Holland is the common name in English referring to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (or exclusively its European part)–although this is incorrect from a Dutch perspective.

Netherlands is a small country on the North Sea in northwestern Europe. It is bordered by Belgium and Germany. The Netherlands is often called Holland, but this name officially refers only to the western part of the country.

The people of the Netherlands call themselves Nederlanders. They are also known as the Dutch.

The Dutch aren’t bogged in their clichés, even though bikes, dykes, windmills and blazing flower fields are pretty much the norm outside the major cities. Do as the locals do - grab a bike and explore. It’s a very big small country, and full of salutary surprises.

One of the chief pleasures of the place is its lively contrast between pragmatic liberalism and the buttoned-up just-so primness of a culture founded on Calvinist principles. In Dutch society, ostentation is anathema and fuss of any kind is regarded as undignified.

For travellers, the integration of the clog and the microchip works well. The Netherlands is easy to travel in and the locals are friendly and speak excellent English, but many towns are still surrounded by canals and castle walls, the endlessly flat landscape which inspired the nation’s early artists still stretches unbroken to the horizons, and the dykes still occasionally threaten to give way.