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Amsterdam (municipality)
Encyclopedia
The Government of Amsterdam is the government of the municipality and city of Amsterdam
in the Netherlands
. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Amsterdam, but the municipality also covers a number of small villages, and other parts of the local government, such as the Waterschap or the bridge management, cover an even larger area.
The administrative district borders Diemen
, Weesp
, Abcoude
, Ouder-Amstel
and Amstelveen
in the south, Haarlemmermeer
and Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude
in the west, and Zaanstad
, Oostzaan
, Landsmeer
and Waterland
in the north.
, Driemond
, Durgerdam
, Holysloot
, 't Nopeind, Osdorp
, Ransdorp, Sloten, Sloterdijk
, Zunderdorp
.
After the 2006 municipal elections
a coalition was formed between PvdA and GroenLinks, with a majority of 27 out of 45. These elections saw a political landslide throughout the country, with a strong shift to the left, of which Amsterdam was a prime example. The much talked about all-left-wing coalition of PvdA, GroenLinks and SP that polls indicate would become possible after the national elections of 2006
and that was such a political success in Nijmegen had its largest majority in Amsterdam, apart from some small towns. PvdA even needed only 3 more seats to form a coalition and could thus take its pick, which forced potential coalition partners to give in on a lot of issues. In the case of GroenLinks, this was mostly the policy of preventive searching by the police, which they were opposed to but had to allow.
In total, 24 parties took part in the elections, including 11 new ones, but only 7 got seats. Amsterdam Anders/De groenen got assigned one seat at first, but lost it after redistibution, which in the Netherlands is done through a system that favours big parties. In 2002 they only just missed out on a second seat in a similar manner.
Unlike most other Dutch municipalities, Amsterdam is subdivided into 7 boroughs (stadsdelen), a system that was implemented in the 1980s. The boroughs are responsible for many activities that previously had been run by the central city. The idea was to bring the government closer to the people. All of these have their own council, chosen by a popular election. The really eight, Westpoort, covers the harbour of Amsterdam, and has very few inhabitants. It is governed by the central municipal council. Local decisions are made at borough level and only affairs pertaining the whole city (like major infrastructural projects), are delegated to the central city council.
The boroughs are:
(PvdA). The mayors since the World War II are:
See also: List of mayors of Amsterdam
Sister ports:
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Amsterdam, but the municipality also covers a number of small villages, and other parts of the local government, such as the Waterschap or the bridge management, cover an even larger area.
The administrative district borders Diemen
Diemen
Diemen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands with a population of around 24,000. Diemen is located in the province of North Holland directly to the east of Amsterdam within the capital's metropolitan area.-Geography:...
, Weesp
Weesp
Weesp is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It has a population of 17,533 .Weesp lies next to the rivers de Vecht and Smal Weesp and also next to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. It is in an area called the "Vechtstreek"...
, Abcoude
Abcoude
Abcoude is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. Since 2011 it has made part of the municipality of De Ronde Venen.- Population centres :...
, Ouder-Amstel
Ouder-Amstel
Ouder-Amstel is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Ouder-Amstel consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Duivendrecht, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Waver....
and Amstelveen
Amstelveen
' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is 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,...
in the south, Haarlemmermeer
Haarlemmermeer
Haarlemmermeer is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is a polder, consisting of land reclaimed from water, and the name Haarlemmermeer means Haarlem's Lake, still referring to the body of water from which the region was reclaimed in the 19th century.Its main...
and Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude
Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude
Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Haarlemmerliede, Halfweg, Penningsveer, Spaarndam ,...
in the west, and Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
, Oostzaan
Oostzaan
Oostzaan is a municipality and a town in the Zaanstreek, Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town has a population of 9.104 inhabitats in december 2010. Oostzaan has got 11.49 km² land and 4.64 km² water....
, Landsmeer
Landsmeer
Landsmeer is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Landsmeer consists of the three villages: Den Ilp, Landsmeer, Purmerland.- Local government :...
and Waterland
Waterland
Waterland is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located north of Amsterdam, on the borders of the IJsselmeer.-Population centres :...
in the north.
Population centers
AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Driemond
Driemond
Driemond is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 11 km west of Bussum....
, Durgerdam
Durgerdam
Durgerdam is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 7 km east of the city centre, along the dyke of the IJsselmeer....
, Holysloot
Holysloot
Holysloot is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 9 km northeast of the city centre. The name Holysloot probably derives from an expression for a "low lying area at a ditch"....
, 't Nopeind, Osdorp
Osdorp
Osdorp is a borough of Amsterdam, The Netherlands in North Holland. Osdorp has 45,627 residents. There is also an original area which is now called Oud Osdorp which is in Sloten.Since 2001 there has been major modernisation in Osdorp.-Transport:...
, Ransdorp, Sloten, Sloterdijk
Sloterdijk (Amsterdam)
Sloterdijk is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 3 km northwest of the city centre...
, Zunderdorp
Zunderdorp
Zunderdorp is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 7 km northeast of Amsterdam....
.
City council 2006-2010
As all Dutch municipalities, the municipality of Amsterdam is governed by a mayor, burgemeester, his aldermen, wethouders, and the municipal council, gemeenteraad.After the 2006 municipal elections
Dutch municipal elections, 2006
The Dutch municipal elections of 2006 were held on March 7, 2006. About 11.8 million people could vote in 419 municipalities. Due to local redistricting, 15 municipalities have already held elections in January 2006 and 24 municipalities will hold elections in November 2006...
a coalition was formed between PvdA and GroenLinks, with a majority of 27 out of 45. These elections saw a political landslide throughout the country, with a strong shift to the left, of which Amsterdam was a prime example. The much talked about all-left-wing coalition of PvdA, GroenLinks and SP that polls indicate would become possible after the national elections of 2006
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
and that was such a political success in Nijmegen had its largest majority in Amsterdam, apart from some small towns. PvdA even needed only 3 more seats to form a coalition and could thus take its pick, which forced potential coalition partners to give in on a lot of issues. In the case of GroenLinks, this was mostly the policy of preventive searching by the police, which they were opposed to but had to allow.
In total, 24 parties took part in the elections, including 11 new ones, but only 7 got seats. Amsterdam Anders/De groenen got assigned one seat at first, but lost it after redistibution, which in the Netherlands is done through a system that favours big parties. In 2002 they only just missed out on a second seat in a similar manner.
| Name | Portfolio | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Job Cohen Job Cohen Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour... |
mayor Safety & Internal Affairs |
PvdA |
| Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Frans Asscher is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He was the Acting Mayor of Amsterdam between March 12, 2010 and July 7, 2010 after Job Cohen resigned as Mayor to become the Labour Party Party leader and Lijsttrekker for the Dutch general election of 2010.-Politics:He is alderman... |
vice-mayor Finance & the Economy |
PvdA |
| Freek Ossel | Education & Income | PvdA |
| Carolien Gehrels | Culture & Recreation | PvdA |
| Tjeerd Herrema | Transport & Housing | PvdA |
| Maarten van Poelgeest | Spatial Planning | GL |
| Marijke Vos Marijke Vos Maria Bernadina Vos is a Dutch politician.-Pre-political career:Vos's father was a judge in 's-Hertogenbosch. Her grandfather, A.H.J. Engels was member of parliament for the Roman-Catholic RKSP.... |
Environment & Healthcare | GL |
| Party | seats | change from 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| PvdA | 20 | |
| VVD | 8 | |
| GroenLinks | 7 | |
| SP Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... |
6 | |
| CDA Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place... |
2 | |
| D66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... |
2 | |
| AA/De Groenen | 0 | |
| Mokum Mobiel | 0 | |
| Total | 45 | |
City council 2010-2014
Dutch municipal elections, 2010:| Name | Portfolio | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Eberhard van der Laan Eberhard van der Laan Eberhard Edzard van der Laan is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He has been the Mayor of Amsterdam since July 7, 2010. Before serving as Mayor he was Minister of Integration and Housing in the Cabinet Balkenende IV succeeding the sacked Ella Vogelaar... |
mayor Safety & Internal Affairs |
PvdA |
| Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Frans Asscher is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He was the Acting Mayor of Amsterdam between March 12, 2010 and July 7, 2010 after Job Cohen resigned as Mayor to become the Labour Party Party leader and Lijsttrekker for the Dutch general election of 2010.-Politics:He is alderman... |
vice-mayor Finance & Education |
PvdA |
| Freek Ossel | Housing | PvdA |
| Carolien Gehrels | Economy & Culture | PvdA |
| Eric van der Burg | Healthcare & Schiphol | VVD |
| Eric Wiebes | Transport | VVD |
| Maarten van Poelgeest | Spatial Planning | GL |
| Andrée van Es Andrée van Es Andrée Christine van Es is a Dutch politician. She is currently wethouder in the executive of the city of Amsterdam for GreenLeft. She was member of the House of Representatives for the Pacifist Socialist Party and GreenLeft.- Biography :Van Es became assistant to the PSP parliamentary party in... |
Income | GL |
| Party | seats | change from 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| PvdA | 15 | |
| VVD | 8 | 0 |
| GroenLinks | 7 | 0 |
| D66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... |
7 | |
| SP Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... |
3 | |
| CDA Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place... |
2 | 0 |
| Save Amsterdam | 1 | |
| Proud of the Netherlands Proud of the Netherlands Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not... |
1 | |
| Party for the Animals Party for the Animals The Party for the Animals is a political party in the Netherlands.Among its main goals are animal rights and animal welfare, though it claims not to be a single-issue party... |
1 | |
| Total | 45 | |
Boroughs
The boroughs are:
- Centrum - the city centre; in this borough are Dam SquareDam SquareDam Square, or simply the Dam is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city.- Location and description :...
, De WallenDe WallenDe Wallen is the largest and best-known red-light district in Amsterdam and a major tourist attraction. It is located in the heart of the oldest part of Amsterdam, covering several blocks south of the church Oude Kerk and crossed by several canals....
, HomomonumentHomomonumentThe Homomonument is a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality...
, Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)The Nieuwe Kerk is a 15th-century church in Amsterdam, located on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace.-History:The bishop of Utrecht gave the city of Amsterdam permission to use a second the parish church in 1408 because the Oude Kerk had grown too small for the growing population of the city....
, WesterkerkWesterkerkThe Westerkerk is a church of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands denomination in Amsterdam, built in 1620-1631 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser. It is next to Amsterdam's Jordaan district, on the bank of the Prinsengracht canal....
, Prinsengracht - Amsterdam-NoordAmsterdam-NoordAmsterdam-Noord is an autonomous stadsdeel of Amsterdam. The area is located north of the IJ, the body of water which separates it from central Amsterdam and the rest of the city.-Transport:...
- Amsterdam-OostOost/WatergraafsmeerOost-Watergraafsmeer is a stadsdeel of Amsterdam. It borders to Diemen, Duivendrecht, and the boroughs Amsterdam-Centrum, Oud-Zuid, Zeeburg, and Zuideramstel. The Watergraafsmeer part of the borough is a polder.Located in Oost/Watergraafsmeer:...
- Amsterdam-ZuidAmsterdam-ZuidAmsterdam-Zuid is a stadsdeel of Amsterdam, Netherlands. This borough was formed in 2010 as a merge of the former boroughs Oud-Zuid and Zuideramstel. The borough has 133,810 inhabitants and it has the highest income per household of all boroughs in Amsterdam.-Notes:...
- Amsterdam-WestAmsterdam-WestAmsterdam-West is a stadsdeel of Amsterdam, Netherlands. This borough was formed in 2010 through the merging of four former boroughs Oud West, Westerpark, De Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer. This part of Amsterdam was built roughly between the end of the 19th century and 1960....
- Amsterdam ZuidoostAmsterdam ZuidoostAmsterdam-Zuidoost is one of fifteen boroughs of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of four residential areas—Bijlmermeer, Venserpolder, Gaasperdam and Driemond—as well as the Amstel III/Bullewijk Business Park and the ArenA Boulevard area.Amsterdam-Zuidoost has approximately 86,000...
- Amsterdam Nieuw-westAmsterdam Nieuw-WestAmsterdam Nieuw-West is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands....
Mayors
The mayor of Amsterdam is the head of the city council. The current mayor-designate is Eberhard van der LaanEberhard van der Laan
Eberhard Edzard van der Laan is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He has been the Mayor of Amsterdam since July 7, 2010. Before serving as Mayor he was Minister of Integration and Housing in the Cabinet Balkenende IV succeeding the sacked Ella Vogelaar...
(PvdA). The mayors since the World War II are:
- Feike de Boer (1945–1946)
- Arnold Jan d'Ailly (1946–1956)
- Gijs van Hall (1956–1967)
- Ivo SamkaldenIvo SamkaldenIvo Samkalden was a Dutch politician.-Source:* at the Institute of Netherlands History -References:...
(1967–1977) - Wim PolakWim PolakWillem Polak was mayor of Amsterdam from 15 June 1977 until 1 June 1983.Polak was born to a Jewish merchant family in Amsterdam on the 14th of September 1924. His parents were killed during the second World War. After the war, he worked as a journalist for Het Vrije Volk...
(1977–1983) - Ed van ThijnEd van ThijnEduard "Ed" van Thijn is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from February 23, 1967 until September 11, 1981. When Joop den Uyl became Prime Minister, Van Thijn became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives,...
(1983–1994) - Schelto PatijnSchelto PatijnSchelto Patijn was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Queen's Commissioner in the Province of South Holland from June 16, 1984 until June 1, 1994 when he stepped down to become Mayor of Amsterdam, he served from June 1, 1994 until January 1, 2001...
(1994–2001) - Job CohenJob CohenMarius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour...
(2001-2010) - Eberhard van der LaanEberhard van der LaanEberhard Edzard van der Laan is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He has been the Mayor of Amsterdam since July 7, 2010. Before serving as Mayor he was Minister of Integration and Housing in the Cabinet Balkenende IV succeeding the sacked Ella Vogelaar...
(2010-present)
See also: List of mayors of Amsterdam
International cooperation
Cities (and country) of international cooperation:- AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... - BeiraBeira, MozambiqueBeira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
, MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest... - BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... - İzmitIzmitİzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... - ManaguaManaguaManagua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
, NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean... - RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden... - SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
Sister ports:
- AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... - BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... - Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... - Halifax, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- San PédroSan PédroSan Pédro is a city in southwestern Côte d'Ivoire. It is the nation’s second largest port, the center of the San Pédro Department, and the capital of the Bas-Sassandra Region. It has a population of 131,800...
, Ivory CoastCôte d'IvoireThe Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be... - XiamenXiamenXiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
, ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...