Question: Is Amsterdam or Den Haag the Capital of the Netherlands?
Answer: Amsterdam is the official capital city of the Netherlands. However, Den Haag (The Hague) is the official seat of government, home to the Netherlands' monarch, parliament and supreme court.
Amsterdam is the capital of finance and business in the country, as it boasts its own stock exchange (Amsterdam Stock Exchange, AEX) and several multinational companies are headquartered here. Many would also say that Amsterdam is the cultural, design and shopping hub of the Netherlands, with its dozens of world-class museums, art studios and galleries, fashion houses, shops and boutiques. Interestingly, Amsterdam is not the capital of Noord-Holland (North Holland), the Dutch province in which it is located (the Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces). The capital of North Holland is nearby Haarlem.
Den Haag is also where foreign national embassies are located, while Amsterdam is typically home to those countries' corresponding, smaller consular offices.
Amsterdam is the capital of finance and business in the country, as it boasts its own stock exchange (Amsterdam Stock Exchange, AEX) and several multinational companies are headquartered here. Many would also say that Amsterdam is the cultural, design and shopping hub of the Netherlands, with its dozens of world-class museums, art studios and galleries, fashion houses, shops and boutiques. Interestingly, Amsterdam is not the capital of Noord-Holland (North Holland), the Dutch province in which it is located (the Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces). The capital of North Holland is nearby Haarlem.
Den Haag is also where foreign national embassies are located, while Amsterdam is typically home to those countries' corresponding, smaller consular offices.
