A report on Amsterdam, Utrecht and Netherlands

Rotterdam (, , , lit. The Dam on the River Rotte) is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands.

There is a healthy competition with Amsterdam, which is often viewed as the cultural capital of the Netherlands.

Rotterdam won the selection over the Dutch city of Utrecht.

The Hague (Den Haag or 's‑Gravenhage ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea.

With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

The Randstad, which also includes among others Amsterdam and Utrecht, has a population of 6,659,300.

The Randstad ("Rim" or "Edge" City) is a roughly crescent-shaped conurbation in the central-western Netherlands, consisting primarily of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht); their suburbs, and many towns in between, that all grew and merged into each other, containing almost half the country's population.

As of 24 March 2022, there are 344 municipalities (gemeenten) and three special municipalities (bijzondere gemeenten) in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam has the highest population with 893,783 residents, whereas The Hague is the most densely populated with a density of 6650 /km2.

The Hague, Almere, Breda, Eindhoven, Enschede, Groningen, Nijmegen, Tilburg and Utrecht have instituted stadsdelen as well, although they do not have the same legal submunicipal status.

It was a predecessor state of the Netherlands and the first fully independent Dutch nation state.

Later, a court ruled that the company had to reside legally in a single city, so Amsterdam is recognized as the oldest such institution based on modern trading principles.

Despite having contributed much in the War of the Spanish Succession, the Dutch Republic gained little from the peace talks in Utrecht (1713).

The transition by the Netherlands to becoming the foremost maritime and economic power in the world has been called the "Dutch Miracle" by historian K. W. Swart.

Many of those moving north settled in Amsterdam, transforming what was a small harbor into one of the most important ports and commercial centres in the world by 1630.

The cities with a predominantly Catholic background, such as Utrecht and Gouda, did not enjoy the benefits of the Golden Age.

Finally in Germany the Rhine turns into a predominantly westerly direction and flows into the Netherlands where it eventually empties into the North Sea.

Duisburg is the home of Europe's largest inland port and functions as a hub to the sea ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

From Wijk bij Duurstede, the old north branch of the Rhine is called Kromme Rijn ("Bent Rhine") past Utrecht, first Leidse Rijn ("Rhine of Leiden") and then, Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine").

The territory of the County of Holland corresponds roughly with the current provinces of North Holland and South Holland in the Netherlands.

According to Thietmar of Merseburg a reconciliation with the Frisians was arranged with help from his uncle in-law, king Henry II, who travelled with an army and a fleet from Utrecht to the Maas-estuary (probably Vlaardingen) to force the inhabitants to recognize their count.

The largest cities in the republic were situated in the province of Holland, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Leiden, Alkmaar, Delft, Dordrecht, Haarlem, and the nation's capital, The Hague.