Netherlands, Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam capital of the Netherlands, lies on the banks of two bodies of water, the IJ bay and the Amstel river. Founded in the late 12th century as a small fishing village on the banks of the Amstel, it is now the largest city in the country and is a financial and cultural centre. As of August 1, 2006, the population of the city proper is 741,329; the population of the official Greater Amsterdam area is approximately 1.5 million, but the real agglomeration is estimated at 2 to 2.5 million. Amsterdam is also one of the core urban centres of the greater metropolitan area called "Randstad" (Ring City) which encompasses other Dutch cities such as Haarlem, Utrecht, Leiden, The Hague and Rotterdam and has a population of over 7.5 million.
Amsterdam is famous for its free-spirited liberalism, diversity and tolerance.

History

During the construction of the Amsterdam metro, plans to demolish the entire former Jewish neighbourhood near the Nieuwmarkt led to strong protests. The metro was still built (wall decorations at the Nieuwmarkt station are dedicated to the protests), but plans to build a highway through the neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam were abolished.

Weather

Amsterdam enjoys a moderate temperate climate, with the weather patterns being strongly influenced by Amsterdam's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the prevailing westerly winds. Winters are mild and average above freezing, although frosts are not uncommon during periods of easterly or northeasterly winds that blow from the interior of the continent. Summers are warm but seldom hot. Although days with measurable precipitation are common, Amsterdam averages less than 760 mm of precipitation annually. Most of the rain falls as protracted drizzle or light rain. Cloudy and damp days are common, particularly in the cooler months.

Economy

Amsterdam is the financial/business capital of the Netherlands and repeatedly chosen the fifth most important city in Europe in which to do business after London, Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels, but has recently moved to a sixth place just behind Barcelona (Cushman and Wakefield). Many large Dutch corporations and banks have their headquarters in Amsterdam, like ABN Amro, Heineken, ING Group, Ahold, Delta Lloyd Group and Philips. KPMG International's global headquarter is located in Amsterdam, as is the European headquarter of Cisco Systems.

Because of the many large companies in Amsterdam, and the rest of the Netherlands, Reuters has a relatively large representation in the city.

Tourist attractions

Amsterdam is noted for many outstanding museums, including the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, and its world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest, whose home base is the Concertgebouw. The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. Anne Frank House is also a popular tourist attraction.