Amsterdam

Municipality Amsterdam

(Flag of Amsterdam) (coat of arms of Amsterdam)
province	north Holland
mayor	Job Cohen
seat of the municipality	Amsterdam
surface - country - water	130 km ² k.A. km ² k.A. km ²
inhabitants - population density	742,011 (1-12-2005) 4,484 Einwohner/km ²
coordinates	coordinates: 52° 22 ′ 12.7 ″ N, 04° 53 ′ 25.6 ″ O 52° 22 ′ 12.7 ″ N, 04° 53 ′ 25.6 ″ O
important traffic route	A 10
preselection	020
postal zip codes	10xx
official Website	http://www.amsterdam.nl/

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and has 742,011 inhabitants, as dye Groot Amsterdam approx. 1,2 millions (2004). In the region Amsterdam (northern part of the compression chamber Randstad) live approx. 2,2 millions Humans (2004). Seat of the government is however 50 kmremoved the Hague.

Amsterdam is in the province Noord Holland, because of the delta of the Amstel and the IJ into the IJsselmeer. Amsterdam is connected by the Noordzeekanaal with the North Sea, with a dam from inundations protected and ofnumerous Grachten pulled through. Amsterdam was built on approximately 5 million fir trunks.

Table of contents 1 quarters 2 history 2,1 name history 2,2 Amsterdam starting from the Middle Ages 3 politics 4 objects of interest 5 economics 5,1 traffic 6 Universities of 7 Graffiti 8 personalities of 9 sons andDaughters of the city 10 Web on the left of

quarters

• city center (center, with Jordaan and Oostelijke isles)
• Amsterdam - west
  • Westpoort (western dockland, working area Sloterdijk, Teleport, Ruigoord)
  • Westerpark (Spaarndammerbuurt, Staatsliedenbuurt, Frederik Hendrikbuurt)
• Oud west
  • de Baarsjes
  • bad EN Lommer (with the villageSloterdijk)
• Nieuw west
  • Geuzenveld Slotermeer
  • Osdorp (Osdorp, MAP, dorp Sloten)
  • Slotervaart Overtoomse Veld (with Nieuw Sloten)
• Amsterdam - Zuid
  • Oud Zuid (Zuid, de Pijp, Hoofddorppleinbuurt)
  • ZuiderAmstel (Rivierenbuurt, Buitenveldert, Prinses Irenebuurt)
• Amsterdam - Oost
  • Oost Watergraafsmeer
  • Zeeburg (Indian one buurt, eastern dockland, IJburg)
• Amsterdam Noord (alsothe villages Durgerdam, Zunderdorp, Ransdorp, Holysloot)
• Zuid Oost (Bijlmer, Gaasperdam, Bullewijk, Driemond)

history

Name history

the name of the city is derived from a dam at the river Amstel . For the city in the Netherlands also the term Mokum is used. The word (original Makom) originates from Jiddi and means as much howCity or place.

Amsterdam starting from the Middle Ages

in 12. Century was mostly hardly easily habitable the today's province Holland. It was mainly consisting a very damp area, of moorland and swampland. This landscape became ofseveral rivers cut through. One of these rivers was the Amstel, which flowed into the IJ. Toward end of the twelfth of century approximately a small settlement developed around a dam in the river.

To this dam in the Amstel owes the city Amsterdam theirName. Today the dam is still existence. In the meantime it was re-designed to a place. Beginning 13. Century were lent Amsterdam by at that time national gentleman Stadtrechte. In the year 1369 Amsterdam became member of the Hanse. Fishing, at the beginning of the most importantSource of income, yielded gradually the trade. In the year 1580 the northern Netherlands forced the incorporation of Portugal by Spain to drive even to India. The first travels were undertaken from Amsterdam and became equal to a gigantic success. Livelyby this result, soon everywhere in the country plans were forged to send ships to India.

On all these single initiatives 1602 the Verenigde Oost Indian Compagnie (united eastIndian company) developed, the VOC. The city alone drew for more than thoseHalf of the entire capital, which was invested into the new enterprise. Toward end of the seventeenth century Amsterdam was the wealthiest city of Europe. In your ports and depots stacked themselves spices, silk and other preciousnesses from India and the Pacific area.In the year 1672 the powerful Netherlands turned out at the same time into a war with France and England. Thus the port of Amsterdam became unattainable for the merchant fleet with goods from India. For the end of the century also the period of the largest endedBloom. The economic structures changed; Amsterdam lost its position as transshipment port for the world trade. However the money market became simultaneous ever more importantly. Amsterdam created it to become the financial center of the world as a banker for the European princes, thosewith borrowed money their expensive wars led.

Innumerable centuries-old monuments zieren the town centre. Up to the today's day witness nearly 7000 buyer and depots as well as near 1300 bridges from the sechzehnten, seventeenth and eight tenth century of this golden age. Thoseraised dealer houses were built along the 165 Grachten, which were used as routes of transportation, in order to manage the fast distribution of the imported goods in the city and to the branch offices. The largest old part of town of Europe with their beautiful buildings is also into those UNESCO - List of the world cultural heritage to be taken up.

politics

by the liberal politics of the Netherlands since 1976 became Amsterdam the center of the drug tourism in Europe. Approximately 300 to 400 that approx. 500 Coffee Shops are resident in the city.Pulled on the one hand by the liberal, in Amsterdem many other-thinking from all countries found and appear themselves politics of the city and floated on the other hand of repressive policy in the own country and select this city to the new homeland. An example of it are the many foreign drug consumption ducks, from which roughly 80% Germans are. At all searches from all world in Amsterdam find a calm port police, because the Netherlands law of the police unfounded and coincidental police and/or. Document of identification controls forbids.

objects of interest

• museums:
  • Amsterdam possesses more than forty museums. The most important are:
    • The Rijksmuseum: National museum, Stadhouderskade 42; Dutch paintings 16. - 19. Century, inclusively the famous night watch by rem Brandt.
    • The Anne franc - house, Prinsengracht 263.
    • Van Gogh museum: Paulus Potterstraat 7.
    • Museum Het Rembrandthuis: Rem Brandt house, Jodenbreestraat 4-6. Former house of the painter.
    • Navigation museum (Scheepvaart museum): Kattenburgplein 1.
    • Biblical museum (Bijbels museum) Amsterdam
    • Jewish historical (JoodsHistorically) museum, in the former synagog close Waterlooplein/Weesperstraat
    • theatre museum: History of the Netherlands theatre
    • Stedelijk museum (urban museum for modern art) z.Zt. Oosterdockskade
    • A branch in the city of Amsterdam historically the museum, over
    • 3 floors has the Peter citizens Eremitage in the Amstelhof,to the Nieuweuzijds Voorburgwaal

• churches:
  • There are some famous churches in Amsterdam. Are worth seeing:
    • Amstelkerk
    • “Ons´ Lieve army OI Solder” - museum Amstelkring (hidden church)
    • Nieuwe Kerk (1490)
    • De Duif
    • Mozes EN Aäronkerk
    • Posthoornkerk
    • Sint Nicolaaskerk
    • Noorderkerk (1620-1623)
    • Oosterkerk
    • Zuiderkerk (1603-1611)
    • Westerkerk (1631)
    • Oude Kerk (approx. 1400)

• Concert halls/theatres:
  • Stadsschouwburg (opera)
  • Concertgebouw, seat of the renowned orchestra of the same name (classical music, opera, ballet).
  • Muziekgebouw aan' t IJ (classical music, chamber music, jazz)

• other one :

• • De Waag (city balance), on the Nieuw market, today with Café
  • madame Tussaud's (the left leads however to London) Wachsfigurenkabinett with changing exhibition, Paleisstraat
  • royal palace, Dam
  • Munt tower, the historical customs office, at the swimming market on thatSingel Gracht
  • the flea market at the Waterlooplein
  • of the Begijnhof, a calm oasis in the geschäftigen city center. (Almshäuser from that 14. Century)
  • the bookshops at the Oudemanhuispoort.
  • Night life: Many of the nightclubs lie in the quarter around the places Rembrandtsplein and wrong September flax. The magazine „Amsterdamer week “publishes a comprehensive meeting calendar. In the nightclub district Walletjes and around the wrong September flax one finds innumerable Coffee Shops, bars and clubs.
  • The red light quarter of Walletjes, Warmoestraat
  • Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, the botanische garden
  • the zoo, Plantage Middelaan
  • Beurs van Berlage, the old person stock exchange (stock exchange building sketched by the famous architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage), Damrak

economics

many Netherlands companies, as for example the brewery Heineken, have their head office in Amsterdam. The Netherlands major banks, ABN AMRO, Rabobank or those ING Groep are owners of Bürokomplexen at the station Sloterdijk in the northwest of the city, at the “World trade center” in the south. Computer companies, like Cisco or NCR have their head office in the southwest trade area in Bullewijk, where also IKEA operates a market. The AmsterdamerPort is the second largest in the Netherlands, to the port in Rotterdam.

Tourism is an important source of income of the city, beside the so-called Counsil Tax, a tax on houses and dwellings. Millions holiday-makers from all world annually visit the city.Numerous hotel chains, like Marriott, in addition, many smaller hotels are in the whole city scattered. Points of attraction are before all the many Grachten, Coffeeshops and the red light district Walletjes in the city centre and the many museums of the city. In thatProximity wrong September flax are discotheques and the Holland of the Casino for luck players.

traffic

the most usual progressive movement means of the city is, like everywhere in the Netherlands, the bicycle. A network of cycle tracks (“fietspaden”) pulls itselfacross Amsterdam, beside all roads and channels, by all parks and connects all neighbour municipalities.

Beside the IJ - Ausläufer over the North Sea channel into the North Sea flows and also a connection to the “Amsterdam Rijnkanaal “has, binds a system ofChannels, which pulls itself semicircularly by the city, the city with the national duct system.

The Metro Metro Amsterdam operates four different lines, which ties up among other things also Amstelveen in the south of the city. The second largest airport on the European mainland “Luchthaven Schiphol “, is southwest between Amstelveen and Hoofddorp in the Utrechter district.

The central station in the center connects the city, beside nine further with the course in all directions on by the courses of the LV course company.

Amsterdam becomes through, with binding to the A8 in the north west with Zaandam direction Alkmaar, in the southwest to A 4, southeast the a2 direction Utrecht and east A 1 direction Almere/ Hilversum enclosed the motorway circuit A 10.

The city is output and terminator point of the German-Dutch holidays road Oranier route.

Universities of

Amsterdam possesses two universities. The Vrije Universiteit (VU) is the only Protestant university of the Netherlands. On the other hand the urban Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) does not have konfessionelleConnection. Both universities have own university hospitals.

Graffiti

Amsterdam belongs to metropolises to the most important Graffiti -. Although surely also from the Hip Hop - scene New Yorker Sprayerszene in the beginnings the Amsterdamer Sprayer, developed, affected, here the Punk movement playedthe more important role. Amsterdamer Sprayer affected many Sprayer in all world since beginning of the eighties stylistic. In addition the Amsterdamer Sprayer has special “Grafitti training”.

personalities

• Anne franc (1929-1945), authoress of the world-famous diary
• rem Brandt vanTo Rijn (1606-1669), painter
• Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677), philosopher

of sons and daughters of the city

• see list of the sons and daughters of Amsterdam

Web on the left of

• Website of the city Amsterdam (English, “www.iamsterdam.com has created as A portal ton the town center OF Amsterdam for the City's been internationally visitors, expats, students and of businesses. ”)
• Official Site of the city Amsterdam (Netherlands, “De site www.amsterdam.nl komt deadstood more onder verantwoordelijkheid van de directie Communicatie van de in accordance with duck Amsterdam in samenwerking met de directie Concern Organisatie. “)
• Amsterdam tourist and Expat guide
• Amsterdam info. tourist information
• Amsterdam Hotspots tourist guide
• further ones left to the topic „Amsterdam (Netherlands) “ in the open directoryProject
• Amsterdam in Site (German, to “look into the Amsterdamer roads by means of click in photos of the crossings. ”)
• Amsterdam, find left!
• Amsterdam counterculture