Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, lies on the banks of two bodies of water, the IJ bay and the Amstel river.
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 742,951; 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 were built around the older city centre, which still defines 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.
Some of the narrow brick houses are gradually sinking because they are built on wooden piles to cope with the marshy subsoil.
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. Notable are also 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).
Weather
Amsterdam enjoys a moderate temperate climate, with the weather patterns being strongly influenced by Amsterdam's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the prevailing westerly winds.
Winters are mild and average above freezing, although frosts are not uncommon during periods of easterly or northeasterly winds that blow from the interior of the continent.
Summers are comfortably warm but seldom hot. However, although days with measureable precipitation are common, Amsterdam does not have an overly wet climate and averages less than 760 mm (30 inches) of precipitation annually.
The amount of precipitation seems heavier than it actually is, as much of it falls as protracted drizzle or light rain. Cloudy and damp days are common, particularly in the cooler months.
Public transport
Public transport in Amsterdam, operated by Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, Connexxion, and Nederlandse Spoorwegen, consists of:
National and International train connections
3 metro lines and 1 light rail line, together the Amsterdam metro
16 tram lines
An express tram line (IJtram)
55 local bus lines
regional bus lines
several ferries for pedestrians and cyclists across the IJ (free of charge) a Fast Flying Ferry towards Velsen-Zuid on the North Sea shore A new underground line, the North/South Line (Noord/Zuidlijn) is under construction.
The estimated completion date is in 2012.(See also Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, Amsterdam metro, Amsterdam Centraal).
