In the province of North Holland, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands (the seat of government is in The Hague), and has a population of just under 750,000. Half are Dutch natives; the rest of the inhabitants are made up of both western and non-western immigrants, hence its cosmopolitan ambience. The city's fastest growing industry is in the creative sector: especially jobs in advertising agencies, architectural firms, fashion and interior design. Tourism is also a major industry; almost five million tourists visit the city each year.

The time zone is GMT +1, the same as Berlin and Paris, and one hour ahead of London. Daylight saving time begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the Last Sunday in October.

Electricity is 220 volts AC/50 HZ and two-pin continental plugs are used.

The currency used is the euro. One euro is made up of 100 cents. Notes and coins came into circulation in January 2002, replacing the guilder.

Important Telephone Numbers:
Emergency services (Police/Fire/Ambulance) 112
Police (non-emergency): 0900 8844

Making phone calls in the Netherlands
The country dialing code for the Netherlands is 31. The city code for Amsterdam is 020. When calling Amsterdam from outside the Netherlands, you drop the first zero, i.e. 31 20, followed by the number (usually seven digits). When you are dialing a number in Amsterdam from within Amsterdam, you don't dial the city code, just the seven-digit number. However, when you are dialing a number in Amsterdam from elswehere in the country, you dial the city code in full, i.e. 020, followed by the seven digit number. Apply the same to 06 mobile phone numbers.