AmsterdamCity and municipality

Images, from top down, left to right: the Rijksmuseum,canals of Amsterdam, Royal Palace at Dam Square,Royal Concertgebouw, National Maritime Museum,a cannabis coffee shop, De Wallen red-light district,

Zuidas business district by night

Flag Coat of arms

Nickname(s): Mokum, Venice of the NorthMotto: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig (Valiant,

Steadfast, Compassionate)

AmsterdamFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amsterdam (English /mstrdm/;Dutch: [mstrdm]) is the capital city and mostpopulous city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Itsstatus as the Dutch capital is mandated by the Constitutionof the Netherlands[7] though it is not the seat of the Dutchgovernment, which is The Hague.[8] Amsterdam has apopulation of 813,562 within the city proper, 1,112,165 inthe urban region and 1,575,263 in the greater metropolitanarea.[9] The city region has a population of 2,332,773.[10]The city is located in the province of North Holland in thewest of the country. It comprises much of the northern partof the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe,with a population of approximately 7 million.[11]

Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme,[12]indicative of the city's origin as a dam of the river Amstel.Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12thcentury, Amsterdam became one of the most importantports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age (17thcentury), a result of its innovative developments in trade.During that time, the city was the leading center forfinance and diamonds.[13] In the 19th and 20th centuries,the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods andsuburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canalsof Amsterdam and the 1920th century Defence Line ofAmsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one ofthe top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam isconsidered an alpha world city by the Globalization andWorld Cities (GaWC) study group. The city is also thecultural capital of the Netherlands.[14] Many large Dutchinstitutions have their headquarters there, and seven of theworld's 500 largest companies, including Philips and ING,are based in the city.[15] In 2012, Amsterdam was rankedthe second best city in which to live by the EconomistIntelligence Unit (EIU)[16] and 12th globally on quality ofliving by Mercer.[17] The city was previously ranked 3rdin innovation by 2thinknow in the Innovation Cities Index2009.[18]

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stockexchange in the world, is located in the city center.Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals,the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk

Coordinates: 5222N 454E

Amsterdam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam

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