Purmerend ( pronunciation ) is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. The city became the trade center of the region but the population grew relatively slowly. Only after 1960 did the population start to grow from around 10,000 to around 80,000 by the 2010s. From the 1960s onwards Purmerend has seen major expansions and continues to do so. These expansions have turned Purmerend into a commuter town; many inhabitants of Purmerend work in Amsterdam (14,200 in 2011), go to school or spend their leisure time in Amsterdam.