'Holland' is a name given to a region in the western part of the Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often informally used to refer to the whole country of the 'Netherlands'. The word 'Dutch' is used to refer to the people and the language (it refers to all of the Netherlands, not just Holland). Holland was a country ruled by the Count of Holland in the past. Then, it became an economic power and dominated the other provinces of the Netherlands (by the 17C). Today, Holland consists of the two Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland, which together include the Netherlands' three largest cities: country capital Amsterdam, seat of government The Hague, and Rotterdam.