| Amsterdam is the
capital
of the
Netherlands. 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 its financial and cultural
centre. As of
2005, the population of the city proper is 742,209; the population
of the greater Amsterdam area is approximately one and a half million.
Amsterdam has one of the largest historic city centres in Europe, dating
largely from the 17th century, the Golden Age of the Netherlands, of
which it was the focal point. At this time, a series of concentric,
semi-circular canals was built around the older city centre, which still
define its layout and appearance today. Many fine houses and mansions
are situated along the canals; most are lived in, others are now
offices, and some are public buildings.
The city is noted for many outstanding museums, including the
Rijksmuseum, the
Van Gogh Museum, the
Stedelijk Museum,
Rembrandt House Museum, the
Anne Frank House, and its world-class symphony orchestra, the
Concertgebouworkest, whose home base is the
Concertgebouw. It also enjoys a certain notoriety for its
red-light district,
de
Wallen, and its numerous "coffee
shops" selling
cannabis.
Although Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, it is neither
the capital of the province in which it is located,
North Holland (which is
Haarlem),
nor the seat of government (which is
The
Hague).
Source: Wikipedia
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