Where Is Holland? (And Why It's Not the Same as The Netherlands)

Ask someone where Holland is and you'll probably get a quick answer: northwestern Europe, below Denmark, next to Germany. Tulips. Windmills. Amsterdam.

But here's the thing. If you point at a map of that country and call it "Holland," you're technically wrong.

Holland isn't a country. It's a region within the Netherlands. And the Dutch government cared enough about this distinction to spend $220,000 on a rebranding campaign in 2020.

Here's what's actually going on.

The Short Answer

Holland is the name of two provinces—North Holland and South Holland—located in the western part of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is the entire country, made up of 12 provinces.

Calling the Netherlands "Holland" is like calling the United Kingdom "England." England is part of the UK, but it's not the whole thing. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland would like a word.

Same deal here. People from the provinces of Limburg, Friesland, or Groningen might correct you if you call their country Holland, because Holland isn't where they live.

Where Exactly Is Holland?

Holland sits along the North Sea coast in the northwestern part of the Netherlands. It's divided into two provinces:

North Holland (Noord-Holland) covers 4,092 square kilometers. Its capital is Haarlem, but its largest city is Amsterdam—the national capital. North Holland is bordered by the North Sea to the west, the Wadden Sea to the north, and the IJsselmeer lake to the east.

South Holland (Zuid-Holland) is the most populous province in the Netherlands, with over 3.8 million people as of 2023. It contains Rotterdam (Europe's largest port) and The Hague (the seat of the Dutch government). South Holland is also the most densely populated province at 1,410 people per square kilometer.

Together, these two provinces contain most of the cities that tourists think of when they picture "Holland": Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Delft.

The Netherlands: All 12 Provinces

The Netherlands consists of 12 provinces:

1. North Holland
2. South Holland
3. Utrecht
4. Gelderland
5. North Brabant
6. Limburg
7. Overijssel
8. Flevoland
9. Groningen
10. Friesland
11. Drenthe
12. Zeeland

The name "Netherlands" comes from the Dutch word "Nederland," meaning "low land." This isn't poetic—it's literal. About one-third of the country lies below sea level. The Dutch have been fighting the sea for centuries with an elaborate system of dikes, dams, and pumps.

Flevoland, the youngest province, didn't even exist until the 20th century. It was reclaimed from the sea and officially became a province on January 1, 1986. The entire province sits on land that used to be underwater.

Why Everyone Calls It Holland

So how did "Holland" become shorthand for the whole country?

Economics and timing.

During the 17th century Dutch Golden Age, the Holland provinces controlled most of the country's trade and shipping. The Dutch East India Company, one of the most powerful corporations in history, was headquartered in Amsterdam. Foreign merchants and diplomats dealt primarily with traders from the Holland region, so they started calling the whole country Holland.

The name spread through trade routes and stuck. By the time other countries were drawing maps and writing textbooks, "Holland" had already become the common English term for the Netherlands.

The Dutch government reinforced this for decades. Until 2020, the official tourism slogan was "Holland" and the tourism website was holland.com. They leaned into the name recognition even though it was technically inaccurate.

What Does "Holland" Actually Mean?

Here's a piece of trivia that trips up a lot of people.

You might assume "Holland" means "hollow land" because the country is so flat and low-lying. Logical guess. Also wrong.

Holland comes from the Old Dutch "holt land," which means "wood land" or "forested land." The original Holland was a small, wooded district around what is now Dordrecht. Over centuries, the name expanded to cover the surrounding region.

The "hollow land" theory is a folk etymology—a made-up explanation that sounds reasonable but isn't supported by the historical record.

The 2020 Rebranding

On January 1, 2020, the Dutch government officially stopped using "Holland" in tourism and official communications.

The $220,000 rebranding campaign replaced the old "Holland" logo with a new "NL" logo featuring a stylized orange tulip. The goal was to promote all 12 provinces, not just the two that dominate international perception.

Dutch officials said the rebrand aimed to present a more accurate national image internationally. They wanted tourists to explore beyond Amsterdam and Rotterdam, to visit the medieval cities of the south, the beaches of Zeeland, the lakes of Friesland.

Whether it's working is debatable. Google "Netherlands" and you'll still see "Holland" used interchangeably in travel articles, news stories, and even some official sources. Old habits die hard.

Do Dutch People Actually Care?

Depends who you ask.

People from North and South Holland often don't mind the Holland/Netherlands confusion. Amsterdam residents might shrug it off.

But ask someone from Limburg (the far southeastern province that borders Belgium and Germany) or Friesland (the northern province with its own distinct language), and you might get a different reaction. Using "Holland" for the whole country erases regional identities that these provinces take seriously.

It's similar to how someone from Texas might bristle at being called a "Yankee," or someone from Scotland might object to being called English. Technically part of the same country, but culturally distinct.

Test Your Netherlands Knowledge

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The Bottom Line

• Holland = two provinces (North Holland and South Holland) in the western Netherlands
• The Netherlands = the full country with 12 provinces
• Why the confusion = Holland dominated trade during the Dutch Golden Age, and the name spread internationally
• 2020 rebrand = the Dutch government officially stopped using "Holland" to represent the country
• Etymology = Holland means "wood land," not "hollow land"

Next time someone says they're going to Holland, you can casually mention they're actually going to the Netherlands. Whether they thank you or roll their eyes is a coin flip.

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Sources

1. Britannica. "Is 'Holland' the Same Place as 'the Netherlands'?"
2. Holland.com. "Netherlands vs Holland."
3. Wikipedia. "Holland."
4. Wikipedia. "Provinces of the Netherlands."
5. Wikipedia. "North Holland."
6. DutchReview. "Rebranding the Netherlands: Goodbye 'Holland'."
7. US News. "Netherlands Doesn't Want You to Call It Holland Anymore."
8. Etymonline. "Holland - Etymology."
9. DutchReview. "Provinces in the Netherlands: The Easy Guide."