Is Amsterdam a country? No silly, it’s the capital of the Netherlands!

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Is Amsterdam a country? It's a question often asked on Google and we've also encountered this funny silly question with people all over the world. We'll explain!

No, Amsterdam is not a country. Let me spam you some interesting facts to get you acquainted: it's a city in The Netherlands. The Netherlands lies left next to Germany, above Belgium, and right next – across the pond – of Engeland. This small country, also called Holland, has about 18 million inhabitants. The locals are called Dutch people. Amsterdam (nicknamed by the locals: Mokum) has about 900.000 inhabitants and about 20 million tourists roughly visit A'dam every year.

So, now you know that Amsterdam is not a country. It's the main capital of this lovely country (where we from Free Birds are actually from). We've been to Amsterdam about 40 times by now and we always love to visit this vibrant city. It's by far the most unique place in The Netherlands and we will tell you why.

is amsterdam a country

Amsterdam: unique, atmospheric, amazing

When tourists come to visit Amsterdam, they think the whole country is just like Amsterdam. That is a big misconception because Amsterdam is totally different than the rest of the country. It's like going to Las Vegas and saying; the rest of the United States must be like Las Vegas. That comparison is very accurate because the city center of Amsterdam feels like a theme park for tourists. Whenever we visit Amsterdam, we are also the typical tourists. Even though we live about an hour from the city, we still feel like we ‘visit' this crazy vibrant city as if we are going to a theme park.

Fun fact; did you know Amsterdam is the most multi-cultural city in the world? They have about 177 nationalities living there! And it's very friendly towards LGTBQ-people. It's a city that welcomes everybody. Every body. Pun intended.

There's more to see

Amsterdam is simply amazing. It's buzzing, it's a bit wild and you'll desire more eyes to scan every fascinating detail. The people you'll see, the shops they have and the amazing architecture… you're brain will find it hard to process all these interesting details.

But wait, there's (way) more to see than just the city center. This area is more a tourist trap! You'll understand that quickly when you discover other areas of the city where the Dutch people themselves live. It's more relaxed, it's more atmospheric, and way more authentic. And maybe most important; it's way more photogenic.

For now, you'll only need to know these two areas: The Jordaan and The Pijp.

We've written a bunch of great articles about Amsterdam and its many areas, hotspots, and must-see's, so please check them out to discover more about one of the greatest cities in the world.

> The Avocado Show in Amsterdam: Pretty healthy food

> Visit The Van Gogh Museum, the most popular museum in Amsterdam!

> Learn these 25 basic words in Dutch before visiting Holland

Pictures of Amsterdam

Let's end this article in style by sharing some of our favorite pictures of typical Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherland thus not a country ;), with its many (crooked) canal houses and beautiful streets.

is amsterdam a country