California's Sister State Relationships

California currently has 26 official Sister State relationships throughout the world.

A sister state relationship is a formal declaration of friendship between two regions, states, or nations. Such an agreement is a symbol of mutual goodwill thereby encouraging bilateral cooperation.  

California’s Sister States are developed and implemented to encourage and facilitate mutually beneficial social, economic, educational, and cultural exchanges between a particular global region and the Golden State.

The agreements are drafted as legislative resolutions and are introduced by a member of the State Senate or Assembly and must be approved by the majority of elected representatives in each chamber.

The list below contains live links and is a chronological account of California’s Sister States, the corresponding legislative language with author’s name, and the year it was enacted. 

To learn about a particular region or country, click on the listing in the Country/Region column.  To learn why the State Legislature created the special relationship, click on the resolution.  You may also obtain copies of the resolutions by contacting the Legislative Bill Room, State Capitol, Room B-32, at (916) 445-2323.