. ▁Also , ▁provinces ▁have ▁income ▁from ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ve h icle ▁Ex c ise ▁D ut y . ▁Several ▁provinces ▁have ▁made ▁a ▁large ▁profit ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁from ▁priv at ising ▁utility ▁companies ▁originally ▁owned ▁or ▁partly ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁provinces . ▁Ess ent , ▁which ▁was ▁originally ▁owned ▁by ▁six ▁provinces ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁hundred ▁municipal ities , ▁was ▁sold ▁for ▁around ▁ 9 . 3 ▁billion ▁eu ros . ▁ ▁Geography ▁The ▁country ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁being ▁the ▁largest ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁twelve ▁provinces ▁( prov inci es ▁in ▁Dutch ) ▁and ▁three ▁over se as ▁special ▁municipal ities ; ▁B ona ire , ▁S aba ▁and ▁Sint ▁E ust ati us ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁Netherlands ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁part ▁of ▁any ▁province . ▁Pre viously ▁these ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁public ▁bodies ▁( open bare ▁l ich amen ). ▁ ▁European ▁Netherlands ▁ ▁Car ib bean ▁Netherlands ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Near ly ▁all ▁Dutch ▁provinces ▁can ▁trace ▁their ▁origin ▁to ▁a ▁medieval ▁county ▁or ▁du chy , ▁as ▁can ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁regions ▁in ▁Belg ium . ▁Their ▁status ▁changed ▁when ▁they ▁came ▁under ▁a ▁single ▁r uler ▁who ▁central ised ▁their ▁administration , ▁reducing ▁their ▁powers . ▁There ▁were ▁ 1 7 ▁in ▁total : ▁from ▁these ▁un ified ▁Netherlands , ▁seven ▁northern ▁provinces ▁from ▁ 1 5 8 8 ▁formed ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Seven ▁United ▁Provin ces , ▁namely ▁Holland