▁high ▁prices . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁▁ ▁The ▁republic ▁was ▁a ▁conf eder ation ▁of ▁seven ▁provinces , ▁which ▁had ▁their ▁own ▁govern ments ▁and ▁were ▁very ▁independent , ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁so - called ▁Gener ality ▁Land s . ▁The ▁latter ▁were ▁govern ed ▁directly ▁by ▁the ▁States ▁General , ▁the ▁federal ▁government . ▁The ▁States ▁General ▁were ▁se ated ▁in ▁The ▁H ague ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁represent atives ▁of ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁seven ▁provinces . ▁The ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁republic ▁were , ▁in ▁official ▁fe ud al ▁order : ▁ ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Gu eld ers ▁ ▁County ▁of ▁Holland ▁ ▁County ▁of ▁Ze eland ▁ ▁Lord ship ▁of ▁U tre cht ▁ ▁Lord ship ▁of ▁Over ij ss el ▁ ▁Lord ship ▁of ▁F ris ia ▁ ▁Lord ship ▁of ▁G ron ingen ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁an ▁e ighth ▁province , ▁the ▁County ▁of ▁Dr ent he , ▁but ▁this ▁area ▁was ▁so ▁poor ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁ex empt ▁from ▁pay ing ▁federal ▁tax es , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁consequence , ▁it ▁was ▁denied ▁representation ▁in ▁the ▁States ▁General . ▁Each ▁province ▁was ▁govern ed ▁by ▁the ▁Provin cial ▁States , ▁the ▁main ▁executive ▁official ▁( though ▁not ▁the ▁official ▁head ▁of ▁state ) ▁was ▁a ▁ra ad sp ension aris . ▁In ▁times ▁of ▁war , ▁the ▁stad th older , ▁who ▁commanded ▁the ▁army , ▁would ▁have ▁more ▁power ▁than ▁the ▁ra ad sp ension aris . ▁ ▁In ▁theory , ▁the ▁stad th old ers ▁were