Amsterdam is perhaps best known for its -- ahem -- liberalism and relaxed attitudes. It’s little wonder that it attracts so many foreigners. With a long and distinguished history as a settlement, Amsterdam has a population of around 750,000, of which around 350,000 are non-native. Many of its settlers come from former colonies, such as Suriname, the Antilles and Aruba, while others come from Asia and Africa. This gives Amsterdam a rich variety of cultures to draw from, much as it did in the early modern period, when it first became a major economic center.