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Discover the fascinating history of Holland     |  | |
Holland Short Information Sheet:
| Capital: Amsterdam
Provinces: Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Gelderland, Utrecht, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant and Limburg.
Population (estimate): 16,590,027
Area, total: 41.52 sq km (16.03 sq mile)
Language: Dutch, Frisian (in the province of Friesland)
Currency: Euro (EUR) |
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 The Netherlands is located in Western Europe, bordered by Germany, Belgium and the North Sea. The country is divided into 12 provinces: Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Gelderland, Utrecht, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant and Limburg.
The country is officially named "The Kingdom of the Netherlands", but is often called Holland after the provinces North and South Holland. Amsterdam is the capital city of The Netherlands; the government is situated in The Hague (Den Haag or 's-Gravenhage). Rotterdam is a major city and the biggest port in Europe.
| In the 17th century Amsterdam was Europe's wealthiest trading city. Houses were built along the rings of city canals, the wealthiest merchants living in the city centre. |
Most of Holland is low-lying with half of the country below sea level. Dykes and dams have been built along the coast and the land drained. In the north the former Zuider Zee was separated in 1932 from the North Sea by an 18 mile long enclosure dyke (Afsluitdijk), forming a lake called the IJsselmeer.
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