Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Netherlands, a country in northwestern

Europe. It is the official capital of The

Netherlands. However, the government

offices are in the city of The Hague.

Amsterdam is a historical city as well as

the country’s major economic center. It

is also famous as a place of freedom and

tolerance. Tourists go to Amsterdam to

see its scenic canals and collections of

great art. Museums in the city display

the works of important artists from The

Netherlands, including Rembrandt and

Vincent van Gogh.

The Amstel River flows through Amsterdam.

The city also lies on a body of

A boat travels down a canal in Amsterdam.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Amsterdam 111

 

water called the IJ (pronounced “eye”).

A canal connects the IJ with the North

Sea. Amsterdam is a major port.

Part of Amsterdam’s land used to be

underwater, but people drained the

land. A system of pumps, barriers, and

canals keeps the water from rushing in

again. Boats travel through the city

along a cobweb pattern of canals. More

than 1,000 bridges provide land connections

over the canals.

Economy

For seven centuries Amsterdam has been

a center of international trade and transportation.

Other important industries

include banking, insurance, and tourism.

Industries that provide services to

businesses also bring money to the city.

History

Amsterdam began as a fishing village in

the 1200s. By the 1400s it was an

important port.

During the 1500s many Jews and Protestants

fled religious wars in other parts

of Europe. Many settled in Amsterdam

because it was known for its religious

freedom.

The 1600s were Amsterdam’s golden

age. The city grew wealthy as a center of

trade and banking. Amsterdam declined

somewhat in the 1700s.

Nazi troops from Germany controlled

Amsterdam in the 1940s, duringWorld

War II. The Nazis murdered most of

Amsterdam’s Jews.

After the war Amsterdam began to

thrive again. Its economy grew greatly in

the late 20th century.

#More to explore

Canal • Hague, The • Netherlands, The

• Rembrandt • Van Gogh, Vincent

Amundsen,

Roald

The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen

was one of the most important

people in the history of polar exploration.

He traveled to both the Arctic and

the Antarctic, and he was the first person

to reach the South Pole.

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen

was born in Borge, Norway, on July 16,

1872. His father, a shipowner, died

when Roald was 14. Young Amundsen

always wanted to be a polar explorer, but

to please his mother he studied medi-

A young Jewish

girl named

Anne Frank

and her family

hid from the

Nazis in

Amsterdam for

two years. The

building

where they hid

is now a

museum.

Roald Amundsen

112 Amundsen, Roald BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

cine. When his mother died, Amundsen

left school and went to sea.

At age 25 Amundsen made his first

voyage to the Antarctic, as part of a

Belgian expedition. Then in 1903 he

set out with his own ship and crew to

explore the Arctic. By the end of this

expedition, in 1906, Amundsen had

become the first navigator to find his

way through the Northwest Passage

from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

This had been a dream of explorers for

400 years.

In 1909 the explorers Robert Peary and

Matthew Henson became the first

people to reach the North Pole. Amundsen

then decided to try to be the first to

reach the South Pole. He set out with

four men, 52 dogs, and four sleds and

reached the pole on December 14,

1911.

In 1918 Amundsen tried to drift across

the North Pole in a boat, but the ice was

too thick. In 1926, with two companions,

Amundsen flew over the North

Pole in a dirigible, a lighter-than-air

craft. Amundsen died near the Arctic

island of Spitsbergen on June 18, 1928.

#More to explore

Henson, Matthew • Northwest Passage

• Peary, Robert E. • Polar Exploration

Anaconda

Anacondas are huge, nonpoisonous

snakes. They live in or near water in

warm parts of South America. Anacondas

are constrictors. This means that

they usually kill their prey by coiling

their body around it and squeezing until

the animal can no longer breathe. Anacondas

are one of the two largest types

of snakes in the world. Certain pythons

grow longer, but anacondas are much

heavier.

Anacondas are members of the boa family.

There are two species, or types, of

anaconda: the giant, or green, anaconda

and the yellow, or southern, anaconda.

The giant anaconda is the larger species.

It is usually brown or olive green with

oval-shaped black spots. The yellow anaconda

is tan or greenish yellow with

overlapping black spots.

The largest anacondas reach about 30

feet (9 meters) in length, but most grow

only to about 16 feet (5 meters). Some

anacondas weigh as much as 550

pounds (249 kilograms). Their thick,

bulky bodies may measure 12 inches (30

centimeters) or more around.

Anacondas usually hunt at night for

mammals, reptiles, and birds. Although

The giant anaconda is one of the largest

snakes in the world.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Anaconda 113

 

anacondas constrict larger prey, they

may kill turtles, birds, or other small

animals by using their mouth and sharp

teeth alone. Sometimes they may pull

their prey underwater to drown it. After

killing their prey, anacondas swallow it

whole.