See soorce fer Sister ceety

[[File:Neckarsulm PartnerStaedte.jpg|thumb|Sign denotin twin touns o [[Neckarsulm]], [[Germany]]]]

'''Twin touns''' an '''sister ceeties''' are twa o mony terms uised tae describe the cooperative agreements atween a [[toun]], [[ceety|ceeties]] an even [[Coonty|coonties]] in geographically an poleetically distinct auries tae promote cultural an commercial ties.

== Terminology ==
In the [[Unitit Kinrick]], the term ''twin towns'' is maist commonly uised, generally referrin tae ''toun-twinnin'' wi Europe, differentiating wi the term ''sister ceeties'', that is uised for agreements wi touns an ceeties in the Unitit States. In [[Europe]], a variety o terms are uised; maist commonly ''twin touns'', but ''pairtnership touns'', ''pairtner touns'' an ''friendship touns,'' are uised an aa. [[Germany]] uises ''Partnerstadt'' ''(Pairtner Toun/Ceety)'', [[Fraunce]] uises ''Ville Jumelée'' ''(Twinned Toun/Ceety)''. In the [[Netherlands]], the term ''Stedenband'' ''(Ceety bond)'' is uised. [[North Americae]], [[Sooth Americae]], [[Sooth Asie]], [[Australasie]] an [[Asie]] generally uise the term ''sister ceeties''. In the umwhile [[Eastren Bloc|Soviet Bloc kintras]] ''twin touns'' is uised, in addition tae the term ''brither ceeties'', that is uised on occasion.<ref name="Trend">{{cite news |url=http://en.trend.az/news/cis/georgia/1492690.html |title=Tbilisi, Vilnius become brother cities |publisher=[[Trend News Agency]] |accessdate=2009-10-12 |archive-date=2009-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114113411/http://en.trend.az/news/cis/georgia/1492690.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Whiles, ither govrenment bodies enter intae a "twinnin" relationship, lik the agreement atween the [[province]]s o [[Hainan]] in [[Fowkrepublic o Cheenae|Cheenae]] an [[Jeju-do]] in the [[Republic o Korea]], or atween [[Washington, D.C.]], an [[Beijing]].

The [[Douzelage]] is a toun twinnin association wi ane toun frae ilk o the member states o the [[European Union]].<ref name="Douzelage">{{cite web |url=http://www.douzelage.org/ |title=Douzelage.org: Home |publisher=www.douzelage.org |accessdate=2009-10-21 |archive-date=2010-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217044329/http://www.douzelage.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==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, lik [[Galveston, Texas]] an [[New Orleans]], twa ceeties that war historically major Southern ports on the [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf]] coast.

==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.<ref name=junket/> 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.<!-- DINNAE link tae [[junket]] – Thare naethin uisefu thare, jist a disambiguation page. --><ref name=junket>{{Cite news| last = Johnston| first = Matt| title = Lord Mayor Robert Doyle on a mission to Russia| newspaper = Herald Sun| location = Melbourne| publisher = Herald and Weekly Times| date = 2009-01-23| url = http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/lord-mayor-junks-junkets-ban/story-e6frf7kx-1111118641001| archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/5tXRRuayQ?url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/lord-mayor-junks-junkets-ban/story-e6frf7kx-1111118641001| archivedate = 2010-10-17| access-date = 2011-03-10| url-status = live}}</ref>

==See an aa==
* [[Paradiplomacy]]
* [[Leet o twin touns an sister ceeties]]
* [[Cross-border toun namin]]
* [[Partnership 2000]]
* [[Warld Ceety]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Faur readin ==
*{{cite journal|url=http://admin5.geniebuilder.com/users/ccre/bases/T_599_46_3524.pdf|title=Twinnings for The morra's Warld - A Practical Handbook|publisher=[[Council o European Municipalities an Regions|CEMR Council o European Municipalities an Regions]]|accessdate=11 January 2010|location=[[Brussels]]|ref=CEMR69|archive-date=2008-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513123252/http://admin5.geniebuilder.com/users/ccre/bases/T_599_46_3524.pdf|url-status=dead}}

==Freemit airtins==
{{Commons|Town twinning}}
* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1644_282/ai_97228022/print Germany an the toun twinnin movement]
* [http://www.ccre.org/champs_activites_liste_news_en.htm?ID=3115 Toun twinnin in Europe's municipalities, touns an regions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061222193012/http://www.ccre.org/champs_activites_liste_news_en.htm?ID=3115 |date=2006-12-22 }}
* [http://www.southampton.ac.uk/geography/research/ess/twinning/index.html Toun twinnin in Breetain syne 1945] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724111824/http://www.southampton.ac.uk/geography/research/ess/twinning/index.html |date=2010-07-24 }}
* [http://www.twinning.org/ Twinnin in Europe]
* [http://www.towntwinning.org.uk/ UK Toun Twinnin Portal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517052627/http://www.towntwinning.org.uk/ |date=2009-05-17 }}

{{Twin towns}}
{{Commonscat|Town twinning}}

[[Category:Internaitional relations]]