Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Capital of the Netherlands
• Population 810,000
• Larger than Charlotte, North Carolina, but smaller than Columbus, Ohio
• The name Amsterdam comes from the Dutch word Amstelredamme
• This refers to the city's location: a dam on the Amstel River
• 12% of Amsterdam is parks and nature reserves
• The canals of Amsterdam are a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• There are more than 100 kilometers of canals, creating 90 islands
• There are 1,500 bridges over the canals
• The three main canals
• Herengracht
• Prinsengracht
• Keizersgracht
• The many canals are the source of Amsterdam's nickname: "Venice of the North"
• Time Zone: UTC +1
• Connected to the North Sea via the North Sea canal
• The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest in the world
• The red-light district's marijuana coffee shops draw nearly 3.7 million visitors per year 
• Amsterdam has seen big spikes in population since 1850. Between 1990 and 2013, the population jumped 16.5%.
• Most of the new occupants are immigrants from various nations. This has caused ethnic tension to settle in city over recent years.
• Climate
• On average, Amsterdam has a rather cool climate. Its average temperature during the winter months is around 38.5 degrees Fahrenheit, while its average temperature during summer hovers around 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Attractions
• Rijksmuseum
• The arts and history of Amsterdam
• The van Gogh Museum
• Stedelijk Museum
• Modern and contemporary art
• Hermitage Amsterdam
• Branch of the Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg, Russia
• Anne Frank House
• Amsterdam Museum
• The history of Amsterdam