Countship of Holland
| Holland | |
|---|---|
 North and South Holland (in orange) shown together within the Netherlands |
|
| Country |
 Netherlands
|
| Largest settlements | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,488 km2 (2,119 sq mi) |
| Population (January 2017) | |
| • Total | 6,466,735 |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Hollander |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Holland is a region and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. The name Holland is also frequently used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. This usage is commonly accepted in other countries, and not entirely uncommon among the Dutch themselves, though some in the Netherlands and particularly in other regions of the country may find it undesirable or misrepresentative.
From the 10th to the 16th century, Holland proper was a unified political region within the Holy Roman Empire as a county ruled by the Counts of Holland. By the 17th century, Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the newly independent Dutch Republic.
The area of the former County of Holland roughly coincides with the two current Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland, which together include the Netherlands' three largest cities: the de jure capital city of Amsterdam; Rotterdam, home of Europe's largest port; and the seat of government of The Hague.
The name Holland first appeared in sources for the region around Haarlem, and by 1064 was being used as the name of the entire county. By the early twelfth century, the inhabitants of Holland were called Hollandi in a Latin text.Holland is derived from the Old Dutch term holtlant ("wood-land"). This spelling variation remained in use until around the 14th century, at which time the name stabilised as Holland (alternative spellings at the time were Hollant and Hollandt). A popular folk etymology holds that Holland is derived from hol land ("hollow land") and was inspired by the low-lying geography of Holland.
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