The Netherlands is called the northern flower of Europe. They are a country of beautiful tulips, delicious cheeses, windmills, ancient castles, the birthplace of talented painters, and in recent times they are also famous as a territory of free morals. Some call this country Holland, and others the Netherlands. On the map, it is indicated under the second name. So what is the difference: the Netherlands and the Netherlands?
How Peter the Great visited Holland
It turns out that the tradition of calling the kingdom of tulips Holland has been strengthened among Russians since the end of the 17th century, from the time when the most progressive of the Russian tsars, Peter the Great, decided to cut through a window to Europe and, dressed as an ordinary pilot, went to Holland. During his “overseas” trip, he managed to visit only two of the Dutch provinces - South and North Holland. After returning to Russia, he, talking about life, culture, scientific achievements of this country as a whole, called it exclusively Holland. So, thanks to this Russian tsar, such a name was assigned to the Netherlands, and it remains in our minds until now.
Is Holland and the Netherlands the same, or is there still a difference?
This beautiful country, which is located on the shores of the North Sea in the northwestern part of the continent of Eurasia, is officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Netherlands) or Kingdom of the Netherlands). The name Nederlanden translates as "lowlands." In fact, this country is located on one of the lowest land areas in Europe, the name Holland means hollow land, that is, land that does not have a solid foundation. At first glance it seems that these names are identical, but if you think about it, you can understand what the difference is. The Netherlands and Holland (as part of the kingdom) are located in the lowlands, however, the provinces of North and South Holland, in addition to being below sea level, also have instability and a cavity of soil. That is the difference.
Holland or the Netherlands?
Holland has always been the most progressive and developed province of the kingdom. The largest and most developed cities of the country are concentrated here: The Hague, Rotterdam, and, well, the capital of the country Amsterdam. Of course, the inhabitants of these provinces are flattered that the Netherlands is often associated with their province, but residents of other regions do not like it at all, and they are ready to give a lot of arguments explaining the difference. The Netherlands and the Netherlands, according to their opinion, are even translated in different ways. And they, residents of other provinces, do not like to be called Dutch. Of course, we Russians cannot understand this, because we are used to believing that the homeland of tulips is Holland. Or the Netherlands? “What difference does it make,” you will think. However, for example, residents of the UK will perfectly understand the Dutch. After all, it is unacceptable to call all British British, and call Britain Great Britain, which we often do.
A bit about the Netherlands
This is a state that, by its political structure, is a constitutional monarchy. It has been a member of the European Union since 1957. He owns a small piece of land on the North Sea coast, sandwiched between Belgium and Germany, as well as the islands of Saba, Bonaire and Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Sea and several Antilles: Curacao, Sant Martin, Aruba. As you can see, the Netherlands, apart from North and South Holland, includes provinces that are located not only in Europe, but also in other parts of the world. That is why it is wrong to call the whole country Holland, and its people - Dutch. Now it is more or less clear what the difference is. The Netherlands and Holland are related to each other, like the United Kingdom and England. Nevertheless, for us Russians, the inhabitants of this country will always be called Dutch, and Rembrandt and Van Gogh - Dutch artists. Well, the famous tulips will also invariably always be called not Dutch, but Dutch.