HackerTube.dev

The Netherlands Is Not 'Holland.' It Never Was.

CGP Grey · 13.9M views · 2012-12-22 · 4:00

Open on YouTube ↗

If playback is restricted in your region, try opening the original video. Use Mark watched to add it to your marked videos.

Overview

A short CGP Grey explainer on why 'Holland' is wrong as a name for the whole country of the Netherlands. It covers the country's provinces and its constituent territories.

On Hacker News

HN uses it as the go-to link whenever someone conflates Holland and the Netherlands.

Discussed on HN; no positive recommendation is recorded in this export · HN mentions 2016–2026

Topics

World historyPolitics & history (other)
Search by tags
geographynetherlandscgp greynaming

What people said

meatmanek · 2026-02 · Joke / meme

obligatory CGP Grey [VIDEO] > Confusion continues because: People who live in the Hollands are called Hollanders, but all citizens of the Netherlands are called Dutch as is their language. > But in Dutch they say: "Nederlands sprekende Nederlanders in Nederland" which sounds like they'd rather we call them Netherlanders speaking Netherlandish. > Meanwhile, next door in Germany, they're "Deutsche sprechen Deutsch in Deutschland". Which sounds like they'd rather be called Dutch.

Read the original HN comment ↗
tnolet · 2018-08 · Joke / meme

Slightly off topic maybe, but it always surprises people that the Netherlands has a border with France. It’s just in the Caribbean on the island of St. Maarten / Saint Martin. Obligatory YouTube clip “Holland vs. The Netherlands” [VIDEO]

Read the original HN comment ↗
daenney · 2016-06 · Reference

For correctness, it's The Netherlands, not Holland. Though Amsterdam is located in one of the Hollands. [VIDEO]

Read the original HN comment ↗

Sources

Video by CGP Grey, played through YouTube.

Data and selection notes

HN summaries and labels may contain AI errors. HN dates refer to discussions, not video publication.

HN Library: HackerTube export (2026-10-31) and open-index/hacker-news. Upstream summaries and classifications may contain AI errors.

Views, duration and playback status refresh separately from the published catalog. When an update fails, existing data remains visible.

Selection checks
  • SaaS & AI candidates: Topic keywords do not match
  • Editor-approved picks: Editorial review is required

Rule matches identify candidates. They do not guarantee video quality or financial results.

About the library and its sources