The Montelbaanstoren (1512) on the Oude Schans

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Coat of arms Nickname: Mokum, Venice of The North, Damsko Motto: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig (Valiant, Determined, Compassionate)

Location of Amsterdam Coordinates: 52°22'23?N 4°53'32?E? / ?52.37306, 4.89222 Country

Netherlands Province

North Holland Government  - Mayor Job Cohen[1] (PvdA)  - Aldermen Lodewijk Asscher Carolien Gehrels Tjeerd Herrema Maarten van Poelgeest Marijke Vos  - Secretary Erik Gerritsen Area [2][3]  - Total 219 km² (84.6 sq mi)  - Land 166 km² (64.1 sq mi)  - Water 53 km² (20.5 sq mi)  - Urban region 1,896 km² (732 sq mi) Population (January 1, 2006)[4][5]  - Total 742,884  - Density 4,459/km² (11,548.8/sq mi)  - Urban region 1,468,122  - Randstad 6,659,300 Time zone CET (UTC+1)  - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2) Website: www.amsterdam.nl Amsterdam (help·info) (IPA: [?mst?r'd?m]) is the capital and the largest city of The Netherlands. Its name is derived from "Amstel dam",[6] pointing to the city's origin: a dam on the river Amstel. The city is known for its historic port, the Rijksmuseum, its red-light district (de Wallen), its liberal coffee shops, and its many canals which have led to Amsterdam being called the "Venice of the North". During the Dutch Golden Age, Amsterdam was one of the most important ports in the world, with innovative developments in trade, and became the leading centre for finance and diamonds.[7] The city, founded in the late 12th century as a small fishing village, has grown to become the largest city in the Netherlands with a population of 743,104 inhabitants, containing at least 172 nationalities.[8][9] Amsterdam and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of 1 million to about 1.5 million people, depending on definition, and is part of the Randstad conurbation, which has a population of 6,659,300. Also, Amsterdam is a six-point Gamma Global City.[10]