'''Haarlem''' is a small Dutch city, capital of the province of [[North Holland|Noord -Holland]](North Holland), and located 12 miles west of [[Amsterdam]]. It is the centre of the Dutch flower-growing industry and was a centre of the '[[tulip mania]]' bubble market in tulip bulbs during the 1630s. During the [[Dutch Golden Age]] the city was home to artists such as [[Frans Hals]] and [[Jan Steen]]. Today, apart from its flower-industry businesses, Haarlem is a major tourist centre, prized for its historic environment.
The city has a population of 147,000.