 1957, Liverpool twinned with Odessa, the Black Sea port which was at the time part of the Soviet Union.
A spokesperson from Liverpool Town Hall said: "Odessa became a twin of Liverpool as both governments believed that twinning helped play an important role in the breaking down of barriers and heled develop mutual trust. To this end local authorities are encouraged through the local government international bureaus to develop twinning links with their east European counterparts, particularly where fully democratic local government is being established.
"One time, on a visit to the Ukraine, Gerry Marsden played an impromptu concert on the Potemkin stairs in Odessa in 1995 after he flew out to the Ukraine to help with an aid convey for Chernobyl victims."
Odessa, also spelled as Odesa, is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative centre of the Odesa Raion and Odesa Oblast, as well as a multiethnic cultural centre.
Dublin, Ireland
In 1997, the deal was signed with Dublin, with both cities enjoying strong tourism, cultural and arts links.
Both cities are approximately the same size, and are only 140 miles apart from each other. Dublin is the capital and largest city in Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range.
Dublin is a centre for education, arts and culture, administration, and industry. As of 2018, the city was listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha minus", which places it as one of the top thirty cities in the world.
Shanghai, China
Liverpool twinned with Shanghai, the commercial centre of China, in 1999.
Our city is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe and also the largest Chinese Arch, which sits in Nelson Street, outside of China. The arch was a gift from twin city Shanghai was shipped over, piece by piece.
It was assembled in 2000, erected in time for the annual Chinese New Year celebrations held in Liverpool's Chinatown every year. Shanghai is one of the world's major centres for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture, and the Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The twinning with the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro took place in 2003.
Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the state of the same name and the second most populous city in Brazil after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a beta global city, Rio de Janeiro is the sixth most populous city in the Americas. Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site, named "Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea" in July 2012 as a Cultural Landscape.
Birmingham, USA
This not the city down the M6 but the one in Alabama.
The cities twinned in 2015 and an economic twinning agreement was signed. Birmingham was founded in 1871 and is also known as 'Magic City'.
This came about in the early part of the 20th century when the iron works – on which the city was founded and much work was created – expanded rapidly, and surrounding towns and villages were brought under the Birmingham umbrella. The name stuck, and a large sign declaring ‘Magic City’ stood outside the railway junction on the entry to the town for many years.
Panama City, Panama
Liverpool and Panama City signed a “sister cities” agreement to encourage more trade across the Atlantic in 2016.
Panama’s position in central America, with the famous canal passing through it, means it is a trade hub for the whole of Central and Latin America. It meant opportunities for the many businesses in Merseyside that specialise in the maritime and distribution sectors “from marine and civil engineering to construction and consultancy”.
Panama City is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,938,000, with over 1,500,000 in its urban area. The city is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of Panama. The city is the political and administrative center of the country, as well as a hub for banking and commerce.
Surabaya, Indonesia
In May 2017 a letter of intent of a sister city agreement was signed by both places.
This included five areas of cooperation including port and maritime management, economics, human resources and capacity building management, smart cities and creative industries.
Surabaya is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Java and the second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the north-eastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strait, it is one of the earliest port cities in Southeast Asia.
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