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| '''Rotterdam''' is the second largest city in the ], located in the province of ]. The city is situated on the banks of the ]. The | |||
| name "Rotterdam" is derived from the small river Rotte, which joins the Nieuwe Maas at the location of the city. | |||
| As of January 1, 1999 the city ] (council) administered an area of | |||
| ] (20861 land) including a few areas outside the city such as ], with a total population of 600,000. | |||
| Rotterdam has by some accounts the largest harbour in the world, and it functions as an important transition point for goods transported between the European continent and other parts of the world: by ship, | |||
| river barge, train and road. A faster, new cargo railway to ], the ''Betuweroute'', has been under construction since 2000. The city is in constant struggle to maintain its prominent position as a world leader in container, petrol, and general cargo transhipment handlings. Large oil refineries are located west of the city along the ]. | |||
| Its harbour territory has been enlarged by the construction of the ] complex along the mouth of the Nieuwe Waterweg, and the ] in the ] near ]. The lay-out of a second Maasvlakte has since the 1990s been a subject of political debate. | |||
| On ], ] Rotterdam was bombarded by the German ], on the first of five days of war in the Netherlands. The heart of the city was almost completely destroyed, which ] later expressed strikingly with his statue ''Stad zonder hart'' (City without a heart). The statue is located near the Leuvehaven, not far from the Erasmusbrug in the north of the city. From the fifties through the seventies of the 20th century the city was rebuilt. It remained quite windy and open until the city councils from the eighties on began developing an active architectural policy. Daring and new styles of apartments, office buildings and recreation facilities resulted in a more 'livable' city center with a new skyline. In the nineties a new business center on the south bank of the river, the ''Kop van Zuid'' has been built. | |||
| Rotterdam is divided into 'Rotterdam-North' and ' Rotterdam-South' by the river the ]. Rotterdam South is on the island of ]. Three tunnels (the Beneluxtunnel, Maastunnel and the Heinenoordtunnel) and three bridges (van Brienenoordbrug, Willemsbrug and the Erasmusbrug) connect the two parts. In addition, people can travel back and forth by subway (metro), train, busses and trams. Rotterdam has the second largest airport of the country, Rotterdam Airport (formerly known as ''Zestienhoven''), which is located north of the city. | |||
| Rotterdam has one major university, the ], named after one of its famous former inhabitants, ]. | |||
| Well known museums are the ''Boymans-van Beuningen'' (arts) Museum , the ''Historisch Museum'', the ''Volkenkundig Museum'' (foreign peoples and cultures), the ''Maritiem Museum'' and the ''Brandweermuseum'' (Fire brigade museum). The Euromast (Eurotower) has long been a major tourist attraction. | |||
| Rotterdam was the ] of 2001. The city has its own orchestra, the ], a large congress and concert building ''De Doelen'', plus many theatres (among which the new ''Luxor'' theatre) and movie theatres. The spacious ''Ahoy''-complex in the south of the city is being used for pop concerts, exhibitions, tennis tournaments and other such activities. | |||
| The architect ] was a famous Rotterdammer in his days. | |||
| Rotterdam is the home of three professional soccer teams: ], ] (Schiedam-Spangen) and ]. The large ''Feyenoord stadium'' with its popular name ''De Kuip'' (the tub) in the southeast of the city has hosted many international soccer games. Rotterdam has its own annual international marathon, which offers one of the fastest courses in the world. | |||
| Well-known streets in Rotterdam are the shopping center the Lijnbaan, the Coolsingel with the city hall, and the Weena, which runs from the Central Station to the Hofplein (square). | |||
| ] | |||
| *]: | |||
| **good national connections and to ] and ]; | |||
| **at night: hourly train service to ], ], ], ], ] and, with a detour, ]. | |||
| *] (metro): | |||
| **Erasmus Line: Rotterdam Central station - ] (Rhoon, Poortugaal) - Hoogvliet - ] | |||
| **Caland Line: two lines from the northeast of Rotterdam and one from ] join; the combined line terminated in the west of Rotterdam, but on November 4, 2002, an extension was opened: the line now connects to the main railway network at ] railway station, has a stop in Pernis and joins the Erasmus Line in Hoogvliet; trains on the Caland Line, like those on the Erasmus Line, terminate in Spijkenisse. | |||
| :The eastern parts of the Caland Line have some level crossings (with priority), and could therefore be called ] instead of underground; however, they are integrated in the system; these parts have overhead wires, while the rest has third-rail, the vehicles can handle both. | |||