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The Lowdownh on the 

The name Amsterdam derives from the dams built by traders around the Amstel River, a clear indication of the Dutch capital's origins. The first recorded use of the name is from 1275, when the location was little more than a fishing village. However, by the Dutch Golden Era, when the Dutch East India Company dominated maritime trade, Amsterdam had become one of the wealthiest cities in the world.

During this period, the city's famous canal system was created, earning Amsterdam the nickname the “Venice of the North.” The tentacles of this sprawling network of waterways now stretch for over 100 the kilometers and comprise 90-odd islands and 1,500 bridges. As with other areas of the Netherlands, polders — large areas of reclaimed land — were added over time.

Amsterdam's expansion as one of the world's key ports coincided with its emergence as a global financial center. Formed in 1602, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is considered to be the world's oldest and helped make the Netherlands a trailblazer in financial products. Long before the rest of the world had caught on, the authorities were encouraging investment in trade and industry through the issuance of public bonds. Amsterdam held its position as preeminent financial power until a series of liquidity crises knocked it from its perch in the late 18th century.



混雜之美——阿姆斯特丹

阿姆斯特丹這個名字源自阿姆斯特河（Amstel River）周 圍的貿易商所建造的水壩（dam），這也清楚說明荷蘭首都 的由來。此名首次有記錄的使用是在一二七五年，當時這個 地區還只是個漁村。不過到了荷蘭黃金時期，也就是荷蘭東 印度公司主宰海上貿易的期間，阿姆斯特丹就變成了世上最 富裕的城市之一。

阿姆斯特丹著名的運河系統也是在這個黃金時期所建立 的，為她贏得了「北方威尼斯」的暱稱。這個蔓生水道網絡 的觸角目前已延伸超過一百公里，並廣納九十多座小島和 1,500 座橋樑。跟荷蘭的其他地區一樣，低窪開拓地（大區 域的填海陸地）日後才逐漸增加。

阿姆斯特丹擴張成為世上重要港口之一與其興起成為全 球金融中心的時間點一致。成立於一六○二年的阿姆斯特丹 證券交易中心被視為世上最悠久的證交所，也是幫助荷蘭 成為金融商品先驅的機構。早在世上其他地區尚未理解其重 要性前，有關當局就開始透過發行債券來鼓勵貿易及產業投 資。阿姆斯特丹一直保持卓越的金融勢力，直到十八世紀末 一系列的流動資產危機才將其自高處扳倒。

資料來源：biz 互動英語電子報