CITY OF MIAMI BEACH SISTER CITIES

Miami Beach International Sister Cities was founded in 1959. By-laws for the program were officially established on July 2, 1997. The program was created for the purpose of promoting awareness between the people of Miami Beach and the people of foreign cities in order to acquire a consciousness of each other, to understand each other as individuals, as members of their community, as citizens of their country and as part of the family of nations. To form continuing relationship of mutual concern and to promote art, cultural, educational and business exchanges between the City of Miami Beach and its sister cities.

Miami Beach has established a sister city relationship with the following cities:

(Click on city name for more information)

• Fujisawa, Japan, Date Established as Sister City: March 4, 1959
• Santa Marta, Colombia, Date Established as Sister City: February 21, 1979
• Almonte, Spain, Date Established as Sister City: February 18, 1988
• Cozumel, Mexico, Date Established as Sister City: June 17, 1992
• Ica, Peru, Date Established as Sister City: October 9, 1996
• Pescara, Italy, Date Established as Sister City: October 21, 1997
• Fortaleza, Brazil, Date Established as Sister City: July 7, 2004
• Nahariya, Israel, Date Established as Sister City: June 9, 2004
• Brampton, Canada, Date Established as Sister City: March 20, 2009
• Basel, Switzerland, Date Established as Sister City: July 31, 2011

We also have a friendship city relationship with Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Prior to a foreign city becoming a sister city to Miami Beach, the foreign city would have to meet at least one of the following criteria:

• The demographic of the proposed sister city should be similar to Miami Beach i.e. population, coastal, deep-sea.
• The proposed sister city would have to have some other quality in common with Miami Beach such as being a major international tourist destination, a significant historic district, a community heavily involved in the entertainment industry, etc.

The Coordinating Council is the governing body of the overall Sister Cities Program. The council shall consist of; one (1) representatives per Sister City affiliation and, nine (9) other members. All of these members are appointed by the mayor. The members of the coordinating council shall be persons who are interested in furthering the purpose of the program. Any person interested in furthering the purpose of the program may become a member of an individual sister city committee upon approval by the coordinating council. To qualify, the person shall present a resume and a letter of interest to the committee chairperson. These members are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Miami Beach for two (2) years.