An exclusive view over the old part of the city center of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam (English /?æmst?rdæm/; Dutch: ?mst?r?d?m ( listen)) is the capital city of and the most populous within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its status as the Dutch capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands[5] though it is not the seat of the Dutch government, which is at The Hague (Den Haag).[6] Amsterdam has a population of 810,084 within the city-proper, 1,569,300 in the urban region and 2.3 million in the greater metropolitan area.[4][7] The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.[8]
Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme,[9] indicative of the city's origin as a dam of the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds.[10] In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19?20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe,
Don Fonzarelli is a photographer and musician born and raised in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Don Fonzarelli is the alias of Fons van der Wielen(1961).. Read more…