ABN AMRO is the largest bank in the Netherlands and has operations all over the world.

It is the result of the merger in 1991 of Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN) and AMRO - the Amsterdamsche-Rotterdamsche Bank.

ABN AMRO ranks 11th in Europe and 23rd in the world based on tier 1 capital, with over 3,000 branches in more than 60 countries, a staff of about 110,000 full-time equivalents and total assets of EUR 639.9 billion (as at 31 March 2004).

Contents

1 History 2 Positive publicity 3 Negative publicity 4 External link

History

• On 29 March 1824 King Willem I issued a royal decree creating the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij with the aim of reviving trade between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies.

• 1861: De Twentsche Bank was founded.

• 1863: The Rotterdamsche Bank was founded.

• 1871: The Amsterdamsche Bank was founded.

• 1883: Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij commenced banking operations.

• 1962: Rotterdamsche Bank acquired Nationale Handelsbank.

• 1964: Amsterdamsche Bank merged with Rotterdamsche Bank to form AMRO Bank. Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij immediately merged with De Twentsche Bank to form Algemene Bank Nederland (ABN).

• 1968: ABN acquired Hollandsche Bank-Unie.

• 1991: ABN and AMRO merged to form ABN AMRO.

Positive publicity

ABN AMRO has adopted the Equator Principles, which state that the bank must ensure potential candidates for funding can prove that their project meets criteria related to the environment and social risks.

Negative publicity

The ABN AMRO is also the bank of the Biomedical Primate Research Centre, the biggest primate vivisection center in Europe.

External link

• The Offical ABN AMRO Site (http://www.abnamro.com/)
• The Equator Principles (http://www.equator-principles.com)

nl:ABN AMRO