What is the differnce between Holland and The Netherlands?

Answer 1

North and South Holland make up 2 of the twelve states in the Netherlands. Throughout history, because these areas were the most prosperound and powerful regions of the country, foreigners tended to equate Holland with the Netherlands. But that is incorrect. Here's a website with a map to show you where Holland is within the Netherlands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland

Answer 2

Holland is part of the Netherlands, but many people use Holland when they mean the Netherlands. Two provinces of The Netherlands are called North Holland and South Holland. They were the richest and most powerful parts of the Netherlands and they still are the most populated parts.
Are there also many who ask about the difference between England and the UK? It is about the same.

Answer 3

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland (IPA: [ˈne:dərlɑnt])) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), which is formed by the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
The Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. This is not terminologically precise, since the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces.
The Netherlands are known under various terms both in English and other languages. These are used to describe the different overlapping geographical, linguistic and political areas of the Netherlands. This is often a source of confusion for people from other parts of the world. In English the country is called 'the Netherlands' , while the people and the language are called 'Dutch'.

Answer 4

Relating to the Netherlands
Holland is properly a region within the Netherlands, now divided into two provinces: North Holland and South Holland
In English, Holland is often colloquially (albeit inaccurately) used as synonym for the whole of The Netherlands

Answer 5

Where do you guys find the bull**** info that Holland is the old name for The Netherlands??? Don't believe everything that you read on the web......

There certainly IS a difference between Holland and The Netherlands......

...... as there is a difference between Texas and the USA
...... as there is a difference between England and Great Britain

Holland is only part of The Netherlands, two provinces in the west: North and South Holland.

Answer 6

The Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. This is not terminologically precise, since the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces. Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands.

Answer 7

Further to previous answers, some long-winded historical rambling.

The term 'Holland' for the Netherlands is somewhat akin to the use use of 'England' for the United Kingdom, ie incorrect but in very common usage. Holland in fact refers to two of the original seventeen provinces of the Netherlands - South Holland and North Holland. These two provinces were very much the political and economic powerhouse of the Netherlands, often providing the Stadtholder (head of state). They also provided the main opposition to Spanish rule during the Eighty Years War of 1567-1648 (which was in fact nearly 81 years!).

However, the term 'Netherlands' appears to have two possible origins. In most translations, the term 'nether' or 'neder' is used to denote low, and Netherlands therefore means 'low lands', reflecting the fact that most of the country lies below sea level. However, there is also good evidence to show that the senior Spanish political and military figures used the term 'Netherlands' from around 1540 in an imperial/hierarchic sense, ie the 'nether' or 'far flung' and low-lying lands. Given that the centre of gravity of the Spanish Empire lay in the Iberian Peninsula (obviously!) and in Italy, the Netherlands were regarded very much as the farthest-flung European outpost of the Spanish Empire. After the political revolt of 1567, and the open rebellion of 1572, the provinces of the Netherlands titled themselves 'The United Provinces' (ie, united against Spanish rule), a name which stuck until 1795.

After the conclusion of the Eighty Years' War in 1648, the Netherlands was broken into two distinct political units. The 12 rebellious 'United Provinces' became what is today called the Netherlands, while the southern provinces, which remained under Spanish rule (and were transferred to the Austrian branch of the hapsburg family) became what is today Belgium. In fact, what was loosely called 'The Netherlands' in the 16th and 17th centuries in fact covers the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and some territory in France and Germany. In other words, it was a mess.

Answer 8

The Netherlands refers to Nederland, meaning lowland because of its position towards the sea. Holland stems from Houtland because of the woods that were in the Netherlands for many centuries before it slowly became populated. Hout means wood.
Holland means the north part of the Netherlands where the aristocracy of merchants, the chic middle class, the regents seated. Nowadays, two provinces are called Holland: noord en zuid-holland, so the Netherlands is more accurate.

Answer 9

The Netherlands is officially known as the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is formed by the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antiles and Aruba. The Netherlands Antiles are a group of islands in the Caribean, Aruba is obviously in the Caribean and the Netherlands is made up of North and South Holland. All together the Netherlands consits of twelve provinces

Answer 10

sturdy usa call: Kingdom of the Netherlands. Holland became the call of the main mandatory province of the Netherlands and initially meant 'wooded section', because of heavy forested section. those days human beings use Holland and The Netherlands interchangebly.