About Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands. It is known
throughout the world as one of the greatest small cities in the world.
It lies on the banks of two rivers, the Amstel and IJ, and from its
canals to the world famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam has
long been considered as one of the most romantic and wonderful cities
in the whole continent of Europe.
Established in the later 12th century as a small fishing village on the
banks of the Amstel River, Amsterdam has one of the largest historic
city centers in Europe. One of the focal point of interest in this city
is the Golden Age of Netherlands that dates largely from the 17th
century. It was noted that at this time, a row of concentric,
semi-circular canals were built around the older city center, but this
establishment still defines the city’s layout and appearance
today. Amsterdam now has fine houses and mansions that are situated
along the canals. Most of these houses and mansions are lived in, while
others are now offices and public buildings.
The City Government
Amsterdam, as all Dutch municipalities, is governed by a mayor, his
wethouders (aldermen), and the municipal council. Nevertheless, the
city is subdivided into fifteen stadsdelen (boroughs), which is a
system implemented in the 1980s to improve local governance. The
establishment of this system is what sets Amsterdam unique from other
Dutch municipalities. The stadsdelen are said to be responsible for a
number of activities that previously had been governed and managed by
the central city. Fourteen of these have their respective council,
which is chosen by a popular election. Westerpoort, the fifteenth,
covers the harbour of the city and has very few inhabitants. It is also
governed by the central municipal council.
The Language
When it comes to language, many of the people in Amsterdam are proud of
the fact that just about everyone speaks English. Although many also
speak German and French, it is worth noting that in this capital city
of Netherlands, it is a tradition that if you are English speaking,
then speak English, unless you speak Dutch too because you are more
likely to offend than do anyone a favor by trying out your French or
German.
There is a common misconception in the language of Amsterdam; one of
those is that Dutch is very close to German. The truth is, they are not
mutually intelligible: Dutch people have to learn German at school, and
in general they speak better English than German. However, Dutch and
German are similar in the same sort of way that French and Italian are
similar.
The Weather
In Amsterdam, the typical weather ranges from a little around freezing
in the depths of winter to typically pleasant sunny days of 20 to 25
degrees Celsius in the summer. There is also a little snow during the
winter season. Furthermore, the spring and autumn are pleasant in
Amsterdam; however these seasons can be wet, with 100+ mm of rain per
month.
Safety and Health
Amsterdam is a safe city, thus there is nothing really to fear from
walking in any part of the city. It has been noted that even in the
red-light district around the Oude Kerk, tourists are always spotted
wandering around. However, as in any large cities in other parts of the
world, you should beware of pick pockets. And, don’t try to
photograph the women in the red-light district for that would be risky.
In terms of water, the water from taps is perfectly drinkable.
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