Rotterdam
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname: Rotjeknor, Waterstad, Maasstad, Manhattan aan de Maas, Roffa
Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle)
Location of Rotterdam
Coordinates: 51°55′51″N 4°28′45″E / 51.93083, 4.47917
Country	Netherlands
Province	South Holland
Government
- Mayor	Ivo Opstelten
- Aldermen	Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk
Area [1]
- Total	319 km² (123. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands South Holland ( Dutch:) is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. This is a list of mayors of Rotterdam. 1813-1824 Johan François graaf van Hogendorp van Heeswijk 1824-1845 Marinus Cornelis Bichon Ivo Opstelten (born January 31, 1944, Rotterdam) is the mayor of the city of Rotterdam, in the province of South-Holland Netherlands An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions Lucas Bolsius (born 1958-12-16 in Den Haag, Zuid-Holland) is a Dutch Historian, Politician, and Alderman Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 2 sq mi)
- Land	206 km² (79. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 5 sq mi)
- Water	113 km² (43. 6 sq mi)
Population (January 1, 2007)[1][2]
- Total	584,046
- Density	2,850/km² (7,381. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 5/sq mi)
- Randstad	6,659,300
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website: www.rotterdam.nl

Rotterdam (pronunciation (help·info)) is the second largest municipality by population in the Netherlands, after the capital Amsterdam, and the largest city in the province of Zuid-Holland (South Holland). The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west South Holland ( Dutch:) is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and was the world's busiest port from 1962 to 2004, until it was overtaken by Shanghai. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The world's busiest Port is contested by several ports around the world Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Rotterdam is situated on the banks of the river Nieuwe Maas ('New Meuse'), one of the channels in the delta formed by the Rhine and Meuse rivers. The Nieuwe Maas (English New Meuse) is a river branch of the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Meuse (in Dutch and in German: "Maas" in Latin: "Mosa" in Celtic:"Mus" (the rootword presumingly The name Rotterdam derives from a dam in the Rotte river. A dam is a barrier that divides waters. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water while other structures such as Floodgates, Levees

Contents 1 Municipality 1.1 Municipal additions 2 History 3 Demographics 3.1 Ethnic make-up of the city 3.2 Historical population 4 Geography 5 Commerce and industry 5.1 Ports 6 Education 7 Culture 7.1 Museums 8 Architecture and skyline 9 Sports 10 Shopping 11 Yearly events 12 Transportation 12.1 Airport 12.2 Train 12.3 Light Rail 12.4 Metro 12.5 Tram 12.6 Bus 12.7 Fast ferry 13 Miscellaneous 13.1 Beaches 13.2 Notable Rotterdammers 13.3 Town twinning 14 References 15 External links

Municipality

On 1 January 2007 (source: Statistics Netherlands), the municipality covered an area of 319 km² (206. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Statistics Netherlands, founded in 1899, is a Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or 44 km² of which is land) with a population of 584,046. It is part of a larger metropolitan area called Rijnmond ('Mouth of the Rhine') with a total population of about 1. 2 million. In 1965, the municipal population of Rotterdam reached its peak of 731,000, but by 1984 it had decreased to 555,000 as a result of suburbanization. Suburbanization (or suburbanisation) is a term used to describe the process of population movement from within towns and cities to the rural-urban fringe

Rotterdam consists of 11 submunicipalities: Charlois (including Heijplaat), Delfshaven, Feijenoord, Hillegersberg-Schiebroek, Hoek van Holland, Hoogvliet, IJsselmonde, Kralingen-Crooswijk, Noord, Overschie, and Prins Alexander (the most populous submunicipality with around 85,000 inhabitants). Charlois is a neighbourhood of the Dutch city of Rotterdam. It is located on the south bank of the Meuse River. Delfshaven is a Borough of Rotterdam on the right bank of River Nieuwe Maas, in South Holland the Netherlands Feijenoord is a district in Rotterdam and is located south of the Nieuwe Maas. The Hook of Holland ( Dutch: Hoek van Holland - literally "Corner of Holland" also known in English as the Hook, is a town in Hoogvliet is a town and separate borough within Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Kralingen-Crooswijk is a township of the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Noord (North is a district ( Wijk) of north Rotterdam, Netherlands also locally known as 'Oude Noorden' (Old North Overschie is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland, and now a neighbourhood of Rotterdam. Prins Alexander is a Borough in the northeast part of Rotterdam, South Holland the Netherlands Two other areas, Centrum ('Center') and Pernis, do not have official submunicipality status. Pernis is a village and district of the municipality of Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands.

Rotterdam lies in the Zuidvleugel ('South Wing') of the Randstad ('Rim City') conurbation with 7. ImageRandstad_with_scalepng|400px|thumb|right|Schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schiphol rect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeer rect 399 166 479 245 5 million inhabitants, the sixth largest metropolitan area in Europe (after Moscow, London, the Ruhr Area, Istanbul, and Paris). The Zuidvleugel includes Leiden, The Hague, Zoetermeer, Delft, Vlaardingen, Schiedam, Capelle aan den IJssel, Spijkenisse and Dordrecht, and has a population of around 3 million. "Leyden" redirects here For other uses see Leyden (disambiguation. Zoetermeer ( is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Delft is a city and Municipality in the province of South Holland (Zuid-Holland the Netherlands. Vlaardingen ( is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas / Nieuwe Waterweg river Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands and is part of the Rotterdam Capelle aan den IJssel (population 65605 in 2005) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland Spijkenisse (population 74482 in 2006 is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Dordrecht (population 119649 in 2004 or in English (and locally colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South

Municipal additions

The current size of the municipality of Rotterdam is the result of the amalgamation of the following former municipalities,^[3] some of which now are a submunicipality:

• Delfshaven (added on January 30, 1886)
• Charlois (added on February 28, 1895)
• Kralingen (added on February 28, 1895)
• Hoogvliet (added on May 1, 1934)
• Pernis (added on May 1, 1934)
• Hillegersberg (added on August 1, 1941)
• IJsselmonde (added on August 1, 1941)
• Overschie (added on August 1, 1941)
• Schiebroek (added on August 1, 1941)

History

For the destruction of the city center in 1940, see Bombing of Rotterdam

Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte (or Rotta, as it was then known, from rot, 'muddy' and a, 'water', thus 'muddy water') dates from at least 900. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hillegersberg is a former Municipality of Zuid-Holland in The Netherlands. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Schiebroek is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Rotterdam Blitz refers to the aerial bombardment of Rotterdam by the German Airforce on 14 May 1940, during the German invasion A fen is a type of Wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater Fens are characterized by their water chemistry which is neutral or Alkaline Fens are different Around 1150, large floods in the area ended development, leading to the construction of protective dikes and dams, including Schielands Hoge Zeedijk ('Schieland’s High Sea Dike') along the northern banks of the present-day Nieuwe Maas. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge LeveeEmbankmentDitch A dike (or dyke) levee, levée, embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial A dam on the Rotte or 'Rotterdam' was built in the 1260s and was located at the present-day Hoogstraat ('High Street').

On June 7, 1340, Count Willem IV of Holland granted city rights to Rotterdam, which then had approximately 2000 inhabitants. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Duke William II of Bavaria-Straubing was also count William VI of Holland, count William IV of Hainaut and count William V of City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. Around 1350 a shipping canal, the Rotterdamse Schie was completed, which provided Rotterdam access to the larger towns in the north, allowing it to become a local transshipment center between Holland, England and Germany, and to slowly urbanize. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing

The port of Rotterdam slowly but steadily grew into a port of importance, becoming the seat of one of the six 'chambers' of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), or the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian

The greatest spurt of growth, both in port activity and population, followed the completion of the Nieuwe Waterweg in 1872. The city and harbor started to expand on the south bank of the river. The Witte Huis or White House skyscraper,^[4] inspired by American office buildings and built in 1898 in the French Chateau style is evidence of Rotterdam's rapid growth and success. It was at the time of completion the tallest office building in Europe, with a height of 45 m.

The German army invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Germany had planned to conquer the country in one day, but after meeting unexpectedly fierce resistance, it finally forced the Dutch army to capitulate on May 14, 1940 by bombing Rotterdam and threatening to bomb other cities. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Rotterdam Blitz refers to the aerial bombardment of Rotterdam by the German Airforce on 14 May 1940, during the German invasion The heart of the city was almost completely destroyed by the German Luftwaffe, and 800 people were killed, while about 80,000 others were made homeless. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Ossip Zadkine later captured the event strikingly with his statue Stad zonder hart ('City without a heart'). Ossip Zadkine ( July 14, 1890 – November 25, 1967) was a Russian Artist and sculptor. The City Hall survived the bombing. The Germans carefully avoided it during the bombing, as it was assigned to be their headquarters of the region during the war. The statue is now located near the Leuvehaven, not far from the Erasmusbrug in the centre of the city, on the north shore of the river Nieuwe Maas. The Erasmusbrug ("Erasmus Bridge" is a Cable stayed bridge across the Nieuwe Maas river linking the northern and southern halves of the city of Rotterdam From the 1950s through the 1970s, the city was rebuilt. It remained quite windy and open until the city councils from the 1980s on began developing an active architectural policy. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) Daring and new styles of apartments, office buildings and recreation facilities resulted in a more 'livable' city center with a new skyline. Quality of life is the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people In the 1990s, a new business center on the south bank of the river, the Kop van Zuid was built.

Demographics

With 55% of the inhabitants earning a low income, Rotterdam has its fair share of typical urban problems, such as dilapidated inner city areas.

Ethnic make-up of the city

Figures are from 2006:

• Total: 588,718
• Dutch: 317,943
• Surinamese: 52,329
• Turkish: 45,415
• Moroccan: 36,831
• Antillean / Aruban: 19,701
• South-European: 17,774
• Other non-industrialised nations: 66,464
• Other industrialised nations: 32,261

In the Netherlands, Rotterdam has the highest percentage of foreigners from non-industrialised nations. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Netherlands Antilles ( Dutch:) previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela Nearly 50% of the population are not native to the Netherlands or have at least one parent born outside the country. Recent figures show that Muslims comprise close to 25% of the city's population. ^[5] The city is home to one of the largest Cape Verdean communities in the world, as well as the largest Dutch Antillean community. The Republic of Cape Verde ( Portuguese: Cabo Verde, 'kabu 'veɾdɨ is a Republic located on an Archipelago in the Macaronesia

Historical population

• 1796: 53,200 inhabitants
• 1830: 72,300
• 1849: 90,100
• 1879: 148,100
• 1899: 318,500
• 1925: 547,900
• 1965: 731,000
• 1984: 555,000
• 2005: 596,407
• 2006: 588,576

Geography

Rotterdam is divided into a northern and a southern part by the river Nieuwe Maas, connected by (from west to east): the Beneluxtunnel; the Maastunnel; the Erasmusbrug ('Erasmus Bridge'); a subway tunnel; the Willemsspoortunnel ('Willems railway tunnel'); the Willemsbrug ('Willems Bridge'); the Koninginnebrug ('Queen's Bridge'); and the Van Brienenoordbrug ('Van Brienenoord Bridge'). The Nieuwe Maas (English New Meuse) is a river branch of the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands. The former railway lift bridge De Hef ('the Lift') is preserved as a monument in lifted position between the Noordereiland ('North Island') and the south of Rotterdam. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water

The city center is located on the northern bank of the Nieuwe Maas, although recent urban development has extended the center to parts of southern Rotterdam known as De Kop van Zuid ('the Head of South', i. e. the northern part of southern Rotterdam). From its inland core, Rotterdam reaches the North Sea by a swathe of predominantly harbor area. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf.

Built mostly behind dikes, large parts of the Rotterdam are below sea level. For instance, the Prins Alexander Polder in the northeast of Rotterdam extends 6 meters below sea level, or rather below Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP) or 'Amsterdam Ordnance Datum'. Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP or Amsterdam Ordnance Datum is a vertical datum in use in large parts of Western Europe The lowest point in the Netherlands (6. 76 meters (22 ft) below NAP) is situated just to the east of Rotterdam, in the municipality of Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel. Nl-Nieuwerkerk aan den IJsselogg| Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel ]] (population 22344 in 2004 is a Town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province

The Rotte river no longer joins the Nieuwe Maas directly. Since the early 1980s, when the construction of Rotterdam’s second subway line interfered with the Rotte’s course, its waters have been pumped through a pipe into the Nieuwe Maas via the Boerengat.

Commerce and industry

Rotterdam is home to the Dutch half of consumer goods giant Unilever, and Mittal Steel Company N.V., subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Arcelor Mittal, the world's largest steel company. Unilever is a Multi-national corporation, formed of Anglo - Dutch parentage that owns many of the world's Consumer product brands Mittal Steel Company NV () was the world's largest Steel producer by volume and also the largest in turnover ArcelorMittal (,,) is the largest steel company in the world with 310000 employees in more than 60 countries

The Erasmus University has a strong focus on research and education in management and economics. Erasmus University Rotterdam is a university in the Netherlands, located in Rotterdam. The University is located on the east side of the city and is surrounded by numerous multinational firms. On Brainpark I, Brainpark II, Brainpark III and Het Rivium are located offices of Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AIG, KPMG, CMG,Sodexo, Coca Cola Company, Cap Gemini, Ernst and Young, etc. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (also branded as Deloitte) is one of the largest Professional services firms in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along PricewaterhouseCoopers (or PwC is one of the world's largest Professional services firms KPMG is one of the largest Professional services firms in the world Sodexo ( Sodexho Alliance prior to 23 January 2008) is a French Multinational corporation and one of the largest Food services and Facilities management Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries Ernst & Young is one of the largest Professional services firms in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC, In the center of the city are the above-mentioned Unilever offices, but also Robeco, Fortis (including Mees Pierson and Stad Rotterdam Verzekeringen), ABN AMRO, ING (Nationale Nederlanden), and the Rotterdam WTC. Unilever is a Multi-national corporation, formed of Anglo - Dutch parentage that owns many of the world's Consumer product brands ABN AMRO is a Dutch bank currently owned by RFS Holdings BV, a consortium of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Fortis Bank Nederland, and Banco Santander

Ports

Main article: Port of Rotterdam

Rotterdam has the largest port in Europe, with the rivers Meuse and Rhine providing excellent access to the hinterland upstream reaching to Basel, Switzerland and into France. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The Meuse (in Dutch and in German: "Maas" in Latin: "Mosa" in Celtic:"Mus" (the rootword presumingly The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The hinterland is the land or district behind the borders of a coast or river In 2003 Singapore took over, and in 2005 Shanghai, as the world's busiest port. The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Singapore 's harbours and which Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million The world's busiest Port is contested by several ports around the world In 2006, Rotterdam was the world's seventh largest container port in terms of Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) handled. Containerization (or containerisation) is a system of Intermodal freight transport Cargo Transport using standard ISO containers Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (often TEU or teu) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of Container ships and Container ^[6]

The port's main activities are petrochemical industries and general cargo handling and transshipment. Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of Petroleum or other Hydrocarbon origin Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, Transshipment or Transhipment is the Shipment of goods to an intermediate destination and then from there to yet another destination The harbour functions as an important transit point for bulk materials and between the European continent and overseas. Bulk material handling is an Engineering field that is centred around the design of equipment used for the transportation of materials such as Ores and Cereals From Rotterdam goods are transported by ship, river barge, train or road. In 2007, the Betuweroute, a new fast freight railway from Rotterdam to Germany, has been completed. The Betuweroute is a Double track Freight Railway from Rotterdam to Germany. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

In 1872, the Nieuwe Waterweg ('New Waterway') opened, a ship canal constructed to keep the city and port of Rotterdam accessible to seafaring vessels as the natural Meuse-Rhine channels silted up. The Nieuwe Waterweg ("New Waterway" is a Ship canal in the Netherlands from het Scheur (a branch of the Rhine - Meuse Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways The canal proper measures approximately 6. 5 kilometers (4 mi) from the western tips of its protruding dams to the Maeslantkering ('Maeslant Barrier'). The Maeslant Barrier The initial plan The construction of the Maeslantkering was a part of the "Europoortkering"-project which in turn was the final stage Many maps, however, include the Scheur as part of the Nieuwe Waterweg, leading to a length of approximately 19. Het Scheur (Dutch for "The Rip" is a branch of the Rhine - Meuse delta in South Holland the Netherlands that flows west from the confluence 5 kilometers (12 mi).

In the first half of the twentieth century, the port's center of gravity shifted westward towards the North Sea. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. Covering 105 square kilometers (40. 5 sq mi), the port of Rotterdam now stretches over a distance of 40 kilometers (25 mi). It consists of the city center's historic harbor area, including Delfshaven; the Maashaven/Rijnhaven/Feijenoord complex; the harbors around Nieuw-Mathenesse; Waalhaven; Vondelingenplaat; Eemhaven; Botlek; Europoort, situated along the Calandkanaal, Nieuwe Waterweg and Scheur (the latter two being continuations of the Nieuwe Maas); and the reclaimed Maasvlakte area, which projects into the North Sea. Delfshaven is a Borough of Rotterdam on the right bank of River Nieuwe Maas, in South Holland the Netherlands Feijenoord is a district in Rotterdam and is located south of the Nieuwe Maas. Botlek originally was the name of a stretch of the Nieuwe Maas river part of the Rhine - Meuse delta near the Dutch Cities Europoort ("Eurogate" also "Europort" is a Harbour of Rotterdam and the adjoining Industrial area in the Netherlands The Nieuwe Waterweg ("New Waterway" is a Ship canal in the Netherlands from het Scheur (a branch of the Rhine - Meuse Het Scheur (Dutch for "The Rip" is a branch of the Rhine - Meuse delta in South Holland the Netherlands that flows west from the confluence The Maasvlakte is part of the Harbour and industrial area of the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The construction of a second Maasvlakte received initial political approval in 2004, but was stopped by the Raad van State (the Dutch Council of State, which advises the government and parliament on legislation and governance) in 2005, because the plans did not take enough account of environmental issues. In the Netherlands, the Council of State ( Raad van State) is a Constitutionally established advisory body to the Government which consists of On October 10, 2006, however, approval was acquired to start construction in 2008, aiming for the first ship to anchor in 2013.

Education

Rotterdam has one major university, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, named after one of the city's famous former inhabitants, Desiderius Erasmus. Erasmus University Rotterdam is a university in the Netherlands, located in Rotterdam. Many of the departments are world renowned. The Woudestein campus houses (among others) the Rotterdam School of Management, which is a top ranked business school. In Financial Times' 2005 rankings it placed 29th globally and 7th in Europe. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. In the 2006 rankings of European Masters of Management, the school reached a second place with the CEMS Master in Management and a thirteenth place with its RSM Master in Management. The university is also home to Europe's largest student association, STAR Study Association RSM Erasmus University. STAR ( St udy A ssociation R otterdam School of Management is a Student association for Business administration students of the

The Hoboken campus of EUR houses the Dijkzigt (general) hospital, the Sophia Hospital (for children) and the Medical Department of the University. These are known collectively as the Erasmus Medical Center, which is ranked third worldwide for medical research, behind the Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. As a combined medical treatment and research center it is particularly noted for its patient cohort studies in which large numbers of patients are followed for long periods of time.

There are also three Hogescholen (lower lever universities) in Rotterdam. A vocational university (professional university or college of higher vocational studies is an institution of Higher education and sometimes Research, which These schools award their students a Bachelor's degree and postgraduate or Master's degree. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and The three Hogescholen are Hogeschool Rotterdam, Hogeschool INHOLLAND and Hogeschool voor Muziek en Dans (uni for music and dance) which is also know as CodArts. The Hogeschool Rotterdam is a University of Applied Sciences located in the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. INHOLLAND University is a University of applied science in the Netherlands.

Culture

Alongside Porto, Rotterdam was European Capital of Culture in 2001. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its The city has its own orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra with its world famous musical director Valery Gergiev, a large congress and concert building called De Doelen, plus many theatres (including the new Luxor theatre) and movie theatres. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (RPhO Dutch: Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest) is a Dutch symphony Orchestra based in Rotterdam WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери De Doelen is a concert venue and Convention centre in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Ahoy complex in the south of the city is used for pop concerts, exhibitions, tennis tournaments and other activities. A major zoo called Diergaarde Blijdorp is situated at the northwest side of Rotterdam, complete with a walkthrough sea aquarium called the Oceanium. A zoological garden, shortened to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity Diergaarde Blijdorp (Official Dutch name Stichting Koninklijke Rotterdamse Diergaarde, Foundation Royal Zoo of Rotterdam is a Zoo in the northwestern The Oceanium, officially opened in 2001, is a massive Aquarium.

The city is home to the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts ('Willem de Kooning Akademie').

Rotterdam is currently going through somewhat of a renaissance, with some urban renewal projects featuring ambitious architecture, an increasingly sparkling nightlife, and a host of summer festivals celebrating the city's multicultural population and identity, such as the Caribbean-inspired 'Summer Carnival', the Dance Parade, Rotterdam 666, the Metropolis pop festival and the World Harbor days. The Summer Carnaval (DutchZomercarnaval is a yearly event in Rotterdam and Arnhem that mimics the Carnaval of South- Latin-America and the There are also the International Film Festival in January, the Poetry International Festival in June, the North Sea Jazz Festival in July, the Valery Gergiev Festival in September, September in Rotterdam and the World of the Witte de With. In June 1970, The Holland Pop Festival (which featured Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Canned Heat, It's a Beautiful Day, and Santana) was held and filmed at the Stamping Grounds in Rotterdam. Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco, a pioneer of the Psychedelic rock movement The Byrds were a popular American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964 Canned Heat is a Blues-rock /boogie band that formed in Los Angeles in 1965 For the Queen song see Made in Heaven It's a Beautiful Day was a band formed in San Francisco, California Santana is a flexible number of musicians accompanying Carlos Santana since the late 1960s

The self-image of the city is that of a no-nonsense workers' city. In that sense, there is a healthy competition with Amsterdam, which is often viewed as the cultural capital of the Netherlands. There is a saying: "Amsterdam to party, Den Haag (The Hague) to live, Rotterdam to work". Another one, more popular by Rotterdammers, is "Money is earned in Rotterdam, divided in The Hague and spent in Amsterdam".

Rotterdam has had a rich hiphop scene since the early 1980s. It is also the home of Gabber, a type of music popular in the mid-1990s, with hard beats and samples. Gabber (IPA pronunciation English /gæbər/ Dutch /xɑbər/ gabba or hardcore, is a style of Electronic music and a subgenre of Bands like Neophyte and Rotterdam Terror Corps (RTC) started in Rotterdam. Neophyte is an influential and well-known hardcore, or Gabber, group formed in 1992 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Rotterdam Terror Corps is a Dutch gabber group formed in 1993 that is known for its hard beats and is considered by many as a pioneer in the genre

The main cultural organisations in Amsterdam, such as the Concertgebouw and Holland Festival, have joint forces with similar organisations in Rotterdam, via A'R'dam. In 2007 these organisations published with plans for co-operation. ^[7] One of the goals is to strengthen the international position of culture and art in the Netherlands in the international context.

Museums

Rotterdam has many museums. Well known museums are the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Historisch Museum (Historical museum), the Volkenkundig Museum (foreign peoples and cultures), the Kunsthal (design by Rem Koolhaas),the center for contemporary art Witte de With,^[8] the Maritiem Museum^[9] and the Brandweermuseum (Fire brigade museum). A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is the main art museum in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The Netherlands Architercture Institute ( NAi) is a Dutch architecture institute that consists of two Museums in Rotterdam and Maastricht The Kunsthal is a Museum in Rotterdam, which opened its doors in 1992 Remment Lucas Koolhaas, 'rɛm 'kɔːlhas (born) is a Dutch Architect, architectural theorist, Urbanist and "Professor in Practice of Architecture Witte Corneliszoon de With ( 28 March 1599, Den Briel - 8 November 1658, Oresund) was a famous Dutch Other museums include the tax museum, the nature historical museum, historical museum the Dubbelde Palmboom and the Schielandhuis. At the historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf 'De Delft the reconstruction of Ship of the Line 'De Delft' can be visited. A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century to take part in the the naval tactic known as the Line of battle ^[10]

Architecture and skyline

In 1898, the 45 meter high-rise office building, the White House, was completed, at that time the tallest office building in Europe.

In the first decades of the 20th century, some influential architecture in the modern style was built in Rotterdam. Notable are the Van Nelle fabriek (1929) a monument of modern factory design by Brinkman en Van der Vlugt, the Jugendstil clubhouse of the Royal Maas Yacht Club designed by Hooijkaas jr. Art Nouveau ( nu vo anglicised /ˈɑːt nuːvəu/ ( French for 'new art' also known as Jugendstil ( German for 'youth style' is an international See also Algemene Rotterdamse Studenten Roeivereniging "Skadi" en Brinkman (1909), and Feyenoord's football stadium de Kuip (1936) also by Brinkman en Van der Vlugt. Feyenoord is a professional football club located in Rotterdam. The Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname de Kuip (the Tub is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937 The architect J. J. P. Oud was a famous Rotterdammer in those days. Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud, commonly called JJP Oud ( 9 February 1890 - 5 April 1963) was a Dutch Architect During the early stages of World War II the center of Rotterdam was bombed by the Germans, destroying much of the older buildings in the center of the city. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including After initial crisis re-construction the center of Rotterdam has become the site of ambitious new architecture.

Rotterdam is also famous for its Kubuswoningen or cube houses built by architect Piet Blom in 1984. Kubuswoningen, or cube houses, are a set of innovative houses built in Rotterdam and Helmond in The Netherlands, designed by architect Piet Blom ( Feb 8 1934, Amsterdam – Jun 8 1999, Denmark) was a Dutch architect best known for his 'Kubuswoningen' In addition to that there are many international well known architects based in Rotterdam like O. M. A (Rem Koolhaas), MVRDV, Neutelings & Riedijk and Erick van Egeraat to name a few. Remment Lucas Koolhaas, 'rɛm 'kɔːlhas (born) is a Dutch Architect, architectural theorist, Urbanist and "Professor in Practice of Architecture MVRDV is a Rotterdam, The Netherlands -based Architecture and Urban design practice founded in 1991. Neutelings Riedijk Architecten is an architecture firm based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, founded by Willem-Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk

Rotterdam houses several of the tallest structures in the Netherlands. The Erasmusbrug ("Erasmus Bridge" is a Cable stayed bridge across the Nieuwe Maas river linking the northern and southern halves of the city of Rotterdam The Euromast is a Tower in Rotterdam constructed between 1958 and 1960 designed by H

• The Erasmus Bridge (1996) is a 2,600-foot (790 m) cable stayed bridge linking the north and south of Rotterdam. The Erasmusbrug ("Erasmus Bridge" is a Cable stayed bridge across the Nieuwe Maas river linking the northern and southern halves of the city of Rotterdam It is held up by a 138 meters (453 ft) tall pylon with a characteristic bend, earning the bridge its nickname 'De Zwaan' ('the Swan').
• Rotterdam has the tallest residential building in the Netherlands: the Montevideo Tower (524-foot (160 m)). Montevideo is a multipurpose Skyscraper located by the river Nieuwe Maas in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
• Rotterdam is also home to the tallest office building 'Delftse Poort' (520-foot (160 m)) which houses Nationale-Nederlanden insurance company, part of ING Group. ING Groep NV () (known as ING Group) is a Financial institution of Dutch origin offering Banking Insurance and ^[11][12]
• The city also houses the 186 meters (610 ft) tall Euromast, which has long been a major tourist attraction. The Euromast is a Tower in Rotterdam constructed between 1958 and 1960 designed by H Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel It was built in 1960, initially reaching a height of 101 meters (331 ft); in 1970, the Euromast was extended by 85 meters (279 ft) to its current height.

Rotterdam has a reputation in being a platform for architectural development and education through the Berlage Institute, a postgraduate laboratory of architecture, and the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute), which is open to the public and has a variety of good exhibitions on architecture and urban planning issues. The Netherlands Architercture Institute ( NAi) is a Dutch architecture institute that consists of two Museums in Rotterdam and Maastricht

Rotterdam is standing in the best European SkylineTop together with Frankfurt, Warsaw and Paris. Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Over 30 new highrise projects are being developed at the moment, including the 165 meters (541 ft) high 'Maas Tower', the 'New Orleans Tower', which will be about 158 meters (518 ft) and the Zalmhaven Urban Tower 195 meters (640 ft). ^[13]

Sports

Rotterdam is the home of three Eredivisie ('Honorary Division', or Dutch Premier League) football clubs: Feyenoord, Sparta and Excelsior. The Eredivisie ( English: Honorary Division) is the highest football league in the Netherlands. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Feyenoord is a professional football club located in Rotterdam. Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. SBV Excelsior is a professional football club from Rotterdam, in the Kralingen-Crooswijk district Rotterdam also has two Hoofdklasse (main class) club, PVV DOTO and TOGR. The Hoofdklasse is the highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the third tier in general

Feyenoord, founded in 1908 and the dominant of the three, has won fourteen national titles since the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands. It won the European Cup as the first Dutch club in 1970, and won the World Cup for club teams in the same year. In 1974, they were the first Dutch club to win the UEFA Cup and in 2002, Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup again. The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. In 2008, the year of their 100-year-anniversary, Feyenoord won the KNVB-cup. Seating 51,480, its stadium, called Stadion Feijenoord but popularly known as De Kuip ('the Tub'), is the second largest in the country. The Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname de Kuip (the Tub is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937 De Kuip, located in the southeast of the city, has hosted many international football games, including the final of Euro 2000 and has been awarded a FIFA 5 star ranking. The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by And Feyenoord has the biggest supporters group in the Netherlands.

Sparta, founded in 1888 and situated in the northwest of Rotterdam, won the national title in 1959; Excelsior (founded 1902), in the northeast, has never won any.

Rotterdam has its own annual international marathon, which offers one of the fastest courses in the world. The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual Marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands since 1981 From 1985 until 1998, the world record was set in Rotterdam, first by Carlos Lopes and later in 1988 by Belayneh Dinsamo. This is a list of progressive record times for the marathon. The actual distance for the pre-1925 races varied slightly from the present figure of 42 Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes, GCIH, pron 'kaɾluʃ 'lɔpɨʃ (born February 18 Belayneh Densamo (born June 28, 1965 in Diramo Afarrara, Sidamo) is a long distance track and road running athlete from Ethiopia. The marathon starts and ends on the Coolsingel in the heart of Rotterdam.

Since 1972 Rotterdam hosts the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, part of the ATP Tour. The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (known as the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament for sponsorship reasons is a professional Tennis tournament played The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP was formed in 1972 to protect the interests of male professional Tennis players

Members of the student rowing club Skadi were part of the 'Holland Acht', winning a gold medal at the olympics in 1996. History On October 28 1928 members of the Rotterdamsch Studenten Corps R Rowing at the Summer Olympics has been part of the competition since the 1900 Summer Olympics.

In field hockey, Rotterdam has the largest hockey club in the Netherlands, HC Rotterdam, with its own stadium in the north of the city and nearly 2,400 members. Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick HC Rotterdam is a Dutch Field hockey club which was founded on September 16, 1925. The first men's and women's teams both play on the highest level in the Dutch Hoofdklasse.

Rotterdam is home to the most successful European baseball team, Neptunus Rotterdam, winning the most European Cups. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Neptunus is the baseball team of the Neptunus Sporting Club in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The European Cup is a baseball competition held between the top teams of the professional baseball leagues of Europe

Since 1986, the city has selected its best sportsman, woman and team at the Rotterdam Sports Awards Election, held in December. The Rotterdam Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year is an annual election organised by the city's division for topsport named Rotterdam Topsport.

Motor cycle speedway was staged in the Feyenoord Stadium after the second world war. The team which raced in a Dutch league was known as the Feyenoord Tigers. The team included Dutch riders and some English and Australian riders.

Shopping

Well-known streets in Rotterdam are the shopping center the Lijnbaan (the first set of pedestrian streets of the country, opened in 1953), the Hoogstraat, the Coolsingel with the city hall, and the Weena, which runs from the Central Station to the Hofplein (square). Car-free zones (also known as auto-free zones and pedestrian zones) are areas of a city or town in which automobile traffic is prohibited A modern shopping venue is the Beurstraverse ('Stock Exchange Traverse), better known by the informal name 'Koopgoot' ('Buying/Shopping Gutter', after its low-lying position, crossing Rotterdam's main street Coolsingel below street level).

The main shopping venue in the south of Rotterdam is Zuidplein, which lies close to Ahoy' Rotterdam, an accommodation center for shows, exhibitions, sporting events, concerts and congresses. Ahoy Rotterdam (often called merely Ahoy, or in Dutch Ahoy Gebouw) is an indoor sporting arena in Rotterdam Netherlands. Another prominent shopping center, called Alexandrium (sometimes still called by its former name Oosterhof), lies in the east of Rotterdam. It includes a large kitchen and furniture center.

Yearly events

• January: International Film Festival Rotterdam^[14]
• April-June
  • Rotterdam Marathon^[15]
  • Dunya Festival^[16]
• July: Metropolis Music Festival^[17]
• August: Pleinbioscoop^[18]
• June till September: the Rotterdam Summer festivals, including
  • North Sea Jazz Festival (second weekend of July)
  • Summer Carnival^[19]
  • Formula 1 race car demonstrations^[20]
  • FFWD Heineken Dance Parade (technoparade)^[21]
• September:
  • World Port Days (2006: 1, 2 and 3 September)^[22]
  • Gergiev Festival Rotterdam^[23]
  • Qlimax Dance party
  • Wereld van Witte de With (Art and culture festival in the famous Witte de With Straat in the heart of the city)

Transportation

Rotterdam is well connected in international, national, regional and local public transport systems. The International Film Festival Rotterdam ( IFFR) is an annual Film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands at the The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual Marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands since 1981 The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in The Netherlands. The Summer Carnaval (DutchZomercarnaval is a yearly event in Rotterdam and Arnhem that mimics the Carnaval of South- Latin-America and the Heineken International is a Dutch Brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. A Technoparade (the word is German) is a parade of vehicles equipped with strong loudspeakers and amplifiers along the streets of a municipality which are closed down for this

Airport

Although much smaller than the international hub Schiphol airport, Rotterdam Airport (formerly known as Zestienhoven) is the third largest airport in the country, just behind Eindhoven Airport. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands ' main Airport, located 20 minutes (17 Rotterdam Airport (formerly ( Dutch) Vliegveld Zestienhoven) located in Rotterdam, is The Netherlands ' third largest Airport An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Eindhoven Airport is a regional Airport near Eindhoven, Netherlands. Located north of the city, it has shown a very strong growth over the past five years, mostly caused by the growth of the low-cost carrier market. For business travelers Zestienhoven Airport offers advantages due to rapid handling of passengers and baggage. Environmental regulations make further growth uncertain.

Train

Rotterdam is well connected to the Dutch railroad system, and has several international connections. The train system hosts:

Four trainlines

• South direction Dordrecht-and further (including international to Belgium/France)
• West direction Hoek van Holland
• North-West direction The Hague, Amsterdam
• North-East direction Utrecht
• A fifth alternative train system to the Hague, the Hofplein Line was converted to the light-rail system Randstadrail in 2006. Dordrecht (population 119649 in 2004 or in English (and locally colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Hook of Holland ( Dutch: Hoek van Holland - literally "Corner of Holland" also known in English as the Hook, is a town in Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west RandstadRail is a Light rail project in the southern area of the Randstad Conurbation in the west of The Netherlands.

The four operating trainlines serve seven railway stations within the city boundaries (Rotterdam Centraal, Rotterdam Blaak, Rotterdam Alexander, Rotterdam Noord, Rotterdam Zuid, Rotterdam Lombardijen, Rotterdam Stadion (next to De Kuip, only open for events). The Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname de Kuip (the Tub is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937

Main connections

• Direct international services to Belgium and France via high speed train system: Thalys
• Frequent international trains to Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium
• Frequent services within the Netherlands:
  • Intercity line to The Hague, Leiden, Schiphol airport and Amsterdam (north)
  • Intercity line to Utrecht and on to Deventer or Enschede (the east), Leeuwarden (north-west) or Groningen (north-east)
  • Intercity line to Dordrecht, Roosendaal and on to Vlissingen (south west)
  • Intercity line to Dordrecht, Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and Venlo (south east)
  • Hourly services throughout the night connecting to Delft, The Hague, Leiden, Schiphol airport, Amsterdam, and, with a detour, Utrecht. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Thalys is an international high-speed train operator built around the high-speed lines between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is "Leyden" redirects here For other uses see Leyden (disambiguation. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands ' main Airport, located 20 minutes (17 Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Utrecht ( city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. Deventer is a Municipality and City in the Salland region of the Dutch Province of Overijssel. or Eanske in the local dialect ( Twents) is a Municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel, in the Leeuwarden ( Stadsfries: Liwwadden, West Frisian: Ljouwert) is the Capital city of the Dutch province of Friesland Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Dordrecht (population 119649 in 2004 or in English (and locally colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Roosendaal ( is both a city and a Municipality in the southern Netherlands. Vlissingen ( or Flushing in English is a Municipality and a City in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren Dordrecht (population 119649 in 2004 or in English (and locally colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Breda ( is a Municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. Tilburg ( is a Municipality and a City in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant. Eindhoven ( is a Municipality and a city located in the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence Venlo ( is a Municipality and a City in the southeastern Netherlands.
  • Several semi-fast services and local trains originate or call at Rotterdam Centraal; semi-fast services Amsterdam-Breda.
• Detailed information available from the site of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways)^[24]

Light Rail

To bridge the gap between national train services and local public transportation the Dutch Randstad has developed a regional lightrail system called Randstad Rail. Nederlandse Spoorwegen ( Dutch Railways) or NS, is the principal passenger Railway operating company in the Netherlands. ImageRandstad_with_scalepng|400px|thumb|right|Schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schiphol rect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeer rect 399 166 479 245 For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. RandstadRail is a Light rail project in the southern area of the Randstad Conurbation in the west of The Netherlands. First trains ran in September 2006.

Metro

Main article: Rotterdam Metro

See also: List of Rotterdam metro stations

In 1968 Rotterdam was the first Dutch city to open a metro system. The Rotterdam Metro is a Rapid transit system operated in Rotterdam by RET. The Rotterdam Metro has two metro lines the Erasmus line and the Caland line. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Currently the system consists of two main lines, each of which has some variants.

• Erasmus Line: Rotterdam Central station - Albrandswaard (Rhoon, Poortugaal) - Hoogvliet - Spijkenisse
• Caland Line: two lines from the northeast of Rotterdam (Ommoord and since September 2005 to the new constructed neighborhood Nesselande (before it ended at Zevenkamp which is one stop before Nesselande), both in Prins Alexander) and one from Capelle aan den IJssel join; the combined line terminated in the west of Rotterdam, but on November 4, 2002, an extension was opened: the line now connects to the main railway network at Schiedam railway station, has a stop in Pernis and joins the Erasmus Line in Hoogvliet; trains on the Caland Line, like those on the Erasmus Line, terminate in Spijkenisse. Albrandswaard (population 19607 in 2004 is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Spijkenisse (population 74482 in 2006 is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Prins Alexander is a Borough in the northeast part of Rotterdam, South Holland the Netherlands Capelle aan den IJssel (population 65605 in 2005) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands and is part of the Rotterdam

The eastern parts of the Caland Line have some level crossings (with priority), and could therefore be called light rail instead of metro; however, they are integrated in the system; these parts have overhead wires, while the rest has a third rail, the vehicles can handle both. The term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, road through railroad, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the A third rail is a method of providing Electricity to power a railway through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails

Tram

Rotterdam offers 10 tramlines with a total length of 93. 4 kilometers.

Bus

Rotterdam offers 38 buslines with a total length of 432. 7 kilometers.

Fast ferry

Every half hour a fast ferry goes from Rotterdam to Dordrecht and vice versa. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The trip takes an hour, inclusive stops along the way. The ferry can carry about 130 passengers and there is space for 60 bicycles. The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind The stops are:

• Rotterdam Willemskade - Krimpen aan den IJssel Stormpolder - Ridderkerk De Schans - Alblasserdam Kade -Papendrecht Westeind - Dordrecht Merwekade. Krimpen aan den IJssel (population 28800 in 2006 is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Ridderkerk (population 45528 in 2004 is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Alblasserdam is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Papendrecht (population 30914 in 2004 is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, along the River Dordrecht (population 119649 in 2004 or in English (and locally colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South

Miscellaneous

Beaches

Since the summer of 2003 an artificial beach is created at the Boompjeskade along the Nieuwe Maas, between the Erasmus Bridge and the Willems Bridge. Swimming was not possible, digging pits was limited to the height of the layer of sand, ca. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles 50 cm. Alternatively people go the beach of Hoek van Holland (which is still a Rotterdam district) or one of the beaches in Zeeland or the Zuid Hollandse Eilanden: Ouddorp, Oostvoorne, Renesse. The Hook of Holland ( Dutch: Hoek van Holland - literally "Corner of Holland" also known in English as the Hook, is a town in Zeeland ( also called Zealand in English and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. Ouddorp ( is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goedereede on the island Goeree-Overflakkee Oostvoorne ( is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. Renesse ( is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 28 km west of

Notable Rotterdammers

Main article: List of people from Rotterdam

Town twinning

Rotterdam participates in international town twinning. This is a chronological list of the most notable people from Rotterdam, who were either born and raised there or were long-term residents

• 13 Sister Cities
• 12 Partner Cities
• 4 Sister Ports

Sister Cities

• Cologne, Germany, Since 1958
• Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Since 1958
• Lille, France, Since 1958
• Turin, Italy, Since 1958
• Luik, Belgium, Since 1958
• Burgas, Bulgaria, Since 1976
• Constanta, Romania, Since 1976
• Gdansk, Poland, Since 1977
• Shanghai, China, Since 1979
• Havana, Cuba, Since 1983
• Saint Petersburg, Russia, Since 1984
• Baltimore, USA, Since 1985
• Dresden, Germany, Since 1988

Partner Cities

• Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom, Since 1936
• Antwerpen, Belgium, Since 1940
• Basel, Switzerland, Since 1945
• Oslo, Norway, Since 1945
• Duisburg, Germany, Since 1950
• Nuremberg, Germany, Since 1961
• Jakarta, Indonesia, Since 1983
• Osaka, Japan, Since 1984
• Budapest, Hungary, Since 1991
• Bratislava, Slovakia, Since 1991
• Durban, South Africa, Since 1991
• Prague, Czech Republic, Since 1991

Sister Ports

• Kobe, Japan, Since 1967
• Seattle, USA, Since 1969
• Busan, South Korea, Since 1987
• Tokyo, Japan, Since 1989

References

External links

Rotterdam travel guide from Wikitravel

• Rotterdam
• Port of Rotterdam
• Rotterdam Tourism

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

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