Amsterdam vs Barrie

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Amsterdam (, UK also; Dutch: [ɑmstɛrˈdɑm] (listen)) is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands with a population of 872,680 within the city proper, 1,558,755 from the metropolitan region and 2,480,394 from the metropolitan area. Located within the province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the"Venice of the North", attributed by the large number of canals that form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the town's origin around a dam in the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, and became the leading centre for trade and finance. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19--20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sloten, annexed in 1921 from the municipality of Amsterdam, is the oldest part of town, dating to the 9th century. Amsterdam's main attractions include its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, the Concertgebouw, the Anne Frank House, the Scheepvaartmuseum, the Amsterdam Museum, the Heineken Experience, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, Natura Artis Magistra, Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, NEMO, the red-light district and Several cannabis coffee shops. It drew over 5 million international visitors in 2014. The city is also well known for its nightlife and festival activity; with several of its clubs (Melkweg, Paradiso) among the world's most famous. Primarily known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled façades; well-preserved legacies of the town's 17th-century Golden Age.

These attributes are arguably responsible for bringing millions of Amsterdam's visitors yearly. Cycling is vital to the city's character, and there are a lot of bike paths. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is considered the earliest"modern" securities market stock exchange in the world. As the industrial capital of the Netherlands and among the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research group. The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters in the city, such as: the Philips conglomerate, AkzoNobel, Booking.com, TomTom, and ING. Moreover, many of the world's biggest companies are located in Amsterdam or have established their European headquarters in the city, such as leading technology companies Uber, Netflix and Tesla. In 2012, Amsterdam was ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and 12th globally on quality of living for infrastructure and environment by Mercer. The city was ranked 4th place globally as top tech hub in the Savills Tech Cities 2019 report (2nd in Europe), and 3rd in innovation by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow in their Innovation Cities Index 2009. The Port of Amsterdam is the fifth largest in Europe. The KLM hub and Amsterdam's key airport: Schiphol, is the Netherlands' busiest airport in addition to the third largest in Europe and 11th busiest airport in the world. The Dutch capital is considered one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with at least 177 nationalities represented.A few of Amsterdam's notable residents throughout history include: painters Rembrandt and Van Gogh, the diarist Anne Frank, and philosopher Baruch Spinoza.

Source: Wikipedia

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Barrie is a city and manifesting regional centre in Central Ontario, Canada, located on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. The city is located geographically within Simcoe County, however it is a politically independent single-tier municipality. It is within the historically significant Huronia region of Central Ontario, and is part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated and industrialised sub-region of Ontario. As of the 2016 census, the city's population was 141,434 making it the 34th largest in Canada in terms of population proper. The Barrie census metropolitan area (CMA) as of the same census had a population of 197,059 residents, making it the 21st largest CMA in Canada. The city itself has seen significant growth in recent decades due to its emergence as a bedroom community for Toronto. The affordability of housing and robust job market perhaps contribute to a Toronto buyer's appeasement with Barrie. GO Transit offers daily service to and from the Greater Toronto Area from two stations in the city. Barrie is located 85 kilometres (53 mi) north of Toronto, 355 kilometres (221 mi) northeast of Detroit and 335 kilometres (208 mi) west of Ottawa. This represents the city's highly centralised and historically advantageous situation, providing an ease of access to major centres and airports across the region.The Barrie area was first settled during the War of 1812 as a key supply depot for British forces.

It would be named 20 years later after Sir Robert Barrie, who frequently commanded forces through the region. The 1980s and 1990s would be a period of immense growth for Barrie, with the population tripling in the span of twenty-five years. In 1981, the city had a population of 38,423; in 2006, Barrie had 128,430 residents living within city limits. Barrie's ongoing success would be punctuated by high-rise condominium development along Kempenfelt Bay, instigating a sort of downtown renaissance. Great investment by the city into their beachfront amenities would culminate in Barrie becoming a prime tourist destination. With several ski resorts in the vicinity and a picturesque waterfront, Barrie is known not just for its tourism, but also as the 'Gateway to Cottage Country'. The city's economy is diverse, with education, healthcare, information technology and manufacturing all prevalent sectors. The Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre is Barrie's largest employer, with nearly 3,000 workers. Retail in the city has flourished too in recent decades, bolstered by the completion of Park Place in 2008. Barrie experiences cold, snowy winters with an average January minimum temperature of −12.4 °C (9.7 °F). Summers are hot and humid, with an average July maximum temperature of 26.3 °C (79.3 °F).

Source: Wikipedia