Amsterdam, Netherlands - We enjoyed ourselves on our recent jaunt to the Netherlands. Below is a disorganized jumble of the many and varied things we learned. Names of Things Amsterdam Let's start with an easy one. I had never taken time to think about the name Amsterdam until I got here, but the origin of the name is rather literal - it refers to the dam of the river Amstel, the river on which the city was founded. When you arrive here, you'll notice that many places in the Netherlands are named similarly: Edam, Monnickendam, etc. Controlling the flow of water is, as it turns out, very important in a country where a third of the land area is below sea level and the average elevation is 98 feet. The Netherlands vs. Holland The Netherlands means the Low Countries and it refers to all twelve provinces. People, particularly English speakers and sometimes the Dutch (particularly those who live in Holland), often use "Holland" to refer to the whole country. But ...
Adventures living abroad in Switzerland.