Holland

Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. A maritime and economic power in the 17th century, Holland today consists of the Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland. The name "Holland" first appeared in the sources in 866 for the region around Haarlem and was by 1064 being used for the name of the entire county. By this time the inhabitants of Holland were referring to themselves as "Hollanders". "Holland" is derived from the Middle Dutch term holtland ("wooded 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: "Hollant" or "Hollandt"). Popular, but incorrect, etymology holds that "Holland" is derived from hol land ("hollow land") and was inspired by the low-lying geography of Holland. The proper name of the area in both Dutch and English is "Holland". "Holland" is a part of the Netherlands. "Holland" is informally and quite incorrectly used in... full article at wikipedia