Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It has more than 780,000 inhabitants and 2.3 million within its agglomeration. Despite Amsterdam being the Dutch capital, the government and the king reside in The Hague.
In the 17th century Amsterdam flourished. At that time, the Netherlands had trade routes all across the globe. In Amsterdam, the ships unloaded their freight, mainly consisting of spices, but also silk, silver and other foreign products. It was the first port in the world.
"Amsterdam" is named after a dam in the Amstel river. Amsterdam was originally called Amstelerdam (the dam at the Amstel).
Amsterdam has become famous for its canals (Dutch: grachten). In the 17th century, rich merchants built their big town houses along them, the so-called "grachtenpanden" or "herenhuizen". Another reason why many tourists visit Amsterdam are the museums, the coffee shops (where you can smoke weed) and the Red Light District.
April 27 is it kings Day, the name is "Koningsdag". All the holland dresses up with orange color. The party is celebrated in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is served by 15 tram lines, 3 subway lines, 1 light rail line, 5 ferries and 33 bus lines. The public transport company is the GVB. Close to the city lies the biggest airport of the Netherlands, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
This page was last edited on 7 February 2019, at 13:00.