Provinces and territories of Canada

Provinces and Territories of Canada

Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories. Each of these places has its own government and rules, but they all work together as part of Canada.

What Are Provinces and Territories?

Provinces and territories are the different parts that make up Canada. Provinces are like big pieces of the country, and territories are the special northern and western parts. They each have their own leaders and ways of doing things, but they all follow the same big rules that keep Canada running.

The First Provinces

A long time ago, in 1867, three places called New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada joined together to start Canada. The Province of Canada later split into two new provinces: Ontario and Quebec. These were the first provinces of Canada.

Provinces Today

Today, Canada has ten provinces. Each province has its own special leader called a lieutenant governor, who represents the Canadian Crown. Here are the ten provinces of Canada:

• Ontario – with its big city Toronto
• Quebec – with its capital Quebec City and big city Montreal
• Nova Scotia – with its capital Halifax
• New Brunswick – with capital Fredericton and big city Moncton
• Manitoba – with its capital Winnipeg
• British Columbia – with capital Victoria and big city Vancouver
• Prince Edward Island – with its capital Charlottetown
• Saskatchewan – with capital Regina and big city Saskatoon
• Alberta – with capital Edmonton and big city Calgary
• Newfoundland and Labrador – with its capital St. John's

Territories Today

Canada also has three territories. These territories do not have the same powers as provinces. Their powers come from the government in Canada. The territories are:

• Northwest Territories – with its capital Yellowknife
• Yukon – with its capital Whitehorse
• Nunavut – with its capital Iqaluit

The territories are very big but have very few people living there. They are special places with unique cultures and beautiful landscapes.