GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM

Crescent-shaped Amsterdam borders the North Sea and is located on a flat land of which 50% lies below sea level. The city is protected from flooding only by sand dunes, dikes, and Dutch engineering ingenuity. Being a great delta of the Western Europe, Amsterdam is crisscrossed by an array of canals and waterways among which the River Amstel is the life blood. A myriad of canals in Amsterdam still plays and important role in economic life, especially in tourism industry.