Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is the largest city of the country. Amsterdam is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the Netherlands. This is one of the most romantic and charming cities in Europe.
Its name is derived from Amstellerdam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Started as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age.
The reason of this progress was world wide trading activities. During that time the city became the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city further grew. Then many new neighbourhoods were built.
In 2008 the city, which had with suburbs a population of 1.36 million. Amsterdam comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.
Amsterdam is the financial and cultural center of Holland
Many large Dutch organisaitons have their headquarters there. 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world is located in the city centre.
Amsterdam attracts million turists yearly
Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, Anne Frank House draw more than 3.66 million international visitors annually. See also: Hotels in Amsterdam
Study in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a lively cosmopolitan city where everyone is at ease with other cultures and languages. Read more: universities in Amsterdam,
