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Province is a name for a secondary, or subnational entity of government in most countries. In some countries an alternative term is used, such as state (in Australia and the United States), department (in France), or region (in Italy, where a province is a subdivision within a region, making it a tertiary rather than a secondary unit of government in that country, analogous to a county in most of Canada and the US). As well, in the British Empire various colonies had the title of province such as the Province of Canada.
The word was introduced by the Romans, who divided their empire into provinciae. The word is thought to have originated from the Latin word provincia (zone of influence); probably from pro ("in front") and vincia ("linked").
In France, the expression en province means "outside of the region of Paris". This expression is sometimes substituted with en région.
Current
(Subdivisions called or translated into: Province)
The most populous province is Henan, China, pop. 93,000,000. Also very populous are several other Chinese provinces , as well as Punjab, Pakistan, pop. 85,000,000.
The largest provinces by area are Xinjiang, China (1,600,000 sq. km) and Quebec, Canada (1,500,000 sq. km).
There are also provinces in New Zealand, but the country is not seen as a "federal" country. However, the provinces do have a few duties like collecting rates and each province has its own Health Board and District Prisons Board.
Historical
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