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1、TowntwinningTowntwinningisaconceptwherebytownsorcitiesingeographicallyandpoliticallydistinctareasarepairedwiththegoaloffosteringhumancontactandculturallinks.InEurope,suchpairsoftownsareknownastwintowns,friendshiptownsor,inGerman,partnertowns(Partnerstädte);inNorthAmericaandAustralasia,theterm
2、sistercitiesisusedforthesameconcept;andbrothercities(города-побратимы)isthetermintheformerSovietbloc.Twintownsoften(thoughbynomeansalways)havesimilardemographicandothercharacteristics.Sometimes,evenlargerareasenterinto"twinning"agreements,suchasthatbetweentheprovincesofHainaninChinaandJejuinS
3、outhKorea.Theconceptcanbelikenedtoascaledupversionofa"penpal"scheme,inwhichthe"pals"arewholetownsorcities.Inpractice,thetwinningarrangementsoftenleadtostudentexchangeprograms,aswellaseconomicandculturalcollaborations.EuropeTheearliestformoftowntwinninginEuropewasbetweentheGermancityofPaderbor
4、nandtheFrenchcityofLeMansin836,althoughthiswasnotofficiallyestablishedasamoderntowntwinningarrangementuntil1967.Theveryfirstofficialtowntwinningarrangementintheworldwasestablishedin1930betweentheGermancityofWiesbadenandtheAustriancityofKlagenfurt.ThepracticeoftowntwinningwasdevelopedinEuropea
5、ftertheSecondWorldWarasawaytobringEuropeanpeopleintoacloserunderstandingofeachotherandtopromotecross-borderprojectsofmutualbenefit.Anearlyexampleoftowntwinningdatesbackto1947whenBristolCouncilsentfive'leadingcitizens'onagoodwillmissiontoHanover.WhilestillmorepopularasaconceptinEuropethanelsew
6、here,theideahasnowspreadtoothercontinents,leadingtosomeveryinterestingpairings.WithinEurope,towntwinningisnowsupportedbytheEuropeanUnion.Thesupportschemewasestablishedin1989.In2003anannualbudgetofabout12millioneuroswasallocatedtoabout1,300projects.E.U.sistercitiesareaseparateaffiliationfromth
7、einternationalsistercitiesassociations.NorthAmericaThecityofVancouver,BritishColumbia,Canadawasoneofthefirstcitiesevertoenterintoaninternationaltwinningarrangementwhen,in1944,ittwinnedwiththeUkrainiancityofOdessa,whichatthetimewaspartoftheSov
