Saardam
| Zaandam | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Windmills at the Zaanse Schans in 2007
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 Zaandam
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| Coordinates: 52°26′N 4°50′E / 52.433°N 4.833°ECoordinates: 52°26′N 4°50′E / 52.433°N 4.833°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Holland |
| Municipality | Zaanstad |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 72,597 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Zaandam (Dutch pronunciation: [zaːnˈdɑm]) is a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811. It is located on the Zaan, nearby the North Sea Canal, and it is close to Amsterdam.
The statistical district Zaandam, which covers the city and the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 72,597.
Zaandam was a separate municipality until 1974, when it became a part of the new municipality of Zaanstad.
Zaandam (formerly called Saenredam) and the surrounding Zaan River region, called the Zaanstreek, share a history that is intimately tied into industry.
In the Dutch Golden Age, Zaandam served as a large milling centre. Thousands of windmills powered saws that were processing Scandinavian wood for the shipbuilding and paper industries. A statue was commissioned from the Bosnian Serb sculptor Slavomir Miletić in honour of this era, and the statue, “The Woodworker” (“De Houtwerker”), was installed on 20 June 2004.
Zaandam was a leading city in the first Industrial Revolution. Into the second half of the 20th century, Zaandam was still an important lumber port.
Zaandam is also historically linked with the whaling industry.
In 1697, the czar Peter I of Russia spent some time in Zaandam, studying shipbuilding. The house he stayed in has been preserved as a small museum, the Czar Peter House.
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