Zaandam

Zaandam is a city in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands, lying on the river Zaan just north of Amsterdam. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad. Zaandam received city rights in 1811 and remained a separate municipality until 1974, when it was merged into the newly created municipality of Zaanstad. The statistical district of Zaandam, which takes in both the built-up city and the surrounding countryside, has about 76,800 residents. Its position beside the Zaan, close to the capital, ties the town to the wider Amsterdam region while it keeps its own identity as the administrative and commercial centre of Zaanstad.