About Holland
Dec 22, 2008
The country's formal name is 'Nederland', meaning the 'low country'. 'Low' because much of the land is at or below sea level. Holland is in fact the name of the western part of the country. In the 17th century, these western provinces were the most developed and wealthiest part of the country. 
North and South Holland
At present, the provinces of North and South Holland are the most heavily populated of all the provinces, encompassing Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and other well-known Dutch cities such as Delft and Leiden.
The Netherlands
The name Holland is therefore also used to refer to the Netherlands as a whole, even though the other provinces are sometimes a little unhappy about it. If you are going to study outside of the provinces of North and South Holland, try and use 'the Netherlands'. You'll notice you'll make more friends this way.
Fun facts about Holland
- The Dutch are statistically the tallest people in the world
- The Netherlands was one of the European Union's founding nations
- There are 16 million bicycles in Holland, which is about one for every inhabitant
- The highest point in Holland is 323 metres high and is therefore called a 'mountain'
- You'll find a bunch of flowers in almost every living room
- People of 200 nationalities live in Amsterdam
- When your plane arrives at Schiphol, it lands 4.5 metres below sea level
- The Netherlands has one of the youngest populations in the EU
- The International Court of Justice sits at the Peace Palace in The Hague
- New York was once Dutch
- One in every three Dutch people belong to a sports club
- With almost 1,000 museums, Holland has the highest museum density in the world
- The first World Press Photo Exhibition was held in Holland