Holland or the Netherlands?
23 Sep 2010
The Netherlands is a kingdom. Its official name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
It consists of the Netherlands itself and the six islands of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. The country’s formal name is Nederland, meaning 'low country'. This refers to the fact that much of the land is at or below sea level.
Today, the Netherlands is also sometimes called 'Holland', a name that is derived from the names of the two western coastal provinces, North and South Holland. These were the most developed and wealthiest part of the country in the 17th century and played a dominant role in the country's history.
