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Originally Posted by D Rice
I worry about how they will react. I think a lot of europe is very strange about thier loyalty to thier country. I had an Italian friend who said the only time the country is united or patriotic is during the world cup. They care more about thier region than thier country.
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How is this different from the US, where people are proud to be from Texas, for example?
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This is very evident in Spain, go to Barcelona and you will not see the flag of Spain often but the flag of the region. Why do people get confused about whether it is Holland or the Netherlands? Because people from Holland say they are from Holland and not the netherlands. I am rambling but it is something to think about
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I'm sorry, but that last statement is just plain wrong. The name "Holland" comes from the historic region of that name, which just happened to be the richest area of the Netherlands. Over the centuries, the Netherlands and Holland became pretty much synonymous. When I say I'm from Holland, it's precisely because of that reason, not because I feel some sort of connection to my region. Perhaps this is different for the Spanish, but typically not for the Dutch. Okay, maybe for those in the southern part of the country, but they're almost Belgians anyway.
(If you want to compare it to something: if you are from the United States, you are also from America. Officially, an American could also be someone from Canada, given that they're from North-America, the continent.)