3 ms·

I've always wondered why Netherland citizens say Holland instead of the right name of the country.

YouKnowBetter 8y ago
1: It's easier to pronounce 2: Because it's easier to pronounce all foreigners use it 3: Because it's easier to pronounce and all foreigners use it, it is easier to use (If I introduce myself as being "from the Netherlands" I get blank looks. What I nowadays do is "I'm from Holland, Amsterdam, Ajax" and 90% of all people I know exactly where I am from). 4: Holland covers about 50% of the population, and about 70% of the economy 5: In Holland there is Amsterdam, Schiphol & Rotterdam basically the places that tourists go to or have heard about PS The official name is "Kingdom of the Netherlands", I guess that solidifies my point about Holland being easier :)
- majewsky 8y ago
  > PS The official name is "Kingdom of the Netherlands", I guess that solidifies my point about Holland being easier :) That's kind of shifting the goalposts though. It's not like I'm introducing myself as "from the Federal Republic of Germany", either.
  - dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
    > That's kind of shifting the goalposts though. It's not like I'm introducing myself as "from the Federal Republic of Germany", either. You should, just for the sake of these looks at parties.
- jhcl 8y ago
  About 40% of the population (6.4M out of 17M) and about 40% of the economy. https://www.ing.nl/particulier/economisch-bureau/archief/archief-economische-cijfers-toegelicht/2014/06/3-provincies-goed-voor-helft-bbp.html https://www.ing.nl/particulier/economisch-bureau/archief/arc... I am not from one of the Hollands and I try to avoid using Holland but I will do so sometimes. It's a bit like using America for the United States which seems more wrong to me than using Holland for the Netherlands.
- yread 8y ago
  I just saw results of some survey of Dutch people for a Dutch company and one person from Limburg (!) answered country with "Holland". Weird.

1: It's easier to pronounce 2: Because it's easier to pronounce all foreigners use it 3: Because it's easier to pronounce and all foreigners use it, it is easier to use (If I introduce myself as being "from the Netherlands" I get blank looks. What I nowadays do is "I'm from Holland, Amsterdam, Ajax" and 90% of all people I know exactly where I am from). 4: Holland covers about 50% of the population, and about 70% of the economy 5: In Holland there is Amsterdam, Schiphol & Rotterdam basically the places that tourists go to or have heard about PS The official name is "Kingdom of the Netherlands", I guess that solidifies my point about Holland being easier :)

majewsky 8y ago
> PS The official name is "Kingdom of the Netherlands", I guess that solidifies my point about Holland being easier :) That's kind of shifting the goalposts though. It's not like I'm introducing myself as "from the Federal Republic of Germany", either.
- dvfjsdhgfv 8y ago
  > That's kind of shifting the goalposts though. It's not like I'm introducing myself as "from the Federal Republic of Germany", either. You should, just for the sake of these looks at parties.
jhcl 8y ago
About 40% of the population (6.4M out of 17M) and about 40% of the economy. https://www.ing.nl/particulier/economisch-bureau/archief/archief-economische-cijfers-toegelicht/2014/06/3-provincies-goed-voor-helft-bbp.html https://www.ing.nl/particulier/economisch-bureau/archief/arc... I am not from one of the Hollands and I try to avoid using Holland but I will do so sometimes. It's a bit like using America for the United States which seems more wrong to me than using Holland for the Netherlands.
yread 8y ago
I just saw results of some survey of Dutch people for a Dutch company and one person from Limburg (!) answered country with "Holland". Weird.