Tifariti
Encyclopedia
Tifariti is an oasis
town located in POLISARIO-controlled Western Sahara
, east of the Moroccan Berm, and 15 km. north the Mauritanian border. It is part of what POLISARIO call the Liberated Territories
and Morocco
call the Buffer Zone. It has a hospital, a school, a mosque and a museum. It is also the head of the 2nd military region of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
.
It is also the name of a Daïra
of the Wilaya of Smara
, in the Sahrawi refugee camps
.
At present, the population of Tifariti is around 3,000 persons.
Tifariti is located between a traditional spiritual centre of the Sahara, founded by the Ma El Ainin, Smara
(177 km) and the Algerian town of Tindouf
(320 km), where the Sahrawi refugee camps
are located.
-speaking Bedouin
people controlling the area since medieval times. In 1912, a French Foreign Legion
expedition commanded by Captain Gerard, who was trying to link with their troops in Morocco, was exterminated by Sahrawi rebel nomads near Tifariti.
Then, it was used by the Spanish colonizers as an advanced desert military outpost. Now in reconstruction, it is estimated that Tifariti had a population of approximately 7,000 inhabitants in 1975. Its inhabitants largely abandoned the town in 1976 because of the war with Morocco. Tifariti never had many fixed structures, due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Sahrawis. It is located in a rugged desert area, with little vegetation.
(1975–1991) and served as a military base and stronghold for both sides at various points of the war. It was also used as a stopping place for Sahrawi refugees en route to Tindouf
(Algeria
) during the invasion phase (1975–76). Some sources claim that in January 1976 there were 15,000 Sahrawi refugees around the town.
The village was briefly occupied by the Moroccan Army in February 1976, but 2 months later it retreated, being reoccupied by the SPLA in March 1977.
In the summer of 1977, Moroccan troops controlled again the town, this time for nearly two years. In March 1979, and after the Battle of Tifariti, the town was taken by the Polisario troops, the SPLA,
During the 1980s, the Moroccan Wall
was constructed north of Tifariti, and the terrain around the town was heavily mined
. The risk is greatest east of the Berm, especially in the areas of Mehaires, Tifariti and Bir Lahlou where the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) conducted offensive operations in August–September 1991. The dangerous result is, among others, scattered cluster bombs, still active in these areas.
In August 1991, weeks before the proclamation of the ceasefire, the Royal Moroccan Air Force
repeatedly bombed Tifariti, destroying the buildings and the wells, as well as killing dozens of civilians.
That infrastructures were destroyed by the Royal Moroccan Air Force
in August 1991, a few days before the proclamation of the cease-fire.
A United Nations
airstrip and a base for the MINURSO's peace keeping forces is situated close to Tifariti.
In April 1999, the "Navarra Hospital" was inaugurated. It was built up with the collaboration of solidarity associations from that Spanish autonomous community. In January 2001, the patients and equipment of the hospital were evacuated, because of the threat of a re-strarting of the war. Finally, in February 2006, the hospital was re-opened.
On May 21, 2005, and during the celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the creation of the Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz
(President of the SADR
) put the first brick of the building that will host the Sahrawi Parliament, the Sahrawi National Council
, and also the first brick of the "Solidarity neighbourhood" new district .
On February 27, 2007 (31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) a borough of 150 houses named "Solidarity neighbourhood" was inaugurated by SADR's president, Mohamed Abdelaziz. It was built with the help of the Andalusia
n provinces
of Sevilla and Málaga
.
On December 21, 2007, Abdelaziz inaugurated a mosque, in the framework of reconstruction and settlement of the Free Zone
.
On February 29, 2008, Abdelaziz launched the works of the building of the Mayoralty of Tifariti, and also put the first brick of a small dam to provide the local population with water.
On July 20, 2009, Salek Baba (SADR'S Minister of Reconstruction and Urbanization) visited Tifariti to assess the works of the "Tadamoun" and "Salam" neighbourhoods and a mini-desalination plant.
On October 30, 2009, Abdelkader Taleb Oumar
(Prime minister of the SADR) inaugurated a new district of 20 houses. He stated:
held its XI General Popular Congress here, electing officials to its executive National Secretariat, the exile parliament of the Sahrawi National Council, as well as reelecting (92%) Mohamed Abdelaziz
as Secretary General, as has been the case since 1976.
In December 2007, with the presence of 250 international delegates, the XII General Popular Congress of the POLISARIO was held again in Tifariti. Abdelaziz was reelected again (85%), although he proposed to regulate alternation in the leadership of the POLISARIO. Also, the members of the National Secretariat were elected.
Since 2010, Larabas Said Jumani (a former minister of the SADR
) is the mayor of Tifariti.
On 27 February 2011 Tifariti hosted the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.
, mound graves and more than a hundred caves with rocky paintings.
Since 2009, Tifariti is the finish line of the "Sahara Bike Race", a 350 km. route in parallel with the Moroccan Wall
, that starts in the Wilaya of El Aaiún, in the Sahrawi refugee camps
.
, Pistoia
, Toscana, Italy
Aldaya, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain
(since February 24, 2004) Arusha
, Arusha Region
, Tanzania
(since December 21, 2009) Caroní
, Bolívar
, Venezuela
(since July 25, 2011) Istán
, Málaga
, Andalucía, Spain (since October 15, 2009) Mascara, Mascara Province
, Algeria
(since June 9, 2008) Mbeya
, Mbeya Region
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Mwanza
, Mwanza Region
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Las Gabias
, Granada
, Andalucía, Spain Libertador, Capital District
, Venezuela
(since November 27, 2005)
Loro Ciuffenna
, Arezzo
, Toscana, Italy Los Palacios y Villafranca
, Sevilla, Spain (since August 5, 1998) Pontassieve
, Firenze
, Toscana, Italy Signa
, Firenze, Toscana, Italy Sumbawanga
, Rukwa Region
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Tanga
, Tanga Region
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Valmaseda, Vizcaya
, País Vasco, Spain Venta de Baños
, Palencia
, Castilla y León, Spain (since December 10, 2009) Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
town located in POLISARIO-controlled Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
, east of the Moroccan Berm, and 15 km. north the Mauritanian border. It is part of what POLISARIO call the Liberated Territories
Free Zone (region)
The Free Zone or Liberated Territories is a term used by the Polisario Front to describe the part of Western Sahara that lies to the east of the Moroccan Berm and west and north of the borders with Algeria and Mauritania, respectively...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
call the Buffer Zone. It has a hospital, a school, a mosque and a museum. It is also the head of the 2nd military region of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
.
It is also the name of a Daïra
Daïra
A daïra |circle]]; plural dawaïr) is an administrative division of a wilaya in Algeria and in Western Sahara. Another transliteration of the word is Daerah.*Daïra of Algeria*Daïra of Western Sahara-See also:* Provinces of Algeria...
of the Wilaya of Smara
Smara
Smara, also Semara , is a city in the Moroccan-Administered Western Sahara, with a population estimated at 42,056.-History:The largest city in its province, Smara was founded in the Saguia el-Hamra as an oasis for travellers in 1869. It is the only major city in Western Sahara that was not founded...
, in the Sahrawi refugee camps
Refugee camps in Tindouf Province, Algeria
The Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, are a collection of refugee camps, set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria in 1975-76 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces, who advanced through Western Sahara during the Western Sahara War...
.
At present, the population of Tifariti is around 3,000 persons.
Tifariti is located between a traditional spiritual centre of the Sahara, founded by the Ma El Ainin, Smara
Smara
Smara, also Semara , is a city in the Moroccan-Administered Western Sahara, with a population estimated at 42,056.-History:The largest city in its province, Smara was founded in the Saguia el-Hamra as an oasis for travellers in 1869. It is the only major city in Western Sahara that was not founded...
(177 km) and the Algerian town of Tindouf
Tindouf
Tindouf is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Mauritanian and Moroccan borders. The region is considered of strategic significance, and it houses Algerian military bases. Since 1975, it also contains several Sahrawi refugee camps operated by the Polisario Front a guerrilla...
(320 km), where the Sahrawi refugee camps
Refugee camps in Tindouf Province, Algeria
The Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, are a collection of refugee camps, set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria in 1975-76 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces, who advanced through Western Sahara during the Western Sahara War...
are located.
History
Primarily a nomadic encampment located near an oasis, it was always a kind of seasonal town for the Sahrawis, an ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
-speaking Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
people controlling the area since medieval times. In 1912, a French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
expedition commanded by Captain Gerard, who was trying to link with their troops in Morocco, was exterminated by Sahrawi rebel nomads near Tifariti.
Then, it was used by the Spanish colonizers as an advanced desert military outpost. Now in reconstruction, it is estimated that Tifariti had a population of approximately 7,000 inhabitants in 1975. Its inhabitants largely abandoned the town in 1976 because of the war with Morocco. Tifariti never had many fixed structures, due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Sahrawis. It is located in a rugged desert area, with little vegetation.
Tifariti during the Western Sahara War
Tifariti was the place of several battles during the Western Sahara WarWestern Sahara War
The Western Sahara War was an armed conflict primarily between the Polisario Front and Morocco, the conflict erupted after the withdrawal of Spain from the Spanish Sahara in accordance with the Madrid Accords by which it gave administrative control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania...
(1975–1991) and served as a military base and stronghold for both sides at various points of the war. It was also used as a stopping place for Sahrawi refugees en route to Tindouf
Tindouf
Tindouf is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Mauritanian and Moroccan borders. The region is considered of strategic significance, and it houses Algerian military bases. Since 1975, it also contains several Sahrawi refugee camps operated by the Polisario Front a guerrilla...
(Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
) during the invasion phase (1975–76). Some sources claim that in January 1976 there were 15,000 Sahrawi refugees around the town.
The village was briefly occupied by the Moroccan Army in February 1976, but 2 months later it retreated, being reoccupied by the SPLA in March 1977.
In the summer of 1977, Moroccan troops controlled again the town, this time for nearly two years. In March 1979, and after the Battle of Tifariti, the town was taken by the Polisario troops, the SPLA,
During the 1980s, the Moroccan Wall
Moroccan Wall
The Berm of Western Sahara is an approximately 2,700 km-long defensive structure, mostly a sand wall , running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco...
was constructed north of Tifariti, and the terrain around the town was heavily mined
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
. The risk is greatest east of the Berm, especially in the areas of Mehaires, Tifariti and Bir Lahlou where the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) conducted offensive operations in August–September 1991. The dangerous result is, among others, scattered cluster bombs, still active in these areas.
In August 1991, weeks before the proclamation of the ceasefire, the Royal Moroccan Air Force
Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force is the air force branch of the Moroccan Armed Forces.-History:...
repeatedly bombed Tifariti, destroying the buildings and the wells, as well as killing dozens of civilians.
Infrastructure
Hospitals and administrative buildings were built here between 1989 and 1991 by foreign aid agencies in preparation for a Sahrawi refugee return to Western Sahara, for the holding of a UN-backed referendum on either independence or integration with Morocco.That infrastructures were destroyed by the Royal Moroccan Air Force
Royal Moroccan Air Force
The Royal Moroccan Air Force is the air force branch of the Moroccan Armed Forces.-History:...
in August 1991, a few days before the proclamation of the cease-fire.
A United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
airstrip and a base for the MINURSO's peace keeping forces is situated close to Tifariti.
In April 1999, the "Navarra Hospital" was inaugurated. It was built up with the collaboration of solidarity associations from that Spanish autonomous community. In January 2001, the patients and equipment of the hospital were evacuated, because of the threat of a re-strarting of the war. Finally, in February 2006, the hospital was re-opened.
On May 21, 2005, and during the celebrations of the 32nd anniversary of the creation of the Polisario Front, Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz is the 3rd and current Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 1976...
(President of the SADR
Sadr
Sadr may refer to:*Gamma Cygni, a star.*Sadr City, a neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad.*Sadr, a family name originating in Lebanon.*Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , the government-in-exile of the Polisario Front....
) put the first brick of the building that will host the Sahrawi Parliament, the Sahrawi National Council
Sahrawi National Council
The Sahrawi National Council or simply National Council is the legislature of the government in exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic...
, and also the first brick of the "Solidarity neighbourhood" new district .
On February 27, 2007 (31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) a borough of 150 houses named "Solidarity neighbourhood" was inaugurated by SADR's president, Mohamed Abdelaziz. It was built with the help of the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n provinces
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
of Sevilla and Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
.
On December 21, 2007, Abdelaziz inaugurated a mosque, in the framework of reconstruction and settlement of the Free Zone
Free Zone (region)
The Free Zone or Liberated Territories is a term used by the Polisario Front to describe the part of Western Sahara that lies to the east of the Moroccan Berm and west and north of the borders with Algeria and Mauritania, respectively...
.
On February 29, 2008, Abdelaziz launched the works of the building of the Mayoralty of Tifariti, and also put the first brick of a small dam to provide the local population with water.
On July 20, 2009, Salek Baba (SADR'S Minister of Reconstruction and Urbanization) visited Tifariti to assess the works of the "Tadamoun" and "Salam" neighbourhoods and a mini-desalination plant.
On October 30, 2009, Abdelkader Taleb Oumar
Abdelkader Taleb Oumar
Abdelkader Taleb Omar is the Prime Minister of the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , in the framework of the government-in-exile proclaimed by the Polisario Front...
(Prime minister of the SADR) inaugurated a new district of 20 houses. He stated:
Politics
In October 2003, the Polisario FrontPolisario Front
The POLISARIO, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco...
held its XI General Popular Congress here, electing officials to its executive National Secretariat, the exile parliament of the Sahrawi National Council, as well as reelecting (92%) Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz is the 3rd and current Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 1976...
as Secretary General, as has been the case since 1976.
In December 2007, with the presence of 250 international delegates, the XII General Popular Congress of the POLISARIO was held again in Tifariti. Abdelaziz was reelected again (85%), although he proposed to regulate alternation in the leadership of the POLISARIO. Also, the members of the National Secretariat were elected.
Since 2010, Larabas Said Jumani (a former minister of the SADR
Sadr
Sadr may refer to:*Gamma Cygni, a star.*Sadr City, a neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad.*Sadr, a family name originating in Lebanon.*Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , the government-in-exile of the Polisario Front....
) is the mayor of Tifariti.
Culture
In February 2009, the town hosted the "International Conference on Urbanization and Reconstruction of Liberated Areas". The participants signed the "Declaration of Tifariti", with three principal aims:- Rebuilding and reconstruction of the liberated territories of Western Sahara.
- Preservation of the Spanish language, through the establishment of the "Saharawi Academy for the Spanish language".
- Promotion of the establishment of the "Tifariti University".
Festivals
Since 2007, Tifariti has been the scenary of "ARTifariti", an annual international encounter of artists from several countries. The art pieces are made in the town and remain there, in the museum of Tifariti or outdoors.On 27 February 2011 Tifariti hosted the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Archeologic Park
Few km. away from Tifariti is the "Erqueyez Archeologic Park". This archaeologic set without precedents in this area, provides an interesting lithic manufacture factories from Inferior Paleolithic or EpipaleolithicEpipaleolithic
The Epipaleolithic Age was a period in the development of human technology marked by more advanced stone blades and other tools than the earlier Paleolithic age, although still before the development of agriculture in the Neolithic age...
, mound graves and more than a hundred caves with rocky paintings.
Sports
Moroccan Wall
The Berm of Western Sahara is an approximately 2,700 km-long defensive structure, mostly a sand wall , running through Western Sahara and the southeastern portion of Morocco...
, that starts in the Wilaya of El Aaiún, in the Sahrawi refugee camps
Refugee camps in Tindouf Province, Algeria
The Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, are a collection of refugee camps, set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria in 1975-76 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces, who advanced through Western Sahara during the Western Sahara War...
.
Twin towns - Sister cities
AglianaAgliana
Agliana is a comune in the Province of Pistoia in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 25 km northwest of Florence and about 7 km southeast of Pistoia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 15,405 and an area of 11.6 km².The municipality of Agliana contains the...
, Pistoia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...
, Toscana, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Aldaya, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(since February 24, 2004) Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, Arusha Region
Arusha Region
Arusha is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital and largest city is Arusha. Other towns include Monduli, just west of Arusha, Longido and Loliondo to the north, Mto Wa Mbu and Karatu to the west and Usa River to the east...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
(since December 21, 2009) Caroní
Caroní Municipality
The Caroní Municipality is one of the 11 municipalities that makes up the Venezuelan state of Bolívar and, according to a 2007 population estimate by the National Institute of Statistics of Venezuela, the municipality has a population of 777,283...
, Bolívar
Bolívar (state)
Bolívar State , is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital city is Ciudad Bolívar. Bolívar State covers a total surface area of 238,000 km² and in June 30, 2010 had an estimated population of 1,620,359....
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
(since July 25, 2011) Istán
Istán
Istán is a village in Málaga province, Andalusia, Southern Spain, with an estimated population in 2005 of 1,422. It lies beneath the Sierra Blanca in the valley of the Rio Verde about 15 km from Marbella and the Mediterranean coast...
, Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Andalucía, Spain (since October 15, 2009) Mascara, Mascara Province
Mascara Province
Mascara is a province in Algeria. There was an earthquake in Mascara City on 18 August 1994 - 5.6 on the Richter scale - which killed 171 people. It was named after its capital, whose name means "military garrison" in Arabic, and which is unrelated to "Mascara", the cosmetic...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
(since June 9, 2008) Mbeya
Mbeya
Mbeya is a city located in southwest Tanzania, Africa. Mbeya's urban population was 280,000 in 2005. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya region ....
, Mbeya Region
Mbeya Region
Mbeya is one of Tanzania's 26 administrative regions. The regional capital is Mbeya. It is bordered to the northwest by Tabora Region, to the northeast by Singida Region, to the East by Iringa Region, to the South by Zambia and Malawi and to the West by Rukwa Region...
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Mwanza
Mwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
, Mwanza Region
Mwanza Region
Mwanza Region is one of the regions of Tanzania. Its capital is Mwanza, which is also Tanzania's second city.The neighbouring regions are Kagera to the west, Shinyanga to the south, and Mara to the east...
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Las Gabias
Las Gabias
Las Gabias is a municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city has a population of 13345 inhabitants.- External links :...
, Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, Andalucía, Spain Libertador, Capital District
Venezuelan Capital District
The Capital District of Venezuela is a federal district corresponding to the capital Caracas. It has an area of 433 km² and there is only one administrative division , Libertador, which contains about half City of Caracas. It is the seat of the federal government and the head of the public...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
(since November 27, 2005)
Loro Ciuffenna
Loro Ciuffenna
Loro Ciuffenna is a comune in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 40 km southeast of Florence and about 25 km northwest of Arezzo....
, Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Toscana, Italy Los Palacios y Villafranca
Los Palacios y Villafranca
Los Palacios y Villafranca is a city located in the province of Seville, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city has a population of 35,225 inhabitants.-External links:* - Holy Week - Los Palacios y Villafranca...
, Sevilla, Spain (since August 5, 1998) Pontassieve
Pontassieve
Pontassieve is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 14 km east of Florence, nearby Fiesole, at the confluence of the Arno and Sieve rivers.-History:...
, Firenze
Firenze
Firenze is the Italian name for the city of Florence.Firenze may also refer to:* Andrea da Firenze, an Italian composer* Lorenzo da Firenze, an Italian composer and music teacher of the trecento...
, Toscana, Italy Signa
Signa
Signa is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 12 km west of Florence. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 16,809 and an area of 18.8 km²....
, Firenze, Toscana, Italy Sumbawanga
Sumbawanga
Sumbawanga is a city located in western Tanzania. It is the capital of Rukwa Region. The regional population is approximately 150,000 based on a 2002 census.Many people living in Sumbawanga are Fipa, called so for the native language also spoken there...
, Rukwa Region
Rukwa Region
Rukwa is one of the 26 regions of Tanzania. Sumbawanga serves as the region's capital. The region is bordered to the north by Kigoma and Tabora Regions, to the east by Mbeya Region, to the south by Zambia and to the west by Lake Tanganyika which forms a border between the region and the Democratic...
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Tanga
Tanga, Tanzania
Tanga is both the name of the most northerly seaport city of Tanzania, and the surrounding Tanga Region. It is the Regional Headquarters of the region.With a population of 243,580 in 2002, Tanga is one of the largest cities in the country...
, Tanga Region
Tanga Region
Tanga Region is one of the 26 regions of Tanzania. The regional headquarters is in Tanga. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the region has a population of 1,642,015 people....
, Tanzania (since December 21, 2009) Valmaseda, Vizcaya
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, País Vasco, Spain Venta de Baños
Venta de Baños
Venta de Baños is a village and municipality of about 5,880 located in El Cerrato, in the province of Palencia, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León, central Spain. It is located south of the provincial capital, Palencia. Noteworthy monuments include its Visigothic church of San...
, Palencia
Palencia
Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon...
, Castilla y León, Spain (since December 10, 2009) Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
