Meet Jacksonville’s Eight International “Sister Cities”

Since the formation of Sister Cities International in 1956, cities across the world have formed diplomatic partnerships, becoming “sister cities” with each other.

The concept of sister cities is simple: two cities, usually in different countries, form an agreement to promote cultural and economic exchanges, promoting cultural growth and economic diversification.

Jacksonville has amassed eight international sister cities since taking on its first partnership in 1967. Most of those cities have something major in common with Jax, such as being a port city or being located near a coast. Jacksonville Sister Cities Association, a local nonprofit, manages these partnerships and coordinates activities between Jax and its sister cities.

We’ve created brief profiles for those eight sister cities to better acquaint Jax residents with each of them. (Honorable mentions also go out to Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Suzhou in China, which are not formally part of the sister city program but are considered “friendship cities.”)

Bahia Blanca, Argentina

The Argentinian city of Bahia Blanca was Jacksonville’s first sister city, with their partnership taking effect in July 1967.

Bahia Blanca is located within Argentina’s Buenos Aires province. It was founded in 1828 and now boasts a population of just over 301,000.

The city’s most obvious connection to Jax is its strong naval presence; Bahia Blanca is home to Argentina’s largest naval base. It also functions as an important shipping hub, much like Jax.

Bahia Blanca’s other sister cities include Cienfuegos, Cuba; Dalian, China; Fermo, Italy; Reus, Spain; and Talcahuano, Chile.

Murmansk, Russia

The city’s second partnership, this time with Murmansk, Russia, came in July 1975.

Founded in 1916, Murmansk is the administrative center of Russia’s Murmansk Oblast region. It has a population of 307,000. The city, named for the Murman Coast, is one of the most populous within the Arctic Circle and is better connected to the rest of the country than other northern cities. Its connectivity is part of what makes it an important port city.

Murmansk’s other sister cities include Rovaniemi, Finland; Lulea, Sweden; Tromso and Vadso, Norway; Groningen, Netherlands; Szczecin, Poland; Akureyri, Iceland; Alanya, Turkey; Minsk, Belarus; and Harbin, China.

Changwon, South Korea

In May 1983, the city formed a partnership with Changwon in South Korea.

Changwon is the capital city of the Gyeongsangnam-do province in South Korea. Established in 1408, it has a population of 1 million, making it the ninth most populous city in the country.

Changwon, like Jacksonville, is a coastal city with multiple beaches and lots of park space. It’s also known for hosting the popular K-Pop World Festival.

Changwon has two other U.S.-based sister cities: Jersey City, NJ, and Annapolis, MD. Its other sister cities include Vina del Mar, Chile; Zapopan, Mexico; Ma’anshan and Shulan, China; Danang and My Tho, Vietnam; Guadalajara, Mexico; and Kure, Himeji, and Yamaguchi, Japan.

Nantes, France

Jacksonville’s fourth sister city, Nantes in France, was added in August 1984.

Located along the Loire river, Nantes has long served as an active port city. The city was formed prior to the turn of the first millennium C.E. It functions as the administrative seat of the Pays de la Loire region of France.

Nantes is the sixth largest city in France with a population of 309,000.

In addition to Jax, Seattle, WA, is also a sister city of Nantes. Its other sister cities include Cardiff, Wales; Saarbrucken, Germany; Tbilisi, Georgia; Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Niigata, Japan; Durban, South Africa; Qingdao, China; and Suncheon, South Korea.

Yingkou, China

Yingkou, China, became Jacksonville’s fifth sister city in May 1990.

Located along the Dalaio River in the Liaoning province of China, Yingkou is home to Port of Yingkou, one of the world’s busiest ports.

The city was founded around its port in the 1800s and has grown to a population of 848,000; its metropolitan area features a population of 2.4 million.

Yingkou only has one other sister city: Tyer, Russia. The Port of Yingkou also has a “sister port”: Hamilton Port Authority in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Nelson Mandela Bay / Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Port Elizabeth, also known as Nelson Mandela Bay, became a sister city of Jax in February 2000.

Established in 1820, Port Elizabeth is the second oldest city in South Africa. It’s also the most populous city in the country’s Eastern Cape province, with a population of 967,000.

As hinted at by its name, the city features an important port, as well as several beaches which serve as popular tourist destinations. It has a strong economy, with multiple Fortune 500 companies maintaining a presence within the city.

It’s part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, formed in 2001 in honor of Nelson Mandela.

Curitiba, Brazil

Our seventh sister city, Curitiba, came on board in April 2009.

Founded in 1693, Curitiba is located in the Brazilian state of Parana, where it is both the state capital and its largest city with a population of 1.9 million. Located just west of a major seaport, the city boasts Brazil’s fourth largest local economy. Like Port Elizabeth, it is home to divisions of several major international corporations.

Curitiba has two other U.S. sister cities: Orlando, and Columbus, OH. Its other sister cities include Akureyri, Iceland; Asuncion, Paraguay; Coimbra, Portugal; Guadalajara, Mexico; Hangzhou, China; Himeji, Japan; Treviso, Italy; Krakow, Poland; Lyon, France; Montevideo, Uruguay; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; and Suwon, South Korea.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

The eighth and most recent addition to Jax’s sister city family, San Juan, isn’t technically an international city.

San Juan is the capital of, and most populous municipality in, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico – which is a U.S. territory. With a population of 395,000, San Juan is the 46^th largest city within U.S. territory.

The city was established in 1509 and named for John the Baptist. It suffered greatly from the impact of Hurricane Maria in 2017 but has since gradually recovered.

San Juan has two other U.S. sister cities: Honolulu, HI, and Kileen, TX. Its others include Cadiz, Spain; Cartagena, Colombia; Dubai, UAE; Guatemala City, Guatemala; San Juan, Philippines; and Santiago, Dominican Republic.

It joined Jax’s collection of sister cities in October 2009.