apart from the fact that referring to the kingdom of the netherlands as the "netherlands" can be confusing, the term "kingdom" is also used to prevent any feelings of ill will that could be associated with the use of the term "netherlands." the use of the term "netherlands" for the kingdom as a whole might imply that aruba, curaçao, and sint maarten are not equal to the kingdom's country in europe and that the three island countries have no say in affairs pertaining to the kingdom but are instead subordinate to the european country. though the influence of the islands in kingdom affairs is limited, it certainly exists.