Capital of the Netherlands

without doing ay reading on the subject......Logically the answer is Hague....That is where the goverment is seated, so logically that would be the capital. But then after reading a bit on the subject, I see Amsterdam is the declared capital of the country. Whether its right or wrong I voted for Hague.....where the government is located is where your capital is in my book......It seems odd to have your largest city also be you capital.......It has been common practice for hundreds of years that your major city not be your capital.....For military reasons......Forcing an invader to concur two cities instead of one. If you capital city is also your major population center the invading army can kill two birds with one stone......This theory worked out good for the US in the war of 1812.

Quote: Nareed

There's no place in the map officially known as Mexico City, BTW.

Is there a specific spot in Mexico City, perhaps with a monument or something, where the eagle was fighting with the snake, as foretold by the Virgin Guadalupe? Do I have the story right?

Quote: vert1276

It has been common practice for hundreds of years that your major city not be your capital.....For military reasons......Forcing an invader to concur two cities instead of one. If you capital city is also your major population center the invading army can kill two birds with one stone......This theory worked out good for the US in the war of 1812.

I took two military history classes in college and never knew that. ¡Que interesante! Speaking of Mexico City, they would be an exception to that rule. Two known followers are Canada and Australia, with capitals you almost never even hear of.

Quote: Wizard

Is there a specific spot in Mexico City, perhaps with a monument or something, where the eagle was fighting with the snake, as foretold by the Virgin Guadalupe? Do I have the story right?

I've a vague memory of that, but to be perfectly honest I've no idea one way or another. I know the most important monuments, though, and I don't recall one like that. In school we learn mostly of the history from independence onwards, with very little about the 300 years Spain ruled here.

Tough luck finding an atheist Mexican with a Jewish upbringing :) I'm certain a catholic would know all the myths surrounding the Virgin. All I know is Miguel Hidalgo used her image in his standard when making the call to arms an eventually for independence.

Quote:

Speaking of Mexico City, they would be an exception to that rule.

I thought in most countries the biggest city is usually the capital, too: London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, etc. The exception would have been West Germany, since Bonn was a small city. In Latin America the exception is Brazil, as they moved the capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia.

Quote: Wizard

Two known followers are Canada and Australia, with capitals you almost never even hear of.

And New Zealand - although you'd be lucky to even hear of our country, let alone our capital Wellington! But our Prime Minister did meet with President Obama for half an hour last week, that was big news here.

Jeesh...I read the question and immediately thought: Brussels.

How's this for advantage play...make your geography bets with BA

Quote: Wizard

Two known followers are Canada and Australia, with capitals you almost never even hear of.

Hey, we don't even know the words to our national anthem so give us a break. :)

Canberra was chosen as the site for the capital to settle/stop an argument between the two major cities at the time of Federation (1901), Sydney and Melbourne. It is, conveniently, located between both but closer to Sydney than to Melbourne. It was designed by one of your very own, a Chicago architect named Walter Burley Griffin. Lake Burley Griffin (man-made) is named after him, and probably his wife, as they both contributed to the winning design.

I voted Amsterdam. Simple reason; it is not for us nor our reasoning to decide it. They have decided it by placing the specific wording in their constitution. It's right there and that's all there is to it, regardless of how wise, or unwise, such a decision may be. It just is.

Quote: Wizard

When I lived in the Baltimore area through the 90s I was always confused as to what to say when asked where specifically in Baltimore I lived. As with many cities, Baltimore has lots of small surrounding cities like Woodlawn, Catonsville, Pikesville, Townson, etc.. In my case I lived on Riding Crop Way, which was in a seemingly nameless area between Ellicot City, Randalstown, Woodlawn, and Catonsville. So I never really knew what to call it. If asked where I lived by a local I would say Catonsville or "near Catonsville." Those preprinted address labels charities sometimes send you, while asking for a donation, would indicate my city as Gwynn Oak, but nobody ever referred to Gwynn Oak as a city or municipality. There was a Gwynn Oak Avenue, which was the only context I heard Gwynn Oak come up. It just goes to show that, indeed, place names can get confusing back east. I bothered lots of people back there with this issue. To those who insisted I did live in Gwynn Oak I asked to see a map with the specific boundaries, and nobody could produce one.

There are no incorporated cities in Baltimore County. There are only census-designated places and post office designations, which have no force of any jurisdiction, and are just matters of convenience. So you basically live where the census or the post office tells you you do. It's all extremely confusing. I hate the DMV local government system.

The SSA is the second-largest employer in Baltimore County, after the school system. I think most people would say you lived in Woodlawn due to your proximity to SSA Central Office.

Quote: teddys

There are no incorporated cities in Baltimore County. There are only census-designated places and post office designations, which have no force of any jurisdiction, and are just matters of convenience. So you basically live where the census or the post office tells you you do. It's all extremely confusing. I hate the DMV local government system.

The SSA is the second-largest employer in Baltimore County, after the school system. I think most people would say you lived in Woodlawn due to your proximity to SSA headquarters.

Here is a Post office app, where you put in a zip code and it tells you the city. So I put in my Maryland zip code, 21244, and it said Windsor Mill. That was indeed another possibility I forgot about. Much like Gynn Oak, nobody ever said they lived in Windsor Mill, because nobody knew exactly where it was, or if it really was a place.

I you put in put in the zip code of the Mirage, 89109, you do get Las Vegas.

Just for fun, I put in all the repeating digits. Here is what I got:

00000: error
11111: error
22222: ARLINGTON, VA. While it's not correct, some mailers mistakenly use this ZIP Code for MARINE CORPS INSTITUTE, VA
33333: error
44444: NEWTON FALLS, OH. While it's not correct, some mailers mistakenly use this ZIP Code for BRACEVILLE, OH
55555: YOUNG AMERICA, MN. While it's not correct, some mailers mistakenly use this ZIP Code for NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA, MN
66666: error
77777: error
88888: error
99999: error

Regarding Woodlawn, yeah, that was option, but I was "outside the beltway," while the SSA HQ was "inside the beltway." There was a different vibe inside and outside the beltway. Saying I lived in Woodlawn would make some sense geographically, but not sociologically.

Quote: Wizard

Here is a Post office app, where you put in a zip code and it tells you the city. So I put in my Maryland zip code, 21244, and it said Windsor Mill. That was indeed another possibility I forgot about. Much like Gynn Oak, nobody ever said they lived in Windsor Mill, because nobody knew exactly where it was, or if it really was a place.

I you put in put in the zip code of the Mirage, 89109, you do get Las Vegas.

Just for fun, I put in all the repeating digits. Here is what I got:

00000: error
11111: error
22222: ARLINGTON, VA. While it's not correct, some mailers mistakenly use this ZIP Code for MARINE CORPS INSTITUTE, VA
33333: error
44444: NEWTON FALLS, OH. While it's not correct, some mailers mistakenly use this ZIP Code for BRACEVILLE, OH
55555: YOUNG AMERICA, MN. While it's not correct, some mailers mistakenly use this ZIP Code for NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA, MN
66666: error
77777: error
88888: error
99999: error

Regarding Woodlawn, yeah, that was option, but I was "outside the beltway," while the SSA HQ was "inside the beltway." There was a different vibe inside and outside the beltway. Saying I lived in Woodlawn would make some sense geographically, but not sociologically.

People like to say they are from where their mailing address is, but that doesn't have to be a city or anything. Nowadays I don't think it even has to be a post office. If you really want to know where you live, I ask who you make your property tax check out to...At least in the Northeast, there are very few unincorporated areas. (I know NJ, MA, NH, have none). If you are paying to the county, then you live in Unincorporated ___________ (name of county)"

Amsterdam is the capital, as it is specified in the constitution of the sovereign nation. However, it would not be the capital but for this explicit statement, as unless otherwise defined it is, "the most important city or town of a country or region, usually its seat of government and administrative center."