匿名使用者 1級 2014-11-16 回答

HollandisanameincommonusagegiventotworegionsinthewesternpartoftheNetherlands。Thename‘Holland’isalsooftenusedtorefertothewholeoftheNetherlands，althoughthisisnotformallycorrect。Fromthe10thcenturytothe16thcenturyitwasaunifiedpoliticalregion，acountyruledbytheCountofHolland。Bythe17thcentury，Hollandhadrisentobecomeamaritimeandeconomicpower，dominatingtheotherprovincesoftheDutchRepublic。Today，theformerCountyofHollandconsistsofthetwoDutchprovincesofNorthHollandandSouthHolland。

Geography

HollandissituatedinthewestoftheNetherlands。Amaritimewater-orientedregion，HollandliesontheNorthSeaatthemouthsoftheRhineandtheMeuse（Maas）。Ithasnumerousriversandlakesandanextensiveinlandcanalandwaterwaysystem。TothesouthisZealand。TheregionisborderedontheeastbytheIJsselmeerandfourdifferentprovincesoftheNetherlands。

Hollandisprotectedfromtheseabyalonglineofcoastaldunes。Mostofthelandareabehindthedunesconsistsofpolderlandscapelyingwellbelowsealevel。AtpresentthelowestpointinHollandisapoldernearRotterdam，whichisaboutsevenmetersbelowsealevel。ContinuousdrainageisnecessarytokeepHollandfromflooding。Inearliercenturieswindmillswereusedforthistask。Thelandscapewas（andinplacesstillis）dottedwithwindmills，whichhavebecomeasymbolofHolland。

Hollandis7，494squarekilometres（landandwaterincluded），makingitroughly13%oftheareaoftheNetherlands。Lookingatlandalone，itis5，488squarekilometresinsize。Thecombinedpopulationis6。1million。

ThemaincitiesinHollandareAmsterdam，RotterdamandTheHague。AmsterdamisformallythecapitaloftheNetherlandsanditsmostimportantcity。ThePortofRotterdamisEurope‘slargestandmostimportantharbourandport。TheHagueistheseatofgovernmentoftheNetherlands。Thesecities，combinedwithUtrechtandothersmallermunicipalities，effectivelyformasinglecity-aconurbationcalledRandstad。

TheRandstadareaisoneofthemostdenselypopulatedregionsofEurope，butstillrelativelyfreeofurbansprawl。Therearestrictzoninglaws。Populationpressuresareenormous，propertyvaluesarehigh，andnewhousingisconstantlyunderdevelopmentontheedgesofthebuilt-upareas。Surprisingly，muchoftheprovincestillhasaruralcharacter。Theremainingagriculturallandandnaturalareasarehighlyvaluedandprotected。Mostofthearablelandisusedforintensiveagriculture，includinghorticultureandgreenhouseagri-businesses。

History

［edit］Reclamationoftheland

ThelandthatisnowHollandhadneverbeenstable。Overthemillenniathegeographyoftheregionhadbeendynamic。Thewesterncoastlineshifteduptothirtykilometrestotheeastandstormsurgesregularlybrokethroughtherowofcoastaldunes。TheFrisianIsles，originallyjoinedtothemainland，becamedetachedislandsinthenorth。Themainrivers，theRhineandtheMeuse（Maas），floodedregularlyandchangedcourserepeatedlyanddramatically。

ThepeopleofHollandfoundthemselveslivinginanunstable，wateryenvironment。BehindthedunesonthecoastoftheNetherlandsahighpeatplateauhadgrown，forminganaturalprotectionagainstthesea。Muchoftheareawasmarshandbog。Bythetenthcenturytheinhabitantssetaboutcultivatingthislandbydrainingit。Thedrainagehowever，resultedinextremesoilshrinkage，loweringthesurfaceofthelandbyuptofifteenmetres。

Benthuizenpolder，seenfromadikeTothesouthofHolland，inZealand，andtothenorth，inFrisia，thisdevelopmentledtocatastrophicstormfloodsliterallywashingawayentireregions，asthepeatlayerdisintegratedorbecamedetachedandwascarriedawaybythefloodwater。FromtheFrisiansidetheseaevenfloodedtheareatotheeast，graduallyhollowingHollandoutfrombehindandformingtheZuiderzee（thepresentIJsselmeer）。Thisinlandseathreatenedtolinkupwiththe“drownedlands”ofZealandinthesouth，reducingHollandtoaseriesofnarrowdunebarrierislandsinfrontofalagoon。Onlydrasticadministrativeinterventionsavedthecountyfromutterdestruction。Thecountsandlargemonasteriestooktheleadintheseefforts，buildingthefirstheavyemergencydikestobolstercriticalpoints。Laterspecialautonomousadministrativebodieswereformed，thewaterschappen（“watercontrolboards”），whichhadthelegalpowertoenforcetheirregulationsanddecisionsonwatermanagement。Asthecenturieswentby，theyeventuallyconstructedanextensivedikesystemthatcoveredthecoastlineandthepolders，thusprotectingthelandfromfurtherincursionsbythesea。

However，theHollandersdidnotstopthere。Startingaroundthe16thcentury，theytooktheoffensiveandbeganlandreclamationprojects，convertinglakes，marshyareasandadjoiningmudflatsintopolders。Thiscontinuedrightintothe20thcentury。Asaresult，historicalmapsofmediaevalandearlymodernHollandbearlittleresemblancetothemapsoftoday。

ThisongoingstruggletomasterthewaterplayedanimportantroleinthedevelopmentofHollandasamaritimeandeconomicpowerandinthedevelopmentofthecharacterofthepeopleofHolland。

CountyofHolland

Untilthe9thcentury，theinhabitantsoftheareathatbecameHollandwereFrisians。TheareawaspartofFrisia。Attheendofthe9thcentury，HollandbecameaseparatecountyintheHolyRomanEmpire。ThefirstcountofHollandknownaboutwithcertaintywasDirkI，whoruled（alsoascountofFrisia）from896to931。HewassucceededbyalonglineofcountsintheHouseofHolland。WhenJohnI，countofHolland，diedchildlessin1299，thecountywasinheritedbyJohnIIofAvesnes，countofHainaut。BythetimeofWillianV（HouseofWittelsbach；1354-1388）thecountofHollandwasalsothecountofHainaut，FlandersandZealand。

InthistimeapartofFrisia，WestFriesland，wasconquered（asaresult，mostprovincialinstitutions，includingtheStatesofHollandandWestFrisia，wouldforcenturiesreferto“HollandandWestFrisia”asaunit）。TheHookandCodwarsstartedaroundthistimeandendedwhenthecountessofHolland，JacobaorJacquelinewasforcedtogiveupHollandtotheBurgundianPhilipIin1432。

ThelastcountofHollandwasPhilipIII，betterknownasPhilipIIkingofSpain。Hewasabolishedin1581bythesocalledActofAbjuration，althoughthekingsofSpaincontinuedtocarrythetitulartitleofcountofHollanduntilthePeaceofMünstersignedin1648。

Holland’sprominenceintheUnitedProvincesandDutchRepublic

In1432HollandbecamepartoftheBurgundianNetherlandsandsince1477oftheHabsburgSeventeenProvinces。Inthe16thcenturytheregionbecamemoredenselyurbanised，withthemajorityofthepopulationlivingincities。WithintheBurgundianNetherlands，Hollandwasthedominantprovinceinthenorth；thepoliticalinfluenceofHollandlargelydeterminedtheextentofBurgundiandominioninthatarea。

ComitatusHollandiae（1682）IntheDutchRebellionagainsttheHabsburgsduringtheEightyYears‘War，thenavalforcesoftherebels，theWatergeuzen，establishedtheirfirstpermanentbasein1572inthetownofBrill。Inthisway，Holland，nowasovereignstateinalargerDutchconfederation，becamethecentreoftherebellion。Itbecamethecultural，politicalandeconomiccentreoftheUnitedProvincesinthe17thcenturyDutchGoldenAge，thewealthiestnationintheworld。AftertheKingofSpainwasdeposedasthecountofHolland，theexecutiveandlegislativepowerrestedwiththeStatesofHolland，whichwasledbyapoliticalfigurewhoheldtheofficeofGrandPensionary。

ThelargestcitiesintheDutchRepublicwereintheprovinceofHollandsuchasAmsterdam，Rotterdam，Leiden，Alkmaar，TheHague，Delft，DordrechtandHaarlem。FromthegreatportsofHolland，HollandicmerchantssailedtoandfromdestinationsalloverEurope，andmerchantsfromalloverEuropegatheredtotradeinthewarehousesofAmsterdamandothertradingcitiesofHolland。

ManyEuropeansthoughtoftheUnitedProvincesfirstas“Holland”ratherthanasthe“RepublicoftheSevenUnitedProvincesoftheNetherlands”。Astrongimpressionof“Holland”wasplantedinthemindsofotherEuropeans，whichthenwasprojectedbackontotheRepublicasawhole。Withintheprovincesthemselves，agradualslowprocessofculturalexpansiontookplace，leadingtoa“Hollandification”oftheotherprovincesandamoreuniformcultureforthewholeoftheRepublic。ThedialectofurbanHollandbecamethestandardlanguage。

KingdomofHolland

TheformationoftheBatavianRepublic，inspiredbytheFrenchrevolution，ledtoamorecentralisedgovernment。Hollandbecameaprovinceofaunitarystate。Itsindependencewasfurtherreducedbyanadministrativereformin1798，inwhichitsterritorywasdividedintoseveraldepartmentscalledAmstel，Delf，Texel，andpartofScheldeenMaas。

From1806to1810Napoleonstyledhisvassalstate，governedbyhisbrotherLouisNapoleonandshortlybythesonofLouis，NapoleonLouisBonaparte，asthe“KingdomofHolland”。ThiskingdomencompassedmuchofwhatwouldbecomethemodernNetherlands。ThenamereflectshownaturalatthetimeithadbecometoequateHollandwiththenon-BelgianNetherlandsasawhole。［4］

DuringtheperiodtheLowCountrieswereannexedbytheFrenchEmpireandactuallyincorporatedintoFrance（from1810to1813），HollandwasdividedintothedépartementsZuyderzéeandBouches-de-la-Meuse。

Provinceslikeanyother

After1813，HollandwasrestoredasaprovinceoftheUnitedKingdomoftheNetherlands。

HollandwasdividedintothepresentprovincesNorthHollandandSouthHollandin1840，aftertheBelgianRevolutionof1830。ThisreflectedanhistoricaldivisionofHollandalongtheIJintoaSouthernQuarter（Zuiderkwartier）andaNorthernQuarter（Noorderkwartier）。

From1850astrongprocessofnationformationtookplace，theNetherlandsbeingculturallyunifiedandeconomicallyintegratedbyamodernisationprocess，withthecitiesofHollandatitscentre。

TheimageofHollandathomeandabroad

ThepredominanceofHollandintheNetherlandshasresultedinregionalismonthepartoftheotherprovinces。ThisisareactiontotheperceivedthreatthatHollandposestotheidentitiesandlocalculturesoftheotherprovinces。Theotherprovinceshaveastrong，andoftennegative，［6］imageofHollandandtheHollanders，towhomcertainqualitiesareascribedwithinamentalgeography。

Hollandersthemselves，however，haveaweakself-image。TheytakeHolland’sculturaldominanceforgranted。Tothem，theconceptsof“Holland”andthe“Netherlands”coincide。Consequentlytheyseethemselvesnotprimarilyas“Hollanders”，butsimplyas“Dutch”（Nederlanders）。［8］Thisphenomenoniscalled“hollandocentrism”。

Hollandtendstobeassociatedwithaparticularimage。ThestereotypicalimageofHollandisanartificialamalgamoftulips，windmills，clogs，cheeseandtraditionaldress（klederdracht）。Asisthecasewithmanystereotypes，thisisfarfromthetruthandrealityoflifeinHolland。ThiscanatleastinpartbeexplainedbytheactiveexploitationofthesestereotypesinpromotionsofHollandandtheNetherlands。Infactonlyinafewofthemoretraditionalvillages，suchasVolendamandlocationsintheZaanarea，arethedifferentcostumeswithwoodenshoesstillwornbysomeinhabitants。