Holland
Holland is a region and former province located on the western coast of the Netherlands. The term Holland is also frequently used as a pars pro toto to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. This usage is generally accepted, but it is disliked by part of the Dutch population, especially in the other parts of the Netherlands.From the 10th to the 16th century, Holland proper was a unified political region within the Holy Roman Empire as a county ruled by the Counts of Holland. By the 17th century, Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the newly independentDutch Republic.