Holland/The Netherlands

[buffalogal]

What's the difference? Why are there two names for the same country?

[scratch1300]

Saying "Holland" for "The Netherlands" is kind of like saying "England" for "Great Britain": Lots of people do it, but it's technically incorrect. Holland is a province (actually, now, it's two or three provinces) of the Netherlands.

[buffalogal]

Thanks. I never thought of that.

I consulted an atlas. There are 12 provinces, two of them called "North Holland" and "South Holland." These are the most populous provinces of The Netherlands, containing the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague.