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There are three organisations around the world which participate in the Capital of Culture program. The original idea was instigated by the European Union, by Greek culture minister and former actress, Melina Mercouri in 1985, who wanted to promote European culture throughout the community.For it's first fourteen years the program was known as the European City of Culture with one city chosen each year. At the beginning of the New Millenium, in 2000, nine cities were chosen for that year and the program became known as the European Capital of Culture. Since then, as many as three capitals each year can be chosen from their list of nominees.
In 1996 The Arab League, in association with UNESCO, proposed a similar program for Arab countries, under the title of the UNESCO Cultural Capitals Program. Each year just one city is chosen from it's list of nominees.
This followed, in 1997, with the formation of the American Capital of Culture Organisation with backing from the Organisation of American States, which instigated the same type of program for the Americas, which incorporates all countries from north, south and central America. One city every year is chosen from it's list of nominees, which began in 2000.
Below is a list of the cities which have been chosen as Cities or Capitals of Culture since it's inauguration in 1985.
EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE
1985 - Athens (pictured above), Greece.
1986 - Florence, Italy.
1987 - Amsterdam, Netherlands.
1988 - Berlin, Germany.
1989 - Paris, France.
1990 - Glasgow, Scotland.
1991 - Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
1992 - Madrid, Spain.
1993 - Antwerp, Belgium.
1994 - Lisbon, Portugal.
1995 - Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
1996 - Copenhagen, Denmark.
1997 - Thessoloniki, Greece.
1998 - Stockholm, Sweden.
1999 - Weimar, Germany.
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
ec.europa.eu/european-capitals-of-culture
2000 - Avignon, France - Bergen, Norway - Bologna, Italy - Brussels, Belgium - Helsinki, Finland -
Krakov, Poland - Prague, Czech Republic - Reykjavik, Iceland - Santo de Compostela, Spain.
2001 - Rotterdam, Netherlands & Porto, Portugal.
2002 - Bruges, Belgium & Salamanca, Spain.
2003 - Graz, Austria.
2004 - Genoa, Italy & Lille, France.
2005 - Cork, Republic of Ireland.
2006 - Patras, Greece.
2007 - Sibiu, Romania & Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
2008 - Liverpool, England & Stavanger, Norway.
2009 - Vilnius, Lithuania & Linz, Austria.
2010 - Essen, Germany & Istanbul, Turkey + Pecs, Poland.
2011 - Turku, Finland & Tallinn, Estonia.
2012 - Guimaraes, Portugal & Maribar, Slovenia.
2013 - Marseille, France & Kosice, Slovakia.
2014 - Umea - Sweden & Riga, Latvia.
2015 - Mons, Belgium & Pizen, Czech Republic.
2016 - San Sebastian, Spain & Wroclaw, Poland.
AMERICAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
2000 - Merida, Mexico.
2001 - Iquique, Chile.
2002 - Maceio, Brazil.
2003 - Curitiba, Brazil.
2003 - Panama City, Panama.
2004 - Santiago, Chile.
2005 - Guadalajara, Mexico.
2006 - Cordoba, Argentina .
2007 - Cuzco, Peru.
2008 - Brasilia, Brazil.
2009 - Asuncion, Paraguay.
2010 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
2011 - Quito, Ecuador.
2012 - Sao Luis, Brazil.
2013 - Barranquilla, Colombia.
2014 - Estado de Colina, Mexico.
2015 - Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
2016 - Valdivia, Chile.
ARAB CAPITAL OF CULTURE
Organised by the Arab League under the UNESCO cultural capitals program.
1996 - Cairo, Egypt.
1997 - Tunis, Tunisia.
1998 - Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
1999 - Beirut, Lebanon.
2000 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2001 - Kuwait City, Kuwait.
2002 - Amman, Jordan.
2003 - Rabat, Morocco.
2004 - San'a, Yemen.
2005 - Khartoum, Sudan.
2006 - Muscat, Oman.
2007 - Algiers, Algeria.
2008 - Damascus, Syria.
2009 - Jerusalem, Palestine.
2010 - Doha, Qatar.
2011 - Sirte, Libya.
2012 - Manama, Bahrain.
2013 - Baghdad, Iraq.
2014 - Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
2015 - Constantine, Algeria.
2016 - Sfax, Tunisia.
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