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Mobile, AL - Sited on the Gulf Coast, vibrant, funky Mobile was established in 1702 as a colony of France, then Britain, and lastly Spain. The port city is twinned with Málaga, in Spain.

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Málaga, Spain - Historic Málaga lies on the Costa del Sol, in Spain's Andalusia province. The Mediterranean port city was founded by the Phoenicians nearly 3,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.

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Denver, CO - Denver, which sits in the shadow of the mighty Rocky Mountains, is nicknamed the "Mile High City" as its official elevation is exactly one mile above sea level, making it the highest major city in the country. The Kenyan capital, Nairobi, is one of several cities it's twinned with.

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Nairobi, Kenya - The sprawling African city of Nairobi is the capital of Kenya. It's one of the few cities in the world with a national park within its boundaries—the Nairobi Safari Walk, a major tourist attraction.

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Hartford, CT - Connecticut's state capital, Hartford was founded in 1635 and is among the oldest cities in the US. A noted cultural hot spot is the Mark Twain House, where the author wrote his most celebrated works. Hartford's sister cities include Thessaloniki, in Greece.

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Thessaloniki, Greece - The second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BCE. A jewel in the ancient Byzantine Empire, the Aegean Sea port is home to a dazzling collection of Byzantine, Roman, Ottoman, and Sephardic Jewish monuments and structures.

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Washington, D.C. - The capital of the USA is one of the most visited cities in the world. Named after George Washington, the nation's first president, the city boasts an enviable number of historic landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial. Washington, D.C. is twinned with Beijing, among other cities.

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Beijing, China - Beijing is the capital of China and the world's second most populous city. Rich in history, Beijing's opulent palaces and temples are complemented by some truly remarkable examples of modern architecture.

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Miami, FL - Miami has the third tallest skyline in the US. A popular tourist destination, the city is lapped by the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that allows the climate to stay warm and mild all year. Miami is also the gateway to the Everglades National Park. Several foreign cities are twinned with Miami including Salvador de Bahia, in Brazil.

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Salvador de Bahia, Brazil - Noted for its delicious cuisine, rhythmic music, and the colorful facades of its 16th-century colonial architecture,  Salvador de Bahia is also known for Praia do Porta da Barra, regarded as one of the best beaches the world.

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Baltimore, MD - Interestingly, Baltimore has more public statues and monuments per capita than any other city in the country. It's also here that 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was penned, which later became the American national anthem. Fittingly, given its many landmarks, one of Baltimore's sister cities is Luxor, in Egypt.

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Luxor, Egypt - Often referred to as the "world's greatest open-air museum," Luxor, which sits on the banks of the River Nile, is simply magnificent. Its ancient sites include Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and Colossi of Memnon.

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Detroit, MI - The "Motor City" was once the hub of America's auto industry. It's also the birthplace of Motown music. The city is peppered with outstanding examples of industrial architecture, much of which is undergoing long overdue restoration. Detroit today is known as a "City of Design," an honor bestowed upon it by UNESCO. Dubai, in the UAE, is one of its sister cities.

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Dubai, UAE - The location of the world's tallest building, the extraordinary Burj Khalifa, Dubai is a global city of iconic skyscrapers and high-rise buildings that arrow skywards out of the desert. A Middle East business hub, Dubai was once known for its pearling industry, way back in the 16th century.

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Albuquerque, NM - Founded in 1706 as the Spanish colonial outpost of Villa de Alburquerque, earlier archaeological evidence points to the presence of American Indian peoples settling in the area. Partly set within the Chihuahuan Desert, the city hosts the annual International Balloon Festival. Among other sister cities, Albuquerque is twinned with Guadalajara, Mexico.

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Guadalajara, Mexico - Home of the jaunty mariachi music style, Gaudalajara is also renowned for its fabulous cathedral, built in the Spanish Renaissance style and originally dating back to 1618 (the structure has since been at the mercy of numerous earthquakes).

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New York City, NY - Called New Amsterdam by Dutch colonists in 1624, it was the English that gave New York its name, after King Charles II granted the land the fledgling city was sited on to his brother, the Duke of York. Suitably perhaps, London is one of the Big Apple's sister cities.

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London, United Kingdom - Often cited as a global cultural capital, London was founded by the Romans, who called it "Londinium." A city crammed with world-class tourists sites, London is also known for its subway network, the oldest anywhere.

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Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati was the first US city founded after the American Revolution, in 1788. From 1810 to 1830 its population nearly tripled, thus prompting a labor shortage. This encouraged a large wave of immigration by Irish and Germans in the 1840s. Munich, in Germany, is just one of several overseas cities twinned with "Cincy."

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Munich, Germany - Nestled in the German state of Bavaria not far from the Bavarian Alps, prosperous Munich dates back to 1158, when the first known settlement was established by Benedictine monks. The onion-domed towers of the Frauenkirche, BMW motor cars, and the annual Oktoberfest beer festival have all helped put the city on the map.

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Philadelphia, PA - The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776. The city's historic and cultural credentials therefore make it one of the country's most revered destinations for tourists. In the 19th century, immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Italy made up the numbers. No surprise then that Florence, Italy, is among Philly's sister cities.

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Florence, Italy - One of Europe's most historic cities, Florence dazzles with its wealth of Renaissance art, beautiful architecture, and eye-popping monuments. Must-sees number Michelangelo's David, the romantic Ponte Vecchio, and the impressive cathedral.

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Providence, RI - Rhode Island's attractive capital is one of the oldest cities in the US, having been founded in 1636. Two years later, the First Baptist Church in America was established, the oldest baptist church congregation in the country. Phnom Penh, in Cambodia, is one of its sister cities.

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Once described as the "Pearl of Asia," Cambodia's busting capital still beguiles with its odd marriage of French colonial architecture and ancient Angkorian monuments. Don't miss the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda.

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Cambridge, MA - A scholarly air permeates venerable Cambridge. Not surprising as it's the location of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—two of the world's most prestigious universities. One of its sister cities is Coimbra, in Portugal.

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Coimbra, Portugal - Blessed with a history that dates back to the 10th century, Coimbra was once the capital of Portugal (from 1113 to 1255). This beautiful and cultured city is proud of its university, the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world, having been founded in 1290.

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Charlotte, NC - Humid and steamy, Charlotte basks in a subtropical climate. Settled in 1755 by people of mostly European descent, the city is traditionally the home of southern Presbyterianism, but in the 19th century, numerous churches were established here. Charlotte is twinned with Limoges in France, among other cities.

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Limoges, France - Picturesque Limoges is a medieval gem, a city renowned for its exquisite Renaissance enamels, 19th-century porcelain, and for its quality oak barrels which are used for Cognac and Bordeaux wine production.

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Seattle, WA - With a skyline dominated by the landmark Space Needle, Seattle is easily recognized. Further enhancing the view is mighty Mount Rainier. The mountain is an active volcano, so it's apt that one of Seattle's sister cities is Reykjavik, in Iceland.

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Reykjavik, Iceland - The "Land of Ice and Fire" is no misnomer for this country, the capital of which, Reykjavik, is still shaped by regular earthquakes and volcanoes. That said, it is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world.

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Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, boasts no less than 25 sister cities. The most intriguing pairing, however, is with Tehran, Iran's capital city.

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Tehran, Iran - Tehran has been the capital of Iran since 1796, but the country itself is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations. An impressive 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites are established within its borders.

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