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Amsterdam-Centrum is the inner-most
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
and historical
city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...
of
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
,
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, containing the majority of the city's landmarks. Established in 2002, Amsterdam-Centrum was the last area in the city to be granted the status of self-governing borough. The borough is 8.04 km2 and covers the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
-listed Amsterdam canal belt. In 2013, the borough had approximately 85,000 inhabitants, who on average had the second-highest income per household in the city (after
Amsterdam-Zuid Amsterdam-Zuid (; Amsterdam South) is a Boroughs of Amsterdam, borough (''stadsdeel'') of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The borough was formed in 2010 as a merger of the former boroughs Amsterdam Oud-Zuid, Oud-Zuid and Zuideramstel. The borough has almo ...
) and one of the highest in the country.


Neighborhoods

Amsterdam-Centrum consists of fourteen neighborhoods: Binnenstad (comprising the Burgwallen Oude Zijde and Burgwallen Nieuwe Zijde areas),
Grachtengordel The Grachtengordel (, ), known in English as the Canal District, is a neighborhood in Amsterdam, Netherlands located in the Amsterdam-Centrum, Centrum district. The seventeenth-century canals of Amsterdam, located in the center of Amsterdam, wer ...
(including the Negen Straatjes district), Haarlemmerbuurt, Jodenbuurt,
Jordaan The Jordaan () is a neighbourhood of the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is part of the Boroughs of Amsterdam, borough of Amsterdam-Centrum. The area is bordered by the Singelgracht canal and the neighbourhood of Frederik Hendrikbuurt to the ...
, Kadijken, Lastage, Oosterdokseiland, Oostelijke Eilanden (including the Czaar Peterbuurt), Plantage, Rapenburg, Uilenburg, Westelijke Eilanden and Weteringschans. Neighborhoods are largely traditional divisions of the inner city rather than strictly defined administrative units; as such, they have no level of autonomy, administrative privileges or governing bodies of their own.


Borough government

Until 2014, the Amsterdam boroughs, called ''stadsdelen'' (also known as urban districts in English), were governed by a directly elected district council (''deelraad'') as well as a separate district executive board, the members of which were appointed and controlled by the council. Since the 2014 municipal elections, the district councils have been abolished and replaced by smaller, but still directly elected district committees (''bestuurscommissies''). The district committees are elected every four years, on the same day as the city's central
municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
. Each district committee elects three of its members to form an executive committee (''dagelijks bestuur''). The district committees' jurisdiction is determined by the central
municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
. Responsibilities delegated to the 2014 district committees include parks and recreation, streets and squares, refuse collection, permits and events, preparation of zoning plans, passports and drivers licenses, and welfare work. The former district council of Amsterdam-Centrum originally had 27 members but was enlarged in 2006 with two extra members. The last district executive board president was Jeanine van Pinxteren ( GL, 2010–2014), who succeeded Els Iping ( PvdA, 2006–2010) and Anne Lize van der Stoel ( VVD, 2002–2006). The new district committee of Amsterdam-Centrum consists of 13 members. It was elected on 19 March 2014 with five national political parties represented in the committee. On 7 April 2014, the committee elected its executive board. Executive committee chair was Boudewijn Oranje ( D66), and the other members were Jeanine van Pinxteren ( GL) and Roeland Rengelink ( PvdA). For the period 2018-2022 is Dehlia Timman (succeeded Mascha ten Bruggencate in July 2021) chair (both D66), the two other members are Micha Vos and Ilse Griek (both GreenLeft). The borough office (Dutch: ''stadsdeelkantoor''; English: district office; also known as ''stadsloket'' in Dutch) of Amsterdam-Centrum is located at the central city hall, housed in the
Stopera The Stopera is a building complex in Amsterdam, Netherlands, housing both the city hall of Amsterdam and the Dutch National Opera and Ballet (formerly Het Muziektheater), the principal opera house in Amsterdam that is home of Dutch National Ope ...
building.


Landmarks

Leidseplein hoek Leidsestraat foto 1.jpg, Leidseplein, Weteringschans Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder 2396.jpg, Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, Burgwallen Oude Zijde Paleis van Justitie, Amsterdam-9011.jpg, ''Paleis van Justitie'' seen from the north, Haarlemmerbuurt Grachtengordel-West, Amsterdam, Netherlands - panoramio (13).jpg,
Westerkerk The Westerkerk (; ) is a Calvinism, Reformed church within Protestant Church in the Netherlands, Dutch Protestant Calvinism in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the most western part of the Grachtengordel (Amsterdam), Grachtengordel nei ...
and Prinsengracht, Grachtengordel Amsterdam vue Nemo.JPG, NEMO Science Museum, Oosterdokseiland


References


External links


Borough of Amsterdam-Centrum website
{{Neighborhoods of Amsterdam 2002 establishments in the Netherlands Centrum