Hoorn ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. It is located on the IJsselmeer, 35 kilometres north of Amsterdam, and acquired city rights in 1357. Hoorn has 68,152 inhabitants (CBS: 1 January, 2007). The area of the municipality is 52.49 km² (32.62 km² consists of water, mainly the Markermeer), and consists of the following villages and/or districts: Blokker, Hoorn, Zwaag, an...
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Hoorn ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. It is located on the IJsselmeer, 35 kilometres north of Amsterdam, and acquired city rights in 1357. Hoorn has 68,152 inhabitants (CBS: 1 January, 2007). The area of the municipality is 52.49 km² (32.62 km² consists of water, mainly the Markermeer), and consists of the following villages and/or districts: Blokker, Hoorn, Zwaag, and parts of Bangert and De Hulk.
Cape Horn, the most southerly point of the Americas, was named after the town by Willem Schouten, who rounded it in 1616.
Founded in 716, Hoorn rapidly grew to become a major harbour town. During Holland's 'Golden Age' (or 'Golden Century'), Hoorn was an important home base for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and a very prosperous centre of trade. The Hoorn fleet plied the seven seas and returned laden with precious commodities. Exotic spices such as pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and mace were sold at vast profits....
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