Geography
In Northern Europe....In the country of the Netherlands....in the Western Central region....
between the shores of the North Sea and the Southern Sea is the...
Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
....and at its core is Amsterdam the city.
between the shores of the North Sea and the Southern Sea is the...
Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
....and at its core is Amsterdam the city.
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The Netherlands' largest cities are The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and of course, Amsterdam. Together with the country side between them they form a conurbation or megalopolis known as the Randstad. The four cities have their own respective metropolitan areas; however their industries, functions, job locations, and employee residences are so inter-related that it functions more as a mega-region. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA) is the largest and most populous of these metropolitan areas.
The Randstad is uniquely decentralized. While Amsterdam is the largest and most powerful Dutch city, it shares the responsibilities of the country with the Netherlands' two other largest cities. Amsterdam is the center of country's financial sector; Rotterdam its industrial center; and the Hague is the political center. |
Claiming the SeaThe Amsterdam Metropolitan Area is a region that was literally carved from the sea. Throughout history, the Amsteldammers who came to be known as the Dutch drained and filled coastal areas in order to build their cities out. Eventually they carved a canal out to reconnect to the ocean called the North Sea Canal. ALmere in the east is the area's youngest town. The Zuiderzee was drained to make room for the growth of Utrecht and Amsterdam and this area became the town of Almere. The video to the right gives a great visual of the geographic expansion of the country. To learn more about the history of Amsterdam and why the sea connection was so important, check out the Fansterdam! history page.
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Geography and Land Use
The AMA is a very densely populated region. Between Amsterdam and the dense clusters of cities are mostly agricultural areas; however historically strict growth restrictions have left a great deal of open and agricultural space.
Climate
Thanks to its coastal orientation at 52 degrees latitude, the AMA enjoys a fairly mild climate. Although if you ask most any Hollander, they will tell you they could do with a little less grey and a little more sun!Winters rarely see temperatures below -5 degrees C (23 degrees F) while the summers hardly ever get warmer than 28 degrees C (82 degrees F). The area certainly sees a full range of seasons. Flowers and flower bulbs are a major export for the Netherlands. You can see some of these famous flower fields in the AMA in spring in the region around Nieuw-Vennep, south of Amsterdam in the Amstel Meerlanden region. Summer finds residents and tourists alike out in full force enjoying the sunshine on bikes or at the beaches of Zandvoort and Bloemendaal on the coast. Autumn is crisp. The leaves turn golden and its time for jackets and boots again as it can sometimes be a little rainy or windy. Amsterdam winters are mild. Snow is an occasional occurrence, but rarely lasts longer than a few days. However! One of the most delightful side effects of a particularly chilly Amsterdam winter is getting to skate on the frozen canals. This fun-filled excursion happens quite rarely, but Amsterdammers were lucky enough to get the chance in 2012. Before then, it had been 12 years since they'd last had the opportunity.
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