Don’t you sometimes wonder…Holland or the Netherlands, what is the proper use? Many people from abroad say that they plan to relocate to (or visit) Holland. Then again, people from Holland say that they live in the Netherlands. So, let’s clarify!
Holland or the Netherlands?
Holland is actually a part of the Netherlands, consisting of the provinces North and South Holland. It is the most densely populated area of the Netherlands, with South Holland in the lead, with 1291 people per square kilometre. In total, there are twelve provinces in the Netherlands. The least densely populated province of the Netherlands is Drenthe, in the nothern part of the Netherlands with 185 people per km2. Because of the lack of bigger companies in this area, the population number is quite less. However, it is a popular province for tourism, even for locals, to enjoy the beautiful nature.
North and South Holland are not just the most densely populated provinces, they also host the most (international) companies, with Amsterdam as the absolute most popular location. From the 2.861.593 registered companies in the Netherlands, almost 1.200.000 are located in North and South Holland. Of course, no wonder that most people live and work here! Equally important, is the province of North Brabant with over 400.000 companies . Eindhoven is the ‘brain city’ with a technical university and many technology companies. However, in comparison to North and South Holland, the population density in North Brabant is much less; 509 people per square kilometre.
Official name of the Netherlands
The official name of the Netherlands is Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom actually consists of four countries; the Netherlands, and the Dutch/Caribian countries of Aruba, Curaçao and (the Dutch part of) Saint Martin. Also, in this Caribian part of the Netherlands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba count as Dutch cities.
Watch this video for a very nice explanation of Holland versus the Netherlands (and why the Dutch language is called Dutch and not Netherlandish).
