Post by pjotr on Nov 13, 2010 13:42:57 GMT 1
I had a correspondance with Tufta about the German-French Berlin-Paris Axix, and one of the subjects that came out of our very pleasent and interesting correspondance was his experiance with Dutch cities.
Tufta,
The Netherlands fear the German-French axis in Brussels, in political sense. Like other small EU countries the Dutch fear that the framework, structure, institutions, foreign policy and monetarian and financial policies will be based on the needs of the French and German internal markets, national political interests and will have a German-French imprint (hallmark, seal, impress, stamp). The Dutch are inbetween a Transatlanic position and a continental European position. Due to the North-sea, our ports, our rivers, trade routes to German, Belgium and France and sea connection with Great-Brittain and the rest of the world our position was never dependant on the European continent only, like for instance countries like Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslowakia and Hungary. We had our colonies and stil have historical, social-cultural, political (foreign politics), economical (trade, import and export and Dutch settlement abroad) and financial ties with them. Them is Indonesia, South-Africa (the Afrikander people which are offspring of the people of the Dutch East Indies company. A lot of Dutch people -Dutch communities, families and individuals- live in Capetown, Pretoria and Johannesburg today), Suriname (Dutch is an official language there stil, next to the Surinamese African language Sranang), the Duth Antilles (in the Caraebian), Flanders (part of the Netherlands before 1830) and New York ( New Amsterdam in the past). The Dutch financial sector (banks, insurrance companies and multinationals). A to strong continental aproach is not in the interest of the Dutch foreign agenda, trade ties and the international transatlantic Dutch connections with the USA, Canada, Brasil (Suriname borders Brazil), the Dutch settlements in Southern-America and the old Dutch ties with Asia (Indonesia, Japan and China). The Anglo-Dutch connection is strong. The Dutch (who fought several sea wars with the Brits, we burnt down London, before the Germans did, and the Brits destroyed several Dutch costal towns and islands) were one of the first nations to recognise the USA after the American revolution (or independance war with the Brits). Germany, France and Poland have large continental European innermarkets. And if you unite the three countries markets in the Weimar traingle perspective, it is a large innermarket area inside the larger framework of the EU.
Poland has a huge market for it's products on the European continent. We Dutch are more dependant on our distribution, international trade, seaports, airport and our financial positions in London, New York, Shanghai and Singapore/Honkong.
So the Dutch foreign policy and attitude and diplomacy towards the EU, France and Germany is a Split between Transatlantic and Continental preferences. The Dutch-Polish relationship is also older then the average Dutchman or Pole realises. It is centuries old and goes back to the Hanseatic Leage. Your friends are right about the Dutch ambivalence in it's foreign approach, due to the pragmatic content and intention of it. Not the principial stance prevails but the economical and financial interests. That irritates me, because the capitalist and economical interests are not my first interest. My first interest is the preservation of the Dutch culture and language in Europe and the world. I am a Dutch Patriot and conserned about the loyalty of the Netherlands to it's old allies. That on the long term sometimes is more important than short term financial-economical interests. As a reliable partner the Dutch state can have benefits from long term relationships and ties and loyalties. Poland is better and more consistant in that. And therefor Poland has strong ties with many European nations, the Visgrad countries, the USA and Israel.
Pieter
Pieter, you have described your country very well, with it's outbranches beyond continental Europe, or Europe altogether. This is the reason why I alwyas have a feeling of 'breathing deep' while visiting coastal Netherland's cities. Quite different to the inland capitals of other European countries of comparable size. Amsterdam feels like a capital of great state, not so in Vienna or Budapest even if they are constructed in the way which is to imply grandeur. Even Brussels does not have that feeling Amsterdam has. In fact Brussels 'feels' to a Pole like I am in a provincial town where artificially some international administration was settled.
To German-French imprint in EU. It is a fact not Dutch anxiety. I don't mean it is all bad, but certainly the existing double standards are unacceptable.
Yes my friends noticed independently what we have discusse earlier. This strenghtened my impression that a bit idealistic image of Netherlands is changing in Poland. Still there's an incredible lots of sympathy for your country here.
And finally - yes we live in really incredible times when Poland is able to maintain good relations simultaneously with Germany, Russia, USA, Israel and most of the Arab states. I am slowly starting to dream that perhaps we have grown... wiser?
Tufta,
First of all this feeling has to do with historical, social-cultural, sociological, human and international elements which are connected with Amsterdam and other larger Dutch cities in the Holland part of the Netherlands. I think the "Holland" cities and especially Amsterdam have an international flavor due to it's inhibitants, influx of foreigners and returning Dutch expats (who moved back to Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague with the elements, flavors and sometimes refined mixed blood their genes got in those colonies). Amsterdam is differant from other Dutch cities, because it really is an international city. When I arrive at Amsterdam central station I immediately hear English, French, Italian, Spanish, Asian languages, the Berber or Arab of the Maroccan taxi drivers parked outside. Turkish, Arab and Persian (Iranian) in the Turkish, Maroccan & Persian Greengroceries, butchers, Bakeries, restaurants, coffeehouses and even pubs. The African languages of the many African people from black Africa that live and work in Amsterdam or are on a business trip. The Sranang and Papiamento of the Surinames and Dutch Antillian coloured and black people. Tourists, businessmen and foreign students from Great-Brittain, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Sealand and South-Africa visit Amsterdam. Stay there for a few days, a week, years or longer. Next to that the liberal cosmopolitan Amsterdam with it's tolerant and nearly anarchistic libertarian climate always attracted dissidents from rightwing (Chile, Franco's Spain, Turky) militairy dictatorships or authoritarian regimes, and in the same time the dissidents and refugees from Communist dictatorships, totalitarian Muslim countries and other despotic regimes. As a result of this from the fiftees on Hungarian (1956), Czech or Slowak (1968), Polish, Russian and Yugoslavian dissidents settled in Amsterdam next to the Southern-Americans, (South-) Africans (anti-apartheidactivists -white, black and colored-).
Centuries before that Amsterdam with it's Northern Holland local population received Sephardic jews from Portugal (and Spain) who escaped the Inquisition (the Sephardic jews were the elite of the Dutch jewish community - some Dutch businessmen, entrepreneurs, lawjers, politicians or writers/professors carry Sephardic, Portugese sounding names - or I should rather say Ladino sounding names), the french Huegenots who escaped the opression of the French protestants by the Catholic majority, the Flemish Calvinist merchants who escaped the Spanish controlled Flemish cities Antwerp and Gent. Later Ashkenazi jews from Central- and Eastern Europe who tried to escape the Progroms in the Czarist Russian empire settled in Amsterdam too. Some of them were on their way to America in the late 19th century and early 20th century. They did not reach the port of Rotterdam where the Holland-America line shipped thousands of Slav and Jewish immigrants to the US. The people who stayed behind settled in Amsterdam and merged with the older Dutch jewish communities.
Add for the Holland America Line
Holland America Line, Rotterdam
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_America_Line
n the 16th century, the Dutch rebelled against Philip II of Spain and his successors. The main reasons for the uprising were the imposition of new taxes, the tenth penny, and the religious persecution of Protestants by the Spanish Inquisition. The revolt escalated into the Eighty Years' War, which ultimately led to Dutch independence. Strongly pushed by Dutch Revolt leader William the Silent, the Dutch Republic became known for its relative religious tolerance. Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, Huguenots from France, prosperous merchants and printers from Flanders, and economic and religious refugees from the Spanish-controlled parts of the Low Countries found safety in Amsterdam. The influx of Flemish printers and the city's intellectual tolerance made Amsterdam a centre for the European free press.
Philip II of Spain (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598)
William the Silent, prince of Orange (24 april 1533 — Delft, 10 juli 1584)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Silent
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_I_Ora%C5%84ski
In the 16th and 17th century non-Dutch immigrants to Amsterdam were mostly Huguenots, Flemings, Sephardi Jews and Westphalians. Huguenots came after the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, while the Flemish Protestants came during the Eighty Years' War. The Westphalians came to Amsterdam mostly for economic reasons – their influx continued through the 18th and 19th centuries. Before the Second World War, 10% of the city population was Jewish.
The Golden Age
Rembrandts Night Watch (1642)
The 17th century is considered Amsterdam's Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the world. Ships sailed from Amsterdam to the Baltic Sea, North America, and Africa, as well as present-day Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Brazil, forming the basis of a worldwide trading network. Amsterdam's merchants had the largest share in both *the Dutch East India Company and **the Dutch West India Company. These companies acquired overseas possessions that later became Dutch colonies. Amsterdam was Europe's most important point for the shipment of goods and was the leading Financial Centre of the world. In 1602, the Amsterdam office of the Dutch East India Company became the world's first stock exchange by trading in its own shares.
18th and 19th centuries
Amsterdam late 19th century
Amsterdam's prosperity declined during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The wars of the Dutch Republic with England and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic Wars, Amsterdam's significance reached its lowest point, with Holland being absorbed into the French Empire. However, the later establishment of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 marked a turning point.
The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, a train station, and the Concertgebouw were built; in this same time, the Industrial Revolution reached the city. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine, and the North Sea Canal was dug to give the port a shorter connection to the North Sea. Both projects dramatically improved commerce with the rest of Europe and the world. In 1906, Joseph Conrad gave a brief description of Amsterdam as seen from the seaside, in The Mirror of the Sea. Shortly before the First World War, the city began expanding, and new suburbs were built. Even though the Netherlands remained neutral in this war, Amsterdam suffered a food shortage, and heating fuel became scarce. The shortages sparked riots in which several people were killed. These riots are known as the Aardappeloproer (Potato rebellion). People started looting stores and warehouses in order to get supplies, mainly food.
Economy
Amsterdam business district, the Southaxis, behind the old town (The Rijksmuseum/Royal Museum.)
Amsterdam is the financial and business capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is currently one of the best European cities in which to locate an International Business. It is ranked fifth in this category and is only surpassed by London, Paris, Frankfurt and Barcelona. Many large Dutch corporations and banks have their headquarters in Amsterdam, including Royal Bank Of Scotland, Akzo Nobel, Heineken International, ING Group, Ahold, TomTom, Delta Lloyd Group and Philips. KPMG International's global headquarters is located in nearby Amstelveen, where many non-Dutch companies have settled as well due to the fact that surrounding communities allow full land ownership, contrary to Amsterdam's land-lease system.
Though many small offices are still located on the old canals, companies are increasingly relocating outside the city centre. The Zuidas (English: South Axis) has become the new financial and legal hub.[62] The five largest law firms of the Netherlands, a number of Dutch subsidiaries of large consulting firms like Boston Consulting Group and Accenture, and the World Trade Center Amsterdam are also located in Zuidas.
There are three other smaller financial districts in Amsterdam. The first is the area surrounding Amsterdam Sloterdijk railway station, where several newspapers like De Telegraaf have their offices. Also, the municipal public transport company (Gemeentelijk Vervoersbedrijf) and the Dutch tax offices (Belastingdienst) are located there. The second Financial District is the area surrounding Amsterdam Arena. The third is the area surrounding Amsterdam Amstel railway station. The tallest building in Amsterdam, the Rembrandt Tower, is situated there, as is the headquarters of Philips.
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX), nowadays part of Euronext, is the world's oldest stock exchange and is one of Europe's largest bourses. It is situated near Dam Square in the city's centre.
Tourism
Amsterdam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.63 million international visitors annually. The number of visitors has been growing steadily over the past decade. This can be attributed to an increasing number of European visitors. Two thirds of the hotels are located in the city's centre. Hotels with 4 or 5 stars contribute 42% of the total beds available and 41% of the overnight stays in Amsterdam. The room occupation rate was 78% in 2006, up from 70% in 2005. The majority of tourists (74%) originate from Europe. The largest group of non-European visitors come from the United States, accounting for 14% of the total. Certain years have a theme in Amsterdam to attract extra tourists. For example, the year 2006 was designated "Rembrandt 400", to celebrate the 400th birthday of Rembrandt van Rijn. Some hotels offer special arrangements or activities during these years. The average number of guests per year staying at the four campsites around the city range from 12,000 to 65,000.
Demographics
The first mass immigration in the 20th century were by people from Indonesia, who came to Amsterdam after the independence of the Dutch East Indies in the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s guest workers from Turkey, Morocco, Italy and Spain emigrated to Amsterdam. After the independence of Suriname in 1975, a large wave of Surinamese settled in Amsterdam, mostly in the Bijlmer area. Other immigrants, including refugees asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, came from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. In the seventies and eighties, many 'old' Amsterdammers moved to 'new' cities like Almere and Purmerend, prompted by the third planological bill of the Dutch government. This bill promoted suburbanisation and arranged for new developments in so called "groeikernen", literally "cores of growth". Young professionals and artists moved into neighbourhoods de Pijp and the Jordaan abandoned by these Amsterdammers. The non-Western immigrants settled mostly in the social housing projects in Amsterdam-West and the Bijlmer. Today, people of non-Western origin make up approximately one-third of the population of Amsterdam, and more than 50% of children.[/quote]
Tufta,
The Netherlands fear the German-French axis in Brussels, in political sense. Like other small EU countries the Dutch fear that the framework, structure, institutions, foreign policy and monetarian and financial policies will be based on the needs of the French and German internal markets, national political interests and will have a German-French imprint (hallmark, seal, impress, stamp). The Dutch are inbetween a Transatlanic position and a continental European position. Due to the North-sea, our ports, our rivers, trade routes to German, Belgium and France and sea connection with Great-Brittain and the rest of the world our position was never dependant on the European continent only, like for instance countries like Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslowakia and Hungary. We had our colonies and stil have historical, social-cultural, political (foreign politics), economical (trade, import and export and Dutch settlement abroad) and financial ties with them. Them is Indonesia, South-Africa (the Afrikander people which are offspring of the people of the Dutch East Indies company. A lot of Dutch people -Dutch communities, families and individuals- live in Capetown, Pretoria and Johannesburg today), Suriname (Dutch is an official language there stil, next to the Surinamese African language Sranang), the Duth Antilles (in the Caraebian), Flanders (part of the Netherlands before 1830) and New York ( New Amsterdam in the past). The Dutch financial sector (banks, insurrance companies and multinationals). A to strong continental aproach is not in the interest of the Dutch foreign agenda, trade ties and the international transatlantic Dutch connections with the USA, Canada, Brasil (Suriname borders Brazil), the Dutch settlements in Southern-America and the old Dutch ties with Asia (Indonesia, Japan and China). The Anglo-Dutch connection is strong. The Dutch (who fought several sea wars with the Brits, we burnt down London, before the Germans did, and the Brits destroyed several Dutch costal towns and islands) were one of the first nations to recognise the USA after the American revolution (or independance war with the Brits). Germany, France and Poland have large continental European innermarkets. And if you unite the three countries markets in the Weimar traingle perspective, it is a large innermarket area inside the larger framework of the EU.
Poland has a huge market for it's products on the European continent. We Dutch are more dependant on our distribution, international trade, seaports, airport and our financial positions in London, New York, Shanghai and Singapore/Honkong.
So the Dutch foreign policy and attitude and diplomacy towards the EU, France and Germany is a Split between Transatlantic and Continental preferences. The Dutch-Polish relationship is also older then the average Dutchman or Pole realises. It is centuries old and goes back to the Hanseatic Leage. Your friends are right about the Dutch ambivalence in it's foreign approach, due to the pragmatic content and intention of it. Not the principial stance prevails but the economical and financial interests. That irritates me, because the capitalist and economical interests are not my first interest. My first interest is the preservation of the Dutch culture and language in Europe and the world. I am a Dutch Patriot and conserned about the loyalty of the Netherlands to it's old allies. That on the long term sometimes is more important than short term financial-economical interests. As a reliable partner the Dutch state can have benefits from long term relationships and ties and loyalties. Poland is better and more consistant in that. And therefor Poland has strong ties with many European nations, the Visgrad countries, the USA and Israel.
Pieter
Pieter, you have described your country very well, with it's outbranches beyond continental Europe, or Europe altogether. This is the reason why I alwyas have a feeling of 'breathing deep' while visiting coastal Netherland's cities. Quite different to the inland capitals of other European countries of comparable size. Amsterdam feels like a capital of great state, not so in Vienna or Budapest even if they are constructed in the way which is to imply grandeur. Even Brussels does not have that feeling Amsterdam has. In fact Brussels 'feels' to a Pole like I am in a provincial town where artificially some international administration was settled.
To German-French imprint in EU. It is a fact not Dutch anxiety. I don't mean it is all bad, but certainly the existing double standards are unacceptable.
Yes my friends noticed independently what we have discusse earlier. This strenghtened my impression that a bit idealistic image of Netherlands is changing in Poland. Still there's an incredible lots of sympathy for your country here.
And finally - yes we live in really incredible times when Poland is able to maintain good relations simultaneously with Germany, Russia, USA, Israel and most of the Arab states. I am slowly starting to dream that perhaps we have grown... wiser?
Tufta,
First of all this feeling has to do with historical, social-cultural, sociological, human and international elements which are connected with Amsterdam and other larger Dutch cities in the Holland part of the Netherlands. I think the "Holland" cities and especially Amsterdam have an international flavor due to it's inhibitants, influx of foreigners and returning Dutch expats (who moved back to Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague with the elements, flavors and sometimes refined mixed blood their genes got in those colonies). Amsterdam is differant from other Dutch cities, because it really is an international city. When I arrive at Amsterdam central station I immediately hear English, French, Italian, Spanish, Asian languages, the Berber or Arab of the Maroccan taxi drivers parked outside. Turkish, Arab and Persian (Iranian) in the Turkish, Maroccan & Persian Greengroceries, butchers, Bakeries, restaurants, coffeehouses and even pubs. The African languages of the many African people from black Africa that live and work in Amsterdam or are on a business trip. The Sranang and Papiamento of the Surinames and Dutch Antillian coloured and black people. Tourists, businessmen and foreign students from Great-Brittain, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Sealand and South-Africa visit Amsterdam. Stay there for a few days, a week, years or longer. Next to that the liberal cosmopolitan Amsterdam with it's tolerant and nearly anarchistic libertarian climate always attracted dissidents from rightwing (Chile, Franco's Spain, Turky) militairy dictatorships or authoritarian regimes, and in the same time the dissidents and refugees from Communist dictatorships, totalitarian Muslim countries and other despotic regimes. As a result of this from the fiftees on Hungarian (1956), Czech or Slowak (1968), Polish, Russian and Yugoslavian dissidents settled in Amsterdam next to the Southern-Americans, (South-) Africans (anti-apartheidactivists -white, black and colored-).
Centuries before that Amsterdam with it's Northern Holland local population received Sephardic jews from Portugal (and Spain) who escaped the Inquisition (the Sephardic jews were the elite of the Dutch jewish community - some Dutch businessmen, entrepreneurs, lawjers, politicians or writers/professors carry Sephardic, Portugese sounding names - or I should rather say Ladino sounding names), the french Huegenots who escaped the opression of the French protestants by the Catholic majority, the Flemish Calvinist merchants who escaped the Spanish controlled Flemish cities Antwerp and Gent. Later Ashkenazi jews from Central- and Eastern Europe who tried to escape the Progroms in the Czarist Russian empire settled in Amsterdam too. Some of them were on their way to America in the late 19th century and early 20th century. They did not reach the port of Rotterdam where the Holland-America line shipped thousands of Slav and Jewish immigrants to the US. The people who stayed behind settled in Amsterdam and merged with the older Dutch jewish communities.
Add for the Holland America Line
Holland America Line, Rotterdam
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_America_Line
n the 16th century, the Dutch rebelled against Philip II of Spain and his successors. The main reasons for the uprising were the imposition of new taxes, the tenth penny, and the religious persecution of Protestants by the Spanish Inquisition. The revolt escalated into the Eighty Years' War, which ultimately led to Dutch independence. Strongly pushed by Dutch Revolt leader William the Silent, the Dutch Republic became known for its relative religious tolerance. Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, Huguenots from France, prosperous merchants and printers from Flanders, and economic and religious refugees from the Spanish-controlled parts of the Low Countries found safety in Amsterdam. The influx of Flemish printers and the city's intellectual tolerance made Amsterdam a centre for the European free press.
Philip II of Spain (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598)
William the Silent, prince of Orange (24 april 1533 — Delft, 10 juli 1584)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Silent
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_I_Ora%C5%84ski
In the 16th and 17th century non-Dutch immigrants to Amsterdam were mostly Huguenots, Flemings, Sephardi Jews and Westphalians. Huguenots came after the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685, while the Flemish Protestants came during the Eighty Years' War. The Westphalians came to Amsterdam mostly for economic reasons – their influx continued through the 18th and 19th centuries. Before the Second World War, 10% of the city population was Jewish.
The Golden Age
Rembrandts Night Watch (1642)
The 17th century is considered Amsterdam's Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the world. Ships sailed from Amsterdam to the Baltic Sea, North America, and Africa, as well as present-day Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Brazil, forming the basis of a worldwide trading network. Amsterdam's merchants had the largest share in both *the Dutch East India Company and **the Dutch West India Company. These companies acquired overseas possessions that later became Dutch colonies. Amsterdam was Europe's most important point for the shipment of goods and was the leading Financial Centre of the world. In 1602, the Amsterdam office of the Dutch East India Company became the world's first stock exchange by trading in its own shares.
18th and 19th centuries
Amsterdam late 19th century
Amsterdam's prosperity declined during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The wars of the Dutch Republic with England and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic Wars, Amsterdam's significance reached its lowest point, with Holland being absorbed into the French Empire. However, the later establishment of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 marked a turning point.
The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, a train station, and the Concertgebouw were built; in this same time, the Industrial Revolution reached the city. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine, and the North Sea Canal was dug to give the port a shorter connection to the North Sea. Both projects dramatically improved commerce with the rest of Europe and the world. In 1906, Joseph Conrad gave a brief description of Amsterdam as seen from the seaside, in The Mirror of the Sea. Shortly before the First World War, the city began expanding, and new suburbs were built. Even though the Netherlands remained neutral in this war, Amsterdam suffered a food shortage, and heating fuel became scarce. The shortages sparked riots in which several people were killed. These riots are known as the Aardappeloproer (Potato rebellion). People started looting stores and warehouses in order to get supplies, mainly food.
Economy
Amsterdam business district, the Southaxis, behind the old town (The Rijksmuseum/Royal Museum.)
Amsterdam is the financial and business capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is currently one of the best European cities in which to locate an International Business. It is ranked fifth in this category and is only surpassed by London, Paris, Frankfurt and Barcelona. Many large Dutch corporations and banks have their headquarters in Amsterdam, including Royal Bank Of Scotland, Akzo Nobel, Heineken International, ING Group, Ahold, TomTom, Delta Lloyd Group and Philips. KPMG International's global headquarters is located in nearby Amstelveen, where many non-Dutch companies have settled as well due to the fact that surrounding communities allow full land ownership, contrary to Amsterdam's land-lease system.
Though many small offices are still located on the old canals, companies are increasingly relocating outside the city centre. The Zuidas (English: South Axis) has become the new financial and legal hub.[62] The five largest law firms of the Netherlands, a number of Dutch subsidiaries of large consulting firms like Boston Consulting Group and Accenture, and the World Trade Center Amsterdam are also located in Zuidas.
There are three other smaller financial districts in Amsterdam. The first is the area surrounding Amsterdam Sloterdijk railway station, where several newspapers like De Telegraaf have their offices. Also, the municipal public transport company (Gemeentelijk Vervoersbedrijf) and the Dutch tax offices (Belastingdienst) are located there. The second Financial District is the area surrounding Amsterdam Arena. The third is the area surrounding Amsterdam Amstel railway station. The tallest building in Amsterdam, the Rembrandt Tower, is situated there, as is the headquarters of Philips.
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX), nowadays part of Euronext, is the world's oldest stock exchange and is one of Europe's largest bourses. It is situated near Dam Square in the city's centre.
Tourism
Amsterdam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.63 million international visitors annually. The number of visitors has been growing steadily over the past decade. This can be attributed to an increasing number of European visitors. Two thirds of the hotels are located in the city's centre. Hotels with 4 or 5 stars contribute 42% of the total beds available and 41% of the overnight stays in Amsterdam. The room occupation rate was 78% in 2006, up from 70% in 2005. The majority of tourists (74%) originate from Europe. The largest group of non-European visitors come from the United States, accounting for 14% of the total. Certain years have a theme in Amsterdam to attract extra tourists. For example, the year 2006 was designated "Rembrandt 400", to celebrate the 400th birthday of Rembrandt van Rijn. Some hotels offer special arrangements or activities during these years. The average number of guests per year staying at the four campsites around the city range from 12,000 to 65,000.
Demographics
The first mass immigration in the 20th century were by people from Indonesia, who came to Amsterdam after the independence of the Dutch East Indies in the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s guest workers from Turkey, Morocco, Italy and Spain emigrated to Amsterdam. After the independence of Suriname in 1975, a large wave of Surinamese settled in Amsterdam, mostly in the Bijlmer area. Other immigrants, including refugees asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, came from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. In the seventies and eighties, many 'old' Amsterdammers moved to 'new' cities like Almere and Purmerend, prompted by the third planological bill of the Dutch government. This bill promoted suburbanisation and arranged for new developments in so called "groeikernen", literally "cores of growth". Young professionals and artists moved into neighbourhoods de Pijp and the Jordaan abandoned by these Amsterdammers. The non-Western immigrants settled mostly in the social housing projects in Amsterdam-West and the Bijlmer. Today, people of non-Western origin make up approximately one-third of the population of Amsterdam, and more than 50% of children.[/quote]
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