# Cologne

| Cologne Köln |
| --- |
| View of Cologne from the Helios Lighthouse |
| BannerCoat airms |
| Cologne |
| Cologne athin North Rhine-Westphalie
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| Coordinates: ﻿ / ﻿ |
| Kintra | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalie |
| Admin. region | Cologne |
| Destrict | Urban district |
| Foondit | 38 BC |
| Govrenment |
|  • Laird Mayor | Torsten Burmester (SPD) |
| Area |
|  • Total | 405.15 km2 (156.43 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 37 m (121 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-31) |
|  • Total | 1,073,096 |
|  • Density | 2,600/km2 (6,900/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Postal codes | 50441–51149 |
| Diallin codes | 0221, 02203 (Porz) |
| Vehicle registration | K |
| Website | www.stadt-koeln.de |

**Cologne** (German: *Köln*, pronounced [kœln] ( listen); Kölsch dialect: *Kölle* [ˈkœɫə]) is Germany's fowert-lairgest ceety (efter Berlin, Hamburg an Munich), an is the lairgest ceety baith in the German Federal State o North Rhine-Westphalie an athin the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Aurie, ane o the major European metropolitan areas wi mair nor ane million inhabitants. It is ane o the auldest ceeties in Germany, haein been foondit bi the Ubii in the year 38 BC. The name is derived frae that o the Roman dounset, *Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium*.

Cologne lies on the River Rhine. The ceety's famous Cologne Cathedral (*Kölner Dom*) is the seat o the Catholic Archbishop o Cologne. The University o Cologne (*Universität zu Köln*) is ane o Europe's auldest varsities.

Cologne is a major cultural centre o the Rhineland an haes a vibrant airts scene. Cologne is hame tae mair nor 30 museums an hunders o galleries. Exhibitions range frae local auncient Roman archeological sites tae contemporary graphics an sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a nummer o trade shows such as Airt Cologne, imm Cologne (Internaitional Furniture Fair) an the Photokina. Cologne is an aa well-kent for its celebration o Cologne Carnival, the annual reggae summerjam, an Cologne Gay Pride.

Athin Germany, Cologne is kent as an important media center. Several radio an television stations, includin Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), RTL an VOX, hae thair heidquarters in the ceety. Baith Pro7 an Sat.1 produce TV shows in Cologne as well. Further, the ceety hosts the Cologne Comedy Festival, which is considered tae be the lairgest comedy festival in mainland Europe.

## Twin touns — sister ceeties

Cologne is "twinned" wi the follaein ceeties:

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| * Liverpuil, Unitit Kinrick, syne 1952
* Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, syne 1958
* Liège, Belgium, syne 1958
* Lille, Fraunce, syne 1958
* Rotterdam, Netherlands, syne 1958
* Turin, Italy, syne 1958
* Kyoto, Japan, syne 1963
* Tunis, Tunisie, syne 1964
* Turku, Finland, syne 1967
* Neukölln, Germany, syne 1967
* Cluj-Napoca, Roumainie, syne 1976
* Tel Aviv, Israel, syne 1979
* Barcelona, Spain, syne 1984
 | * Beijing, Cheenae, syne 1987
* Corinto/El Realejo, Nicaragua, syne 1988
* Cork, Ireland, syne 1988
* Indianapolis, Unitit States, syne 1988
* Thessaloniki, Greece, syne 1988
* Volgograd, Roushie, syne 1988
* Treptow-Köpenick, Germany, syne 1990
* Katowice, Poland, syne 1991
* Bethlehem, Palestine, syne 1996
* Istanbul, Turkey, syne 1997
* Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, sync 2011
* Dnipro, Ukraine, syne 2024
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