The total area of The Netherlands is 16,034 square miles (41,528 square kilometers), of which some 13,100 square miles (33,900 square kilometers) is land. It extends for 175 miles (282 kilometers) north to south and for 110 miles (177 kilometers) east to west. It is bordered on the east by Germany, on the south by Belgium, and on the west and north by the North Sea. The Dutch name of the country, Nederland, means "low land." It consists of the western corner of the great North European Plain where a number of rivers enter the North Sea. Only in the extreme south are there hills. The West Frisian Islands, part of the Frisian Islands chain, are strung along the north coast. The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces. The major ones historically are North and South Holland hence the popular use of the name Holland to apply to the whole country.