II.

Economy

Amsterdam is one of the busiest commercial centres in Europe. It is a major port linked to the North Sea and other European countries by a network of railways and canals, notably the North Sea Canal, which is navigable by ocean-going vessels. The leading industries in the city include shipbuilding, sugar refining, and the manufacture of heavy machinery, paper products, textiles and clothing, porcelain and glass, aircraft, motor cars, and chemicals. The city is also famous for polishing and cutting diamonds, and as the financial headquarters of the Netherlands. A major European stock exchange is located in Amsterdam. Bicycles outnumber cars, and are the preferred mode of transport. The city is served by the Schiphol airport. A high-speed railway line from Amsterdam via Schiphol and Rotterdam to the Belgian border opened in the late 1990s, reducing the journey time from Amsterdam to Paris to around four hours.