Most of us think “Holland” as the same as “The Netherlands”. Isn’t it?

Oh yes!, but we’re wrong!!. 

Holland and The Netherlands are not the same. What is the difference between Holland and the Netherlands then?  Hmm.... To answer the question, I must go little into history and geography :)

Holland Vs. The Netherlands:
The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces: Groningen, Friesland,  Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Gelderland, Utrecht, North-Holland, South-Holland, Zealand, North Brabant and Limburg.

Two of them - North Holland and South Holland are the home for the major cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague (Den Hague), Delft, Leiden and Haarlem. 

These were the cities which established all the trading routes during ancient times; made the major influence to the entire nation’s economy and wealth. Most of the time the sailor response would be that he was from Holland wherever he goes. Ever since the name “Holland” became the synonym to indicate the entire country.

Got it? Great, don’t be too happy yet, because it's going to get a bit more complicated :).. Now the question is: 

What is  “Kingdom of the Netherlands”?.

The Netherlands / Holland is just one country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the kingdom contains three more countries and six more Caribbean islands. 

Little surprised, Isn't it? some more interesting history behind...

It was once “The Dutch Republic” aka “The Republic of Seven United Netherlands” until the 16th Century, comprising roughly to the present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Then in 1795, the whole area was conquered by the French troops and became the “Batavian Republic”.

King Napoleon appointed his brother Louis as the king of these low lands in 1806, turning the country into a kingdom. But soon after Napoleon’s defeat, Belgium and Luxemburg got separated around 1830 from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

From then the todays’s Kingdom of the Netherlands evolved consisting of four, equal constituent countries (The Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten).

And while you may be surprised to know about these four countries in one kingdom, it doesn't stop there here too, because the country of the Netherlands also spreads its boundaries to three more Caribbean islands: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba !!!

Too much confusions and you really need some summary, right? Here you go: 6 Caribbean islands, four countries, twelve provinces, two Hollands, two Netherlands and one kingdom, all together – It’s DUTCH !