The population of the municipality of Amsterdam is 921 thousand people, together with the suburbs (urban district) - 2.48 million inhabitants.
The Amsterdam Municipality is made up of seven districts and the Vesp urban area.
The name of the city comes from two words: "Amstel" - the name of the river and "dam" - "dam". In the 12th century it was a small fishing village, but during the Golden Age of the Netherlands, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world and a major trading center.
Amsterdam is nicknamed the "Venice of the North" due to the picturesque canals that line the city.
