| While Amsterdam is the capital of the
Netherlands,
the seat of government is the Hague and the provincial capital is
Haarlem.
NATURAL WORLD
Amsterdam is located on the banks of two bodies of water, the IJ
bay and the Amstel river.
CULTURAL WORLD
Amsterdam is noted for many outstanding museums, including the
Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Rembrandt House Museum.
MARKETS
De Boerenmarkt
is one of the country's largest natural product markets. This market
takes place every Saturday on the square in front of the church
between Noordermarkt and Noorderkerkstraat.
HISTORY
Founded in the late 12th century as a small fishing village on
the banks of the Amstel.
Amsterdam has one of the largest historic city centres in Europe,
dating largely from the 17th century. At this time, a series of
concentric, semi-circular canals were dug around the old city center.
The canals continue to define Amsterdam's appearance today.
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