Humanities › Geography Canada's Provinces and Territories Learn the Geography of Canada's Ten Provinces and Three Territories Share Flipboard Email Print Michael Wheatley/All Canada Photos/Getty Images Geography Country Information Basics Physical Geography Political Geography Population Key Figures & Milestones Maps Urban Geography By Amanda Briney Amanda Briney Geography Expert M.A., Geography, California State University - East Bay B.A., English and Geography, California State University - Sacramento Amanda Briney, M.A., is a professional geographer. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from California State University. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on January 17, 2020 Canada is the world's second largest country based on area. In terms of governmental administration, the country is divided into ten provinces and three territories. Canada's provinces differ from its territories because they are more independent of the federal government in their ability to set laws and maintain rights over certain characteristics of their land such as natural resources. Canada's provinces get their power from the Constitution Act of 1867. By contrast, Canada's territories get their power from the federal government of Canada. The following is a list of Canada's provinces and territories, ranked in order of the 2008 population. Capital cities and area have been included for reference. Canada's Provinces 1) Ontario• Population: 12,892,787• Capital: Toronto• Area: 415,598 square miles (1,076,395 sq km) 2) Quebec• Population: 7,744,530• Capital: Quebec City• Area: 595,391 square miles (1,542,056 sq km) 3) British Columbia• Population: 4,428,356• Capital: Victoria• Area: 364,764 square miles (944,735 sq km) 4) Alberta• Population: 3,512,368• Capital: Edmonton• Area: 255,540 square miles (661,848 sq km) 5) Manitoba• Population: 1,196,291• Capital: Winnipeg• Area: 250,115 square miles (647,797 sq km) 6) Saskatchewan• Population: 1,010,146• Capital: Regina• Area: 251,366 square miles (651,036 sq km) 7) Nova Scotia• Population: 935,962• Capital: Halifax• Area: 21,345 square miles (55,284 sq km) 8) New Brunswick• Population: 751,527• Capital: Fredericton• Area: 28,150 square miles (72,908 sq km) 9) Newfoundland and Labrador• Population: 508,270• Capital: St. John's• Area: 156,453 square miles (405,212 sq km) 10) Prince Edward Island• Population: 139,407• Capital: Charlottetown• Area: 2,185 square miles (5,660 sq km) Canada's Territories 1) Northwest Territories• Population: 42,514• Capital: Yellowknife• Area: 519,734 square miles (1,346,106 sq km) 2) Yukon• Population: 31,530• Capital: Whitehorse• Area: 186,272 square miles (482,443 sq km) 3) Nunavut• Population: 31,152• Capital: Iqaluit• Area: 808,185 square miles (2,093,190 sq km) To learn more about Canada visit Canada Maps section of this website. Reference Wikipedia. (9 June 2010). Provinces and Territories of Canada - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Briney, Amanda. "Canada's Provinces and Territories." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/canadas-provinces-and-territories-1434391. Briney, Amanda. (2020, August 27). Canada's Provinces and Territories. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/canadas-provinces-and-territories-1434391 Briney, Amanda. "Canada's Provinces and Territories." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/canadas-provinces-and-territories-1434391 (accessed June 9, 2023). copy citation