The capital and most populous city of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, sometimes known as “The Dam on the River Amstel”[a]. There are 1,457,018 people living in the urban area, 2,480,394 people living in the metropolitan region, and 921,402 people living in the city proper. Amsterdam, which is part of the Dutch province of North Holland, is known as the “Venice of the North” because of its numerous canals. It is currently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.