About Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands, located in the south of the province North Holland. The city was founded in the late 12th century as a small fishing village at the mouth of the river Amstel. The name Amsterdam literally means Amstel dam. The historical centre with its concentric canals was largely built during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. As of January 1, 2006 the city of Amsterdam has a population of 743,027 inhabitants and is by population size the largest city in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam is the home town of football club Ajax. Its home base is the modern stadium Amsterdam ArenA, located in the south-east of the city. The team shares that facility with the Amsterdam Admirals, an American football team in NFL Europa. In 1928, Amsterdam hosted the Games of the IXth Olympiad. The city also has a baseball team, the Amsterdam Pirates, who play in the Dutch Major League. There are three field hockey teams, Amsterdam, Pinoké and Hurley, who play their matches around the Wagener Stadium. There is also a basketball team, the Amsterdam Astronauts, who compete in the Dutch premier division and play their games in the Sporthallen Zuid, near the Olympic Stadium.