Den Haag
The Netherlands
Fahima Elmi
Hi, my name is Fahima, I was born and raised in The Hague, Netherlands. Even though my parents are from Afghanistan I’ve always felt at home there. With over 50.000 internationals is The Hague a very diverse city!
I am very excited to participate in the Youth Mayor Program, at UWC Maastricht. A few years ago I joined a project to support local children living in poverty and since then I’ve been very active in my local community. I look forward to sharing my stories with you.
Welcome to my city!
My City
The Hague is the capital of the province of South Holland and with 516,000 inhabitants the third largest municipality of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is the political heart of the Netherlands, with the House of Representatives and most all embassies and ministries settled there. The Hague is a city filled with art. Throughout the year you can visit art fairs, go for a stroll on the antiques market, or go to cultural museums. The Hague is also one of the greenest cities in Europe!
In 2017 the Hague started a program to attract startups, inspired by the notion that startups are perfectly positioned to come up with altogether new solutions to the problems the city faces.
One of the challenges that the city faces is that the housing market is very tight. Therefore looking for a place to live in The Hague can be a challenging experience. This housing shortage contributes to homelessness.
Snapshot
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Population: 516,000 inhabitants from 180 different nationalities
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One of the greenest cities in Europe: 116.000 trees, 885.2 ha of parkland
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In 1899, the first international peace conference was held in The Hague. It was the beginning of a special role for The Hague as the international city of peace and justice
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Annually The Hague welcomes more than 30 million visitors from all over the Netherlands and the world, who come for a wide variety of reasons. The Hague is a theatre for everything from congresses and cultural events to international jurisdiction and (international) political happenings.
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The Hague is the residence of around 50,000 businesses, of which about 10% are retail establishments.
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The Netherlands’ government has been based in The Hague since 1584.
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