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Amstelveen

Amstelveen
Municipality
Amstelveen city centre
Amstelveen city centre
Flag of Amstelveen
Flag
Coat of arms of Amstelveen
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Amstelveen in a municipal map of North Holland
Location in North Holland
Coordinates: 52°18′N 4°51′E / 52.300°N 4.850°E / 52.300; 4.850Coordinates: 52°18′N 4°51′E / 52.300°N 4.850°E / 52.300; 4.850
Country Netherlands
Province North Holland
Government
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Mirjam van 't Veld (CDA)
Area
 • Total 44.08 km2 (17.02 sq mi)
 • Land 41.45 km2 (16.00 sq mi)
 • Water 2.63 km2 (1.02 sq mi)
Elevation −1 m (−3 ft)
Population (May 2014)
 • Total 85,749
 • Density 2,069/km2 (5,360/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Amstelvener
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode 1180–1189
Area code 020
Website www.amstelveen.nl

Amstelveen (About this sound pronunciation ) is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is a suburban part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen, Middenhoven, Randwijk, Elsrijk, Keizer Karelpark, Nes aan de Amstel, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel (partly). The name Amstelveen comes from Amstel, a local river, and veen, meaning fen, peat, or moor.

KLM has its headquarters in Amstelveen. In addition Amstelveen has the international headquarters of one of the Big Four auditors, KPMG.

During the French occupation between 1810 and 1814, it was the capital of a canton in the French department Zuyderzée, and until 1964 the municipality of Amstelveen was called Nieuwer-Amstel. It is technically a large dorp (village), because it was never walled. The symbol adopted for Amstelveen was based on the Amsterdam symbol of three crosses, with one additional cross for distinction. The Thijssepark (in full the Dr Jac. P. Thijssepark), was the first heempark in the Netherlands and is one of sixteen heemparks or heemgroen in Amstelveen. Designed by landscape architect C.P.Broerse; following the ideas of the great Dutch naturalist and conservationist Jac. P. Thijsse, it was developed between 1940 and 1972 and covers an area of 5 hectares, and is situated just south of the Amsterdamse Bos. Amstelveen was chosen as an unlikely host of a match in the 1999 Cricket World Cup, for which the Netherlands had not qualified. South Africa played Kenya in the match. Former Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende started his political career as member of the council for Amstelveen. As a result of the vicinity of Schiphol (Amsterdam Airport), and its links to Amsterdam, Amstelveen has grown and become a cosmopolitan mix of many cultures living in Amstelveen.


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