Holland, the Netherlands and the Dutch
So do you say ‘Holland’ or ‘the Netherlands’? If you have ever heard someone say 'Holland' when they mean the Netherlands, you are not alone. The confusion is very common, even among people who live here. So what is the difference between Holland and the Netherlands? And can you use the names interchangeably?
The Netherlands is a country in Western Europe with a relatively small area of just over 41,000 square kilometres and is home to 18 million people. The official name of the country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands – Netherlands in short. The name refers to the low level of the land and flatness. Much of the western part is at or below sea level. The Netherlands is nowadays made up of twelve provinces. North and South Holland are just two of the twelve provinces. So Holland is in the Netherlands. North Holland is home to Amsterdam, the country's capital, and Schiphol, the main international airport. South Holland is where you find The Hague, the seat of Dutch government; Rotterdam, Europe's busiest port; and the historic university cities of Leiden and Delft.
A short history of the Netherlands and Holland
From 1588 to 1795, the territory now known as the Netherlands was officially called the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. This independent republic ended in 1795 when French forces invaded and transformed it into the Batavian Republic, with Holland designated as one of its administrative departments.
In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte installed his brother Louis Bonaparte as king, creating the Kingdom of Holland. After Napoleon’s defeat, the nation retained its monarchical structure and became the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Within this new kingdom, Holland was recognized as a province. Thanks to its strong political power, international trade relations and cultural influence, the name “Holland” gradually became synonymous with the entire country, both domestically and internationally.
At that time, Belgium was also part of the kingdom. However, Holland's dominance contributed to growing tensions that ultimately led to the Belgian Revolution of 1830, when Belgium declared independence. To balance power among the remaining provinces, Holland was divided into North Holland and South Holland.
Despite this division, the use of 'Holland' to describe the whole country persisted, especially abroad. Yet, the Netherlands is made up of 12 provinces, not just North and South Holland. The other ten provinces—Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg, Utrecht, Gelderland, Flevoland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Friesland, and Groningen—are equally integral to the nation’s identity.
The Netherlands or Netherlands?
The Dutch name for the country is Nederland and this is often translated simply as Netherlands in English. However, the official name is the Netherlands. This is because the full country name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands or Koninkrijk der Nederlanden" in Dutch.
Did you know that the Kingdom of the Netherlands is bigger than just the Netherlands? There are three Caribbean municipalities Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba and three separate countries within the kingdom Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Is or Are?
You might also wonder whether to say 'the Netherlands is' or 'the Netherlands are'. The answer is quite simple. Even though the word ends with an 's', the Netherlands is one country. This means you should use singular instead of plural forms.
And what about the Dutch?
The people of the Netherlands are called the Dutch. They speak Dutch, the country’s official language. The term Dutch (meaning 'of the people') predates the Netherlands as it originates from Germanic languages spoken in the area of the Netherlands and Germany (or Deutschland). As everyone from the Netherlands is Dutch. In Dutch, people from the Netherlands are technically 'Nederlanders' and from Holland they are 'Hollanders'.
Nowadays, you can think of typically Dutch icons. When you think of the Netherlands, you probably picture bicycles, old cities, windmills, fields of colourful tulips and big wheels of Dutch cheese. These are symbols that the country is famous for around the world. Besides the stereotypical things, there is more to learn and explore in this country.
The Netherlands is home to Dutch masters, the internationally reknown painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh, whose creativity changed the art world. The innovate spirit is deeply rooted in Dutch society. It can be seen from design to technology. Dutch Design, for example, is known for combining bold ideas with a focus on making life simpler, fairer and more sustainable. Dutch innovations are making real-world impact all across the world with ground-breaking solutions for a better future.