BIG CITIES
JUNE 16, 2022
Amsterdam : City Of A Thousand Canals
Ever since hundred years ago, Amsterdam is one of those fascinating cities in Europe.
Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and the largest city in the Netherlands. Amsterdam’s current position as the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of 24 August 1815 and its successors.
The Amsterdam area includes the northern part of the Randstad, one of the largest conurbations in Europe with a population of about 7 million.
HISTORY
The origin of Amsterdam is related to the development of peatlands called Amestelle, which means ‘watery area’, from ‘River’ + Stelle ‘site on the coastline’ or ‘river banks’. In this area, land reclamation began at the end of the 10th century. The main turning point in the development of the Amstel River estuary is when there is a flash flood of Allerheiligenvloed in 1170, so it is necessary to make dams.
Amsterdam is the only city in the world whose position is below sea level. The regulation of sea water is very important in this country and in some cities. A quarter of the city’s surface is made up of canals and waterways with a length of more than 100 km, 90 islands and 1,500 bridges.
The city’s three main canals, the Herengracht-Keizersgracht-Prinsengracht and the Jordaan, are listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. If tourists depart from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam, after leaving Badhoevedorp they will see on either side of the road will be filled with canals.
With so many canals like this, the city of Amsterdam has been dubbed the “City of a Thousand Canals”. Some even call it the “Venice of the North”, meaning the city in the northern part of the world that is completely built on water.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Amsterdam is one of the favorite tourist destinations in the Netherlands. The unique design of the city with the architecture of classic European buildings, coupled with the canals that connect the city make tourists feel at home for long in Amsterdam.
This city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe with 4.63 million international tourists annually, not counting the 16 million “visitors a day” that come to the city each year.
De Wallen, also known as Walletjes or Rosse Buurt, is an area devoted to legal prostitution and is the largest and most famous red light district in Amsterdam. It consists of a network of canals, streets, and alleys containing several hundred small one-bedroom apartments rented by sex workers who offer their services from behind windows or glass doors, usually lit with red lights.
Tourists will find more than five canals because along the streets of the City of Amsterdam are filled with canals. For example the canal that will be found after passing through the Museumplein or the museum area. Here, visitors will find various museums, such as the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Torture Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum. Opposite the Rijksmuseum you will find a beautiful canal near Hobbamastreet St which is also close to the Stedelijk Museum.
ECONOMY AND FINANCE
Amsterdam is the financial and business center of the Netherlands. It is currently one of the best cities in Europe for international business. The city is ranked fifth and only lost to London, Paris, Frankfurt and Barcelona.
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX) (currently part of Euronext) is the oldest stock exchange in the world and one of the largest in Europe. It is located near Dam Square in the city center.
Many large Dutch companies have their headquarters there and 7 of the world’s top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in this city. In 2010, Amsterdam was ranked 13th in Mercer’s list of cities with the best quality of life, and previously ranked 3rd in innovation by 2thinknow on the 2009 Innovation Cities Index.
Other well-known companies and banks are also headquartered here, including Akzo Nobel, Heineken International, ABN AMRO, TomTom, Delta Lloyd Group and Booking.com. KPMG International’s head office is located in Amstelveen, not far from the city.
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