Hello, or “konnichiwa,” Lakeland. What do Swan City and Imabari, Japan have in common? The two might seem completely unrelated, but they are actually sister cities.
According to Sister Cities International , the idea behind Sister City partnerships is to cultivate international relationships while having the opportunity to explore different cultures and stimulate economic development.
No need to grab your passport. We’re giving you a quick tour of Lakeland’s five sister cities — all from the comfort of home. Without further ado, meet Lakeland’s sister cities:
Imabari, Japan
Est. 1995 | Home to a 17th-century castle, this island city in Japan is a biker’s paradise. Students from Lakeland and Imabari travel to each city to learn each others’ languages and cultures nearly every year.
Bălți, Moldova
Est. 1997 | This city’s name is pronounced “Beltz,” but it’s also known as the “northern capital” for its cultural and commercial contributions. The partnership between this post-Soviet city in Eastern Europe began after Lakeland audiologist Dr. Gregory Spirakis traveled to Bălți to help children facing hearing loss after the collapse of the USSR.
Chongming, China
Est. 2007 | Chongming holds the title of the third-largest island in China. It comes in at 545 square miles — for context, Lakeland encompasses 75. Lakeland and Chongming share a love of mutual prosperity through education, technology, sports, business, and culture.
Portmore, Jamaica is home to Hellshire Beach seen here.
Photo by @explorewithtash
Portmore, Jamaica
Est. 2009 | A large coastal city with plenty of sunny beach views, Portmore and Lakeland formed connections via local schools, governments, and tourism.
Richmond Hill, Canada
Est. 1990 | We end our virtual vacation in our oldest sister city — which we even visited for ourselves. Richmond Hill and Lakeland share activities like lawn bowling, ice hockey, and golf. The two cities have also hosted exchange students.
If you could make any city in the world one of our sister cities, which one would it be? Which existing sister city do you want to visit most? Share your ideas in our survey .