Charlotte's sister cities relationships are run by committees of volunteers and overseen by the Charlotte International Cabinet.  The Cabinet's mission to foster international relationships is highlighted by programs with our sister cities.  Our programs continue to encourage citizen diplomacy and direct contact with our sister cities through educational, cultural and civic exchanges. 

Our Charlotte Sister Cities organization (as part of the Charlotte International Cabinet) is part of Sister Cities International. For specific information about any of our sister cities or to join a sister city committee, please contact our office.

Arequipa, Perú (Ah-Reh-KEEP-Ah)
Charlotte's first Sister City. The city, famous for its historic center built from volcanic rock, is called the "White City." Tourism and agriculture are the main industries. Arequipa became our Sister City in 1962.

Krefeld, Germany (Kray-Feld)
Located on the west bank of the Rhine River, near Holland. A major industrial town, Krefeld has steel, chemical, food processing, and textile plants. Known as the "silk and velvet" capital of Europe. Krefeld became our Sister City in 1985.

Baoding, People's Republic of China (Bow-ding)
Located only 70 miles from Beijing, Baoding is over 2300 years old. Its economy is based on production of film, chemicals, food and textiles. Baoding became our Sister City in 1987.

Voronezh, Russia (Vah-ROH-nesh)
Voronezh is located 350 miles south of Moscow and dates from 1585. Czar Peter the Great later established a ship-building center there. The city eventually became a major industrial air and space technology center. It is restructuring its industrial base to meet current demands. Voronezh became our Sister City in 1991.

Limoges, France (Leem-OGE with a soft g)
Limoges is 229 miles south of Paris. Famous for its beautiful porcelain and enamel pieces, it is also home to a championship basketball team and has many industrial and research facilities. Limoges became our Sister City in 1992.

Wroc³aw, Poland (VROTS-wahv)
Located 170 miles from Warsaw, the city dates back to the 11th century and has rebuilt itself in the last decade. A world famous classical musical festival is held every fall. Industries include metalworking, electronics, chemicals and textiles. Wroclaw became our Sister City in 1993.

Kumasi, Ghana (Koo-MA-si)
The 2nd largest city in Ghana and is capital of the Ashanti Region, a land of ancient African royalty. The economy is based on agriculture, manufacturing and the mining of timber, gold and diamonds. Kente cloth is also produced in Kumasi. Kumasi became our Sister City in 1995.

Hadera, Israel (Ha-DER-a)
Hadera means "green" in Arabic, which was derived from the city being built on top of swampy marsh land in the late 1800s. Hadera is home to the OAIPM, paper mill factory and the Orot Rabin Power Station in Hadera which supplies 60% of its power to the country. Located along the flourishing coast of Israel, Hadera has a population of 80,000 and was established in 1891.