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What Country is Amsterdam in?

Amsterdam, the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, has a population of about 1.1 million. Located in the province of North Holland in the western province of the country, it is a world-renowned international metropolis.

Amsterdam takes its name from the Amstel dam, which indicates the origin of the city: a dam on the Amstel River, the site of today’s Dam Square. In the 2017 Urban Safety Survey, Amsterdam was rated as the safest city in Europe.

A small fishing village was built here in the late 12th century, and then due to the development of trade, Amsterdam became an important port in the world during the Dutch Golden Age. Is the center of finance and diamonds. The city expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries, and many new neighborhoods and suburban settlements were formed. It is now the fourth largest airport in Europe (the top three are London, Paris and Frankfurt).

Amsterdam has many tourist attractions, including the historic network of canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, the Red Light District, and many cannabis cafes. About 4.2 million tourists visit here every year.

Amsterdam, as the largest city in the Netherlands at present, has experienced glory and destruction, as well as the baptism of world wars, from a fishing village to a metropolis. To a certain extent, its history is also a microcosm of Dutch history.

Geographical environment

As part of the province of North Holland, Amsterdam is located in the north-west of the Netherlands, bordering the provinces of Utrecht and Flevoland. The Amstel River diverts into many small canals in the city centre and eventually flows into IJ Bay. The average altitude of Amsterdam is 2 meters. The main terrain of the city is a plain, and the southwest is a man-made forest. The North Sea Canal connects Amsterdam with the North Sea.

Amsterdam and the surrounding area are already highly urbanized. The city covers an area of ​​219.4 square kilometers, with a population density of 4,457 people per square kilometer and a housing density of 2,275 rooms per square kilometer. The city’s forest coverage rate reached 12%.

Amsterdam has a pleasant climate, and weather conditions are mainly influenced by airflow from the North Sea. Winter temperatures are mild, rarely dropping below 0°C. According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture rating, most of Amsterdam and North Holland, at the northern tip of the European continent, are classified as a hardiness zone 9. Frost is possible in a few areas hit by cold snaps from continental Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and Siberia.

As Amsterdam is surrounded by water on three sides and has a strong heat island effect, the nighttime temperature rarely drops below -5°C, but in Hilversum, a southeastern suburb 25 kilometers away, the lowest temperature can reach -12°C . Summers are warm but not hot.

The average maximum temperature in August is only 22°C, and the high temperature over 30°C is generally only about 3 days. The city has an average of about 175 days of precipitation per year, but the average annual precipitation is less than 760 mm. The rainy season is generally from October to March of the following year, and the precipitation is mainly light rain. On rare occasions, the city is subject to storms.

Nightlife

Amsterdam is also known for its vibrant and distinctive nightlife. The two main nightlife squares are Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein.

There are many cafés in Amsterdam. They vary in size. The looming lights and candlelight give the traditional brown cafe a quaint feel. In summer, many coffee shops will put up food stalls. The most common sight at this time is the food stalls in a square and people enjoying beer or wine.

Amsterdam’s multiculturalism makes for a wide variety of restaurants. It can be found from small restaurants to luxury restaurants. Many of the most exclusive restaurants in the Netherlands are also gathered here.

Amsterdam also has many discos. Most of the ballrooms are located near Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein. Big clubs like Paradiso, Galaxy and Sugar Factory also have discos. But the typical representatives of dance halls are “Escape” and “Club Home”, in addition to “Panama” and “The Powerzone” (The Powerzone) are also more famous.

Reguliersdwarsstraat is the city’s main gay street.

City ​​honor

In November 2018, the world city ranking was released, and Amsterdam entered the ranks of the world’s first-tier cities.

On December 26, 2019, it ranked 18th in the 2019 Global Top 500 Cities List.