MyReporter: What are Wilmington's sister cities?
As Wilmington locals go about their everyday lives, they might not realize the global connectivity the city actually has. Wilmington’s Sister Cities Association is a nonprofit membership organization that has connections to multiple cities throughout the world.
What are Wilmington’s sister cities?
Dandong, China: Dandong sits opposite of North Korea and, like Wilmington, is a port city. Unlike Wilmington, its population is much larger with more than 2 million people. The city is known for its manufacturing of paper, oak leaf silk, chemicals, cement, machinery and medicine. It is also home to the Hushan Great Wall. Dandong was Wilmington’s first sister city in 1987.
Doncaster, England: Established as Wilmington’s second sister city in 1989, Doncaster has the United Kingdom’s 15th largest population. According to the Sister City Association, Doncaster was a mining town until the 1980s when it reinvented itself as a commercial and leisure center known for horse racing.
Bridgetown, Barbados: Bridgetown was established as a sister city in 2004. With a population of 110,000, it is the capital and commercial center of Barbados. According to the association, the city was founded in 1628 and is a West Indies tourist destination.
San Pedro, Belize: San Pedro is Wilmington’s fourth sister city, established in 2007. It’s home to around 10,000 residents with an economy based almost entirely on tourism. The town came to be in the mid-1800s as a refuge for those fleeing the Yucatan’s War of Caste.
More: Teen stops in Dandong during six weeks in China
How does Wilmington interact with its sister cities?
Wilmington offers international educational, arts, cultural and economic exchanges with its sister cities.“The City Council basically adopted the program started by President Eisenhower, which fosters the concept of people to people exchanges to increase international understanding and promote peace,” said Marilyn Cantarella of Wilmington’s Sister City Commission.According to Cantarella, some programs between the cities include two international symposiums and one trade fair hosted in Wilmington, Sister Port Agreements between the N.C. Ports Authority and the Dandong Port and several art exchanges.
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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What are Wilmington's sister cities?
