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Therefore, The Netherlands refers to its geographical location of The Netherlands as a low-lying country.

The word “ neder” means down or low in Dutch, and Nederland is the Dutch word for The Netherlands. The first use of the name The Netherlands was much later in the 15th century. ( Map is from Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek) Holland remained independent until 1581 when it became part of the Republic of 7 United Netherlands as The Netherlands was called in those days. Holland was located in the western coastal part of The Netherlands and is yellow on this map of The Netherlands. The county of Holland, abbreviated to Holland, was an independent county ruled by the Counts of Holland, who resided in The Hague. Holtland changed to Holland, and the county of Holland was founded ± 1100. The name Holland is derived from the old Dutch word Holtland, which means woodland in English. The name Holland was used much earlier than the name The Netherlands. So let’s dive deeper into the history of these names to understand why The Netherlands is also called Holland. Linguists call the use of a part (Holland) to describe the whole (Netherlands) a metonymy. The name Holland is often used to describe The Netherlands because Holland has always been the most important and influential part of The Netherlands. So let’s clear up any confusion by explaining where the names Holland and The Netherlands come from. Indeed, using two names to describe the same country is rather peculiar. Visitors to The Netherlands are often puzzled why The Netherlands is also called Holland.