Holland facts for kids
Holland is a historical region located in the western part of the Netherlands. For many years, Holland was a very important area. It started as a county within the Holy Roman Empire. Later, it became the most powerful province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, which existed from 1581 to 1795.
Today, there is no country officially called "Holland." Instead, the Netherlands has two provinces named "Holland": North Holland (Dutch: Noord-Holland) and South Holland (Dutch: Zuid-Holland). These two provinces were created in 1840. The older region of Holland used to be larger. However, during the time when France occupied the Netherlands (1795-1813), some parts of Holland were given to other provinces. For example, the town of Willemstad became part of North Brabant. The islands of Vlieland and Terschelling were moved to Friesland, and the island of Urk joined Overijssel. Interestingly, for a short period between 1806 and 1810, there actually was a country called the Kingdom of Holland. This kingdom covered parts of the central and northern Netherlands, as well as East Frisia in Germany.
Contents
Understanding the Name "Holland"
Many people around the world often use the name "Holland" to refer to the entire country of the Netherlands. This includes all ten other provinces that are not Holland. However, this is not entirely accurate. It's a bit like calling the whole United Kingdom just "England" or "Great Britain."
Why Some Dutch People Dislike "Holland" for the Whole Country
Some Dutch people who do not live in the Holland region prefer that the entire country be called the Netherlands. They feel it's important to recognize all parts of their nation, not just one historical region.
When "Holland" is Okay to Use
Despite this, most Dutch people do not mind if you use "Holland" when talking about the Netherlands national football team. They are very used to calling their national football team "Holland."
Images for kids
-
North Holland
-
South Holland
See also
In Spanish: Holanda para niños
