Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam, located on the « New Meuse » (Nieuwe Maas), a branch of the common delta between the Rhine and the Meuse, in the
south-west of the Netherlands (South-Holland) is the largest harbor in the world.
Connected to the Rhine, a river of great commercial importance, it is the main centre of the high seas commerce of the Netherlands and the Ruhr industrial district in Germany.
A deep 30 km long channel, the Nieuwe Waterweg, has been built (1866-1890) to open the access to the harbour to the deep sea ships coming from the North Sea. The economic expansion due to the construction induced a strong growth of the city at the end of the XIXth century.
The Europoort, at the east end of the channel, was built in the 60's, for unloading of the super tankers and oil storage.
The other port facilities and major industries, oil refineries, shipyards, sugar plant and chemical or iron factories are situated on the south bank of the Meuse, at Rotterdam.
The main commerce and residential areas are on the north bank of the Meuse.
Rotterdam got her rights in 1340. The city, during XVth and XVIth centuries, was a stake between Austrians and Spaniards, that didn't prevented her to become the second largest city in the Netherlands at the turn of the XVIIth century. A large part of the old city and the harbour were destroyed during the bombings of the second World War and a modern city has been rebuilt. Population : 590 000, great agglomeration : 1,1 millions of inhabitants. The Pamir put there in february 1929, January 1930 then May and October 1952.
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References
The Pamir