Amazing Amsterdam: Entertaining, Seductive and Lively

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Welcome to AMSTERDAM
an extra service of European City Guide / ECG
eurocityguide.com - europeancityguide.com

Information about AMSTERDAM Amsterdam is a real, living and breathing city.The oldest archaeological finds in Amsterdam date from Roman times - coins and a few artefacts suggest there were people around, but there's no evidence of human settlement. The Calvinists took on the imperial power of Spain's Catholic Philip II, and in 1578 they captured Amsterdam from him. The following year Amsterdam and seven northern provinces declared themselves an independent republic - Holland - led by William of Orange, the forefather of today's royal family. In the 20th century, Amsterdam turned its back on the sea and restyled itself as an industrial centre: rail links were established, steel production thrived and the population expanded. Postwar Amsterdam gathered itself quietly until the early 1960s, when people began to question the status quo and Amsterdam became the radical heart of Europe. By the early 1980s, consensus had settled in, and with it progressive planning and social policies like the neighbourhood councils, a tolerant approach to drugs. During the 90s family businesses and small industries were replaced by tertiary-sector professionals and the service industry that sprang up resulted in the inner city becoming a very pleasant melange of pubs, coffee shops, restaurants and hotels. Amsterdam is a compact, instantly likeable city. It also has a welcoming attitude towards visitors and a uniquely youthful orientation, shaped by the liberal counterculture of the last four decades. It's hard not to feel drawn by the buzz of open-air summer events, by the cheery intimacy of the city's clubs and bars, and by the Dutch facility with languages: just about everyone you meet in Amsterdam will be able to speak good-to-fluent English, on top of their own native tongue. Amsterdam, seems to thrive on its funky mix and, despite hordes of tourists, still manages to feel quintessentially Dutch. The old crooked houses, the cobbled streets, the tree-lined canals and the generous parks all contribute to the atmosphere. Few skyscrapers mar the clarity of the sky and the populace mostly walks or bikes from place to place. The historic center recalls Amsterdam's Golden Age mand post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, when wealthy merchants constructed gabled residences along neatly laid-out canals. A delicious irony is that the placid old structures also host brothels, smoke shops, and some extravagant nightlife. The city's inhabitants, proud of their pragmatic, live-and-let-live attitude, have decided to control what they cannot effectively outlaw.

Available Trades in AMSTERDAM ADVERTISING, MARKETING, COMMUNICATION
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE & SUPPLIERS
ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS, SURVEYORS
ART, HANDICRAFT, ANTIQUES
ARTISTIC & LITERARY ACTIVITIES
ASSOCIATIONS, ORGANISATIONS
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIES
AVIATION, NAVIGATION
BAKERIES & CONFECTIONERS
BANKING & FINANCING, INSURANCE
BARS, RESTAURANTS, CAFES, CLUBS, DISCOS
CHEMICALS & PHARMACEUTICALS
CONSTRUCTION & MATERIAL
COSMETICS, BODY CARE, HAIRDRESSING
EDUCATION, SCHOOLS & ACADEMIC TRAINING
ENERGY, ELECTRICITY, GAS & WATER, HOUSEHOLD APPLIA
ENTERTAINMENT, CINEMAS, THEATRES, RADIO & TV CHANN
ENVIRONMENT & RECYCLING
FOOD, BEVERAGES, NEWSAGENT
GAMING & COMPUTER GAMES
HOTELS & CATERING
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INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURERS, SUPPLIERS & SERVICES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
JEWELLERS, WATCHMAKERS, OPTICIANS
LEGAL SERVICES
LIVESTOCK, PETS, VETERINARIANS, EQUIPMENT & SERVIC
MEDICINE, AUXILIARY MEDICINE & MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
MULTIMEDIA
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MUSIC & SOUND RECORDING
OFFICE SUPPLIES, OFFICE SERVICES, COPY CENTRES
PHOTOGRAPHY, GRAPHIC ART & DESIGN
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SETS & SCENERY, EVENT STAGING, PRODUCTIONS
SPORTS, LEISURE & HEALTH
TEXTILES, LEATHER, FURS - CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES, E
TOURISM & TRAVEL, ATTRACTIONS, PARKS & GARDENS
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VEHICLES, MOTORCYCLES, CYCLES - SALES & SERVICES

NETHERLANDS

General Information
Capital: Amsterdam
Area: 41,526 km²
Population: 16,067,754
Electricity: 220V
IDD: +31
Emergency number: 117
Timezone: GMT +1 Hr (+2 Hrs MAR-OCT)

Language
Language: Dutch

Government
Government: Constitutional Monarchy

Religion
Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim

Health
Health: Diphtheria, Tetanus and Hepatitis B

Currency
Currency: Euro (EUR) 1.00 = 100 Cents

Exchange Rate
Exchange Rate: EUR 1.00 = USD 1.05 = GBP 0.66 = CHF 1.46

Business Hours
Business Hours: Mon-Fri: 08.30-17.00

Speed Limit
Speed Limit: Cities: 50 km/h Outside cities: 80 km/h, Motorways: 120 km/h

Traffic
Traffic: Traffic on the right. Minimum age 21 years.

Driving License
Driving License: International license

National Holidays
National holidays: Jan 1 New Year's Day, Good Friday & Easter Monday (variable), Apr 30 Queen's Birthday, May 5 National Liberation Day, Ascension Day (variable), Whit Monday (variable), Dec 25/26 Christmas Holidays

Climate
Climate: Temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Temperatures
Temperatures:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
A	1	1	4	8	12	15	17	16	14	9	5	3
P	20	18	16	16	14	14	17	17	18	20	21	21
S	62	64	111	158	209	208	187	179	139	94	46	38

A = Av. Daily Temp. (°C)
P = Daily Precipitation (mm)
S = Sunshine (Hrs/Month)

Mobile Network
Mobile Network: GSM 900 / 1800

GPS
GPS: 52 30 N, 5 45 E

Shopping Hours
Shopping Hours: Mon-Fri: 11.00-17.30, Tues & Sat: 09.00-17.00. In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and other big cities, supermarkets are open from 08.00-20.00/21.00. In large city centres, shops are open on Sundays: 12.00-17.00.

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