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The municipality of Amsterdam is located in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is the most populous municipality in the country. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Amsterdam, but the municipality also covers a number of small villages.
The municipality borders on Diemen, Weesp, Abcoude, Ouder-Amstel and Amstelveen in the south, Haarlemmermeer and Haarlemmerliede in the west, and Zaanstad, Oostzaan, Landsmeer and Waterland in the north.
Population centres
Amsterdam, Driemond, Durgerdam, Holysloot, 't Nopeind, Osdorp, Ransdorp, Sloten, Sloterdijk, Zunderdorp
City government
As all Dutch municipalities, the municipality of Amsterdam is governed by a mayor, his wethouders, and the municipal council.
Unlike most other Dutch municipalities, Amsterdam is further subdivided into 15 submunicipalities (stadsdelen). Fourteen of these have their own council, chosen by a popular election. The fifteenth, Westerpoort, covers the harbour of Amsterdam, and has very few inhabitants. It is governed by the central municipal council.
The subcouncils are:
- Centrum - the city centre
- Westerpark
- Oud-West
- De Baarsjes
- Bos en Lommer
- Geuzenveld/Slotermeer
- Osdorp
- Slotervaart/Overtoomse veld
- Oud-Zuid
- Zuideramstel
- Oost/Watergraafsmeer
- Zeeburg
- Noord
- Zuidoost
History of the municipality
When the municipality was created during the French occupation, it covered the city (then consisting of only the central part inside the canals) and the immediate surroundings, less than 10% of the current municipality. When the city grew, it annexed several neighbouring municipalities:
- Sloten (covering the villages of Sloten, Sloterdijk and Osdorp, in the west), annexed in 1921
- Buiksloot, annexed in 1921, now part of Amsterdam-Noord
- Nieuwendam (covering Nieuwendam and Zunderdorp), annexed in 1921, now part of Amsterdam-Noord
- Ransdorp (covering Ransdorp, Schellingwoude, Durgerdam and Holysloot), annexed in 1921, now part of Amsterdam-Noord
- Watergraafsmeer, annexed in 1921
- a part of Nieuweramstel (covering the village of Buitenveldert)
- a part of Weesperkarspel (covering the Bijlmermeer and the village of Driemond), annexed in 1966, now Amsterdam-Zuidoost
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