Canada’s provinces and territories
Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area. It is divided into ten provinces and three territories. Each has its own government, led by a premier, and its own capital city, where its legislature meets.
Canada’s national capital is Ottawa, in Ontario.
The provinces and their capitals
| Province | Capital | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Victoria | BC |
| Alberta | Edmonton | AB |
| Saskatchewan | Regina | SK |
| Manitoba | Winnipeg | MB |
| Ontario | Toronto | ON |
| Quebec | Québec City | QC |
| New Brunswick | Fredericton | NB |
| Nova Scotia | Halifax | NS |
| Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown | PE |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | St. John’s | NL |
The territories and their capitals
| Territory | Capital | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Yukon | Whitehorse | YT |
| Northwest Territories | Yellowknife | NT |
| Nunavut | Iqaluit | NU |
Provinces and territories: what’s the difference?
- A province gets its powers directly from the Constitution of Canada. Provinces control things like education, health care and natural resources.
- A territory gets its powers from the federal government. Territories are in the far North, have smaller populations, and cover huge areas.
Both have elected legislatures and premiers.
Fun facts
- Ontario has the most people; about four in ten Canadians live there.
- Quebec is the largest province by area. Most people there speak French.
- Prince Edward Island is the smallest province, both in size and population.
- Nunavut is the largest territory, and the newest. It was created in 1999. Most people there are Inuit, and Inuktitut is one of its official languages.
- New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially bilingual province (English and French).
- Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join Canada, in 1949.
How Canada grew
Canada did not start with all thirteen. In 1867, at Confederation, four colonies joined to form Canada: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The others joined over time.
| Year | Joined Canada |
|---|---|
| 1867 | Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick |
| 1870 | Manitoba, Northwest Territories |
| 1871 | British Columbia |
| 1873 | Prince Edward Island |
| 1898 | Yukon |
| 1905 | Alberta, Saskatchewan |
| 1949 | Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador) |
| 1999 | Nunavut |
Regions of Canada
People often group the provinces and territories into regions:
- Atlantic Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island
- Central Canada: Quebec and Ontario
- The Prairies: Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
- The West Coast: British Columbia
- The North: Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Memory tricks
- Go west to east and say the capitals like a song: Victoria, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Québec City…
- Notice that some capitals are not the biggest city. Toronto is Ontario’s capital and largest city, but Victoria is BC’s capital while Vancouver is bigger.
Try it yourself
- On a blank map of Canada, label each province and territory and its capital.
- Which province or territory do you live in, or would you like to visit? Find three facts about it.
- Make flashcards: province on the front, capital on the back.
- Put the provinces in order from west to east.
Quick recap
- Canada has ten provinces and three territories.
- Each has its own capital and premier; Ottawa is the national capital.
- Provinces get powers from the Constitution; territories get powers from the federal government.
- Four provinces formed Canada in 1867; Nunavut joined in 1999.
- Canada’s regions are Atlantic, Central, the Prairies, the West Coast and the North.