The Hague, known in Dutch as Den Haag or 's-Gravenhage, serves as the administrative centre and seat of government for the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea within the South Holland province, it functions as the country's de facto capital since the time of the Dutch Republic, while Amsterdam remains the official capital. The city is the core municipality of the Greater The Hague urban area and part of the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, which is the largest in the nation.