Why does Holland have two names, Holland and the Netherlands?

Answer 1

Holland is in fact only a region of the Netherlands (country). It is like saying England for Great Britain, except that the Dutch don't get cross.

Answer 2

Lots of answers already just want to add that in Dutch we normal refer to the country as Nederland (the Netherlands) except when shooting for football. The Flemish Belgians, who speak the same language say Holland. Some or maybe most people from the south of Holland (or people not from the two provinces Noord- en Zuid-Holland) normally tell that they do not like the word Holland for the Netherlands but they use it too. I would say that nowadays Holland does not refer any longer to these 2 provinces but to the whole country. the term Holland is used more and more, especially in the tourist industry. But in any official context the term the Netherlands will always be used e.g. Embassy of the Netherlands. Btw the example of the United States and America is not similar. because these 2 abbreviations are part of the same name.

Answer 3

Long time ago the country was the Republic of 7 united Netherlands. (17th century). That was the name the country took after the war with Spain (The King of Spain claimed the country as his territory). The 7 united Netherlands were Holland, Zeeland, Groningen, Utrecht, Friesland, Gelderland and Overijssel. Each part was called a 'Provincie'. The republic was sometimes called The Republic of 7 united provinces.
The most influential province was Holland, which was responsible for 60% of the income of the republic. Therefor many people called it Holland. So you could compare it with England and the United Kingdom.
Later the country became a kingdom again. The name became The Netherlands. But many people still call the country Holland. A 'pars pro toto' like England is a 'pars pro toto' for the UK.

Answer 4

Netherlands comes from the way Holland has been built: Holland is a territory that has been gained over the seas. Basically a certain amount of Holland was under the seas before but people would expand their territories and took it from the sea and not from a war. And Holland is just the name of the country just like there is England or Spain or France.

Answer 5

There are 11 provinces in the Netherlands. Two of those are called North Holland and South Holland. Because in the past most industry and commerce originated in these two provinces the words made in Holland appeared and it stuck through the ages.

Answer 6

Holland is technically a province in the Netherlands. The formal name for the entire country is the Netherlands. I dont really know why, I'm from Holland and we call it both too.
And for the dude up there- Dutch is our language/nationality. Not country.

Answer 7

The Dutch name is Netherlands, they don't like it to be called Holland, which is what English-speaking people call it(probably because that's what the first English-speaking people called it when they first went there.
I think Netherlands refers to more than one country, simply meaning the low countries.

Answer 8

Holland comes from 17th. century "Holt land", which means "land with lots of woods" which is not the case anymore.
Netherlands or " low lands" refers to the country's low setting. (Some of it below sea level.)
There are two provinces at the west side of the country which are called North Holland and South Holland. Those are the best known and most urbanized provinces with Amsterdam and Rotterdam located in it.

Answer 9

Holland is the name for the football team.
Netherlands is European Union name.

Answer 10

The Netherlands is the name the Dutch prefer their homeland to be called.
Holland is the name the rest of the World calls it, ( I called being stuck in the mud )
If they want it to be called the Netherlands, so be it!