The official name of the country we call the Netherlands is the Netherlands. Although the two terms are often treated as synonyms, they do not mean the same thing.
The official name originates from the country’s geography: a quarter of its territory is below sea level.
Holland is a region of the country, divided between North Holland and South Holland. Historically, the richest, most populous and influential part of the territory, concentrating important economic and political centers, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.
It was precisely because of this historical protagonism that, over the centuries, the name “Holland” began to be used internationally as a simplified way of referring to the entire country, especially in commerce, tourism and sport. And that stuck.
However, the use of the term has always generated criticism for not adequately representing the other regions of the country. Therefore, in 2020, the government adopted an international communication strategy to promote the name Netherlands (Netherlands, in English) in official campaigns, sporting events and publicity materials.
The change did not change the name of the country, which has always been the Netherlands, but is an attempt to reinforce the national identity and give visibility to all its provinces, ceasing to associate the country’s image solely with the Dutch region.
The Dutch team faces Sweden in group F of the World Cup this Saturday (20) at 2 pm.
