The NGO "American Capital of Culture Organization" selects one American city annually to serve as the American Capital of Culture for a period of one year. The organization claims the initiative is based closely on the European Capital of Culture programme; it enjoys the backing of the hemisphere-wide Organization of American States, but the OAS is not involved in the selection process. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. ... The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. ... The Organization of American States (OAS; OEA in the other three official languages) is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA. Its members are the 35 independent nations of the Americas. ...

American Capitals of Culture

• 2005: Guadalajara, Mexico
• 2004: Santiago, Chile
• 2003: Panama City, Panama, and Curitiba, Brazil
• 2002: Maceió, Brazil
• 2001: Iquique, Chile
• 2000: Mérida, Mexico

Austin (2004) in the United States, and Saskatchewan (2005) and Toronto (2002) in Canada were offered the honour, only to decline it when they discovered the financial and personnel commitments the award implied: commentators in Regina, on learning that their provincial government had been asked for USD $500,000 in fees, went as far as to refer to the programme as a "scam". Guadalajara is a large city in the Western-Pacific region of Mexico, located at 20°67′ N 103°35′ W. Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco. ... Satellite image of Santiago Santiago (full form Santiago de Chile) is the capital of Chile. ... This is about the capital of Panama. ... Curitiba seen from above Curitiba is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. In 2001 it had a population of approximately 1,600,000 people. ... Maceió, Alagoas (Brazil). ... Iquique (IPA /ikike/) is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast, just west of the Atacama Desert. ... Cathedral on the Plaza Mayor, the oldest in North America [1]. Mérida is the capital city of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ... Skyline from Town Lake City nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location Location in the state of Texas Government County Travis County Mayor Will Wynn Physical characteristics Area      Land      Water 669. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (From many peoples, strength) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant Governor Lynda M. Haverstock Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Area 651,036 km² (7th) Land 591,670 km² Water 59,366 km² (9. ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... Regina, Saskatchewan Regina is the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, Canada and was incorporated as a city on June 19, 1903. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

External link

• American Capital of Culture Organization
• Toronto not to seek "Capital of Culture" designation
• Saskatchewan declines "Capital of Culture" designation
• Saskatchewan government takes a hit for $3,000 in internet scam
• ATTN. MR SASKATCHEWAN – CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL