A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division. Examples of administrative divisions English terms In many of the following terms corresponding to British cultural influence areas of relatively low mean population

Roman provinces

The word is attested in English since c. 1330, deriving from Old French province (13th c. ), which comes from the Roman word provincia, which referred to the sphere of activity which a magistrate was assigned to exercise his authority; hence, in particular, a foreign territory.

A possible origin in Latin is from pro- ("on behalf of") and vincere ("to triumph/take control over"). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Thus a province is a territory or function that a Roman magistrate took control of on behalf of his government. However this does not tally with the even earlier Latin usage as a generic term for a jurisdiction under Roman law.

The Roman Empire was divided into provinces (provinciae). In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa

Provinces in modern countries

In many countries, a province is a relatively small non-constituent level of sub-national government (similar to a county in many English-speaking countries). In others it is an autonomous level of government and constituent part of a federation or confederation, often with a large area (similar to a US state). In France and China, province is a sub-national region within a unitary state. This means the province can be abolished or created by the central government.

For instance, a province is a local unit of government in Philippines ,Belgium, Spain and Italy, and a large constituent autonomous area in Canada, Congo and Argentina. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. In Italy and Chile a province is an administrative sub-division of a region, which is the first order administrative sub-division of the state. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. Italian provinces consist of several administrative sub-divisions called comune (communes). In Italy, the comune, (plural comuni) is the basic Administrative division of both provinces and regions and may be properly approximated in In Chile they are referred to as comunas

The "Province of Northern Ireland" is the only British territory called "province" today. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of In this case, the title province suggests separateness along the lines of Canadian usage. The title "province" above all reflects Northern Ireland's unique autonomy within the UK immediately after its foundation in 1921, but today Northern Ireland varies between a devolved government and direct rule. The term province may also suggest at Ulster, the northern most province of Ireland, six counties of which are Northern Ireland and are in the United Kingdom. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Northern Ireland is effectively a constituent nation of the United Kingdom.

Various overseas parts of the British Empire had the colonial title of Province (in a more Roman sense), such as the Province of Canada and the Province of South Australia (the latter to distinguish it from the penal 'colonies' elsewhere in Australia). The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867 South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country Equally, for instance, Mozambique was a "province" as a Portuguese colony.

Historical and cultural aspects

In France, the expression en province still tends to mean "outside of the region of Paris". This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city (The same expression is used in Peru, where en provincias means "outside of the city of Lima" and in Romania, where în provincie means "outside the region of Bucharest". Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Lima is the Capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers on a coast overlooking Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. ) Prior to the French Revolution, France consisted of various governments (such as Ile-de-France, built around the early Capetian royal demesne) some of which were considered as provinces, although the term would be used colloquially to describes lands as small as a manor (châtellenie). The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. Châtelain ( Med Lat castellanus, from castellum, a castle in France originally merely the equivalent of the English Castellan, Mostly, the Grands Gouvernements, generally former medieval feudal principalities (or agglomerates of such), were the most commonly referred to as provinces. Today, the expression is sometimes replaced with en région, as that term is now officially used for the secondary level of government.

In historical terms, Fernand Braudel has depicted the European provinces—built up of numerous small regions called by the French pays or by the Swiss cantons, each with a local cultural identity and focused upon a market town—as the political unit of optimum size in pre-industrial Early Modern Europe and asks, "was the province not its inhabitants' true 'fatherland'?" (The Perspective of the World 1984, p. Fernand Braudel ( August 24 1902 &ndash November 27 1985) was the foremost French historian of the postwar era The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the Federal state of Switzerland. Fatherland is the nation of one's "fathers" " Forefathers " or "patriarchs" 284) Even centrally organized France, an early nation-state, could collapse into autonomous provincial worlds under pressure, such as the sustained crisis of the Wars of Religion, 1562—1598. For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting

For 19th and 20th-century historians, "centralized government" had been taken as a symptom of modernity and political maturity in the rise of Europe. Then, in the late 20th century, as a European Union drew the nation-states closer together, centripetal forces seemed to be moving towards a more flexible system composed of more localized, provincial governing entities under the European umbrella. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy Spain after Franco is a State of Autonomies, formally unitary, but in fact functioning as a federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. (see Politics of Spain). Politics of Spain takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Constitutional monarchy, whereby the Monarch is the While Serbia, the rump of the former Yugoslavia, fought the separatists in the province of Kosovo, at the same time the UK, under the political principle of "devolution" established local parliaments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (1998). Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level Strong local nationalisms surfaced or developed in Cornwall, Languedoc, Catalonia, Lombardy, Corsica and Flanders, and east of Europe in Abkhasia, Chechnya and Kurdistan. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Lombardy (Lombardia Latin: Langobardia, Western Lombard: Lumbardìa, Eastern Lombard: Lombardia) is one of the Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Abkhazia (Аҧсны Apsny აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti Абха́зия Abhazia) is a De facto The Chechen Republic (ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk Чече́нская Респу́блика Chechenskaya Respublika; Нохчийн Республика Noxçiyn Respublika History See also History of the Kurdish people Ancient period See also Hurrians, Guti, Mannaeans, Medes

Geology

In geology the term province refers to a specific physiogeographic area composed of a grouping of like bathymetric or former bathymetric elements (now sedimentary strata above water) whose features are in obvious contrast to the surrounding regions, or other provinces. Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to Hypsometry. The name comes from Greek βαθυς deep, and μετρον measure. Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to Hypsometry. The name comes from Greek βαθυς deep, and μετρον measure. Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) The term usually refers to sections or regions of a craton recognized within a given time-stratigraphy, i. Stratigraphy, a branch of Geology, studies rock layers and layering ( stratification) e. , recognized within a major division of time within a period.

Legal aspects

In many federations and confederations, the province or state is not clearly subordinate to the national or "central" government. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution Rather, it is considered to be sovereign in regard to its particular set of constitutional functions. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself The central and provincial governmental functions, or areas of jurisdiction, are identified in a constitution. Those that are not specifically identifi called "residual powers". These residual powers lie at the provincial (or state) level in a decentralised federal system (such as the United States and Australia) whereas in a centralised federal system they are retained at the federal level (as in Canada). Nevertheless, some of the enumerated powers can also be very significant. For example, Canadian provinces are sovereign in regard to such important matters as property, civil rights, education, social welfare and medical services. The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide

The evolution of federations has created an inevitable tug-of-war between concepts of federal supremacy versus "states' rights". The historic division of responsibility in federal constitutions is inevitably subject to multiple overlaps. For example, when central governments, responsible for "foreign affairs", enter into international agreements in areas where the state or province is sovereign, such as the environment or health standards, agreements made at the national level can create jurisdictional overlap and conflicting laws. This overlap creates the potential for internal disputes that lead to constitutional amendments and judicial decisions that significantly change the balance of powers.

In unitary states such as France and China, provinces are subordinate to the national or central government. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In theory, the central government can abolish or create provinces within its jurisdiction.

Current provinces

Not all "second-level" political entities are termed provinces. In Arab countries the secondary level of government, called a muhfazah, is usually translated as a governorate. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding A Governorate is an Administrative division of a country It is headed by a Governor. This term is also used for the historic Russian guberniyas, (compare to modern-day oblast). Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Oblast (во́бласць oblast о́бласт oblast о́бласть област/ oblast; oblasť област о́бласть is a type of Administrative division In Poland, the equivalent of province is województwo, often translated as voivodeship. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland This article concerns both historical and contemporary voivodeships in various countries

In Peru, provinces are a tertiary unit of government, as the country is divided into twenty-five regions, which are then subdivided into 194 provinces. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The regions of Peru (Regiones del Perú are the first-level Administrative subdivisions of Peru. Chile follows a similar division being divded into 15 regions, which a then divided into a total of 53 provinces each being run by a governor appointed by the president. ||-||} Chile is divided into 15 Regions (in Spanish, regiones; singular región) each of which is headed by an Intendant ( intendente

Historically, New Zealand was divided into provinces, each with its own Superintendent and Provincial Council, and with considerable responsibilities conferred on them. Provinces in New Zealand were used from 1841 until the Abolition of the Provinces Act came into force on November 1, 1876. However, the colony (as it then was) never developed into a federation; instead, the provinces were abolished in 1876. The old provincial boundaries continue to be used to determine the application of certain public holidays. Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of Over the years, when the central Government has created special purpose agencies at a sub-national level, these have often tended to follow or approximate the old provincial boundaries. Current examples include the 16 Regions into which New Zealand is divided, and also the 21 District Health Boards. The region is the top tier of Local government in New Zealand. Sometimes the term the provinces is used to refer collectively to rural and regional parts of New Zealand, that is, those parts of the country lying outside some or all of the "main centres" of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Dunedin. The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country Wellington (ˈwælɪŋtən is the Capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area, the Christchurch (Ōtautahi The largest City in the South Island, it is also the second largest city and third largest urban area of New Zealand Hamilton ( Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealand 's fourth largest Urban area, and is the country's seventh largest City Dunedin (dəˈneɪdɪn) Ōtepoti in Maori is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of

Some provinces are as large and populous as nations. The most populous province is Henan, China, pop. Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National 93,000,000. Also very populous are several other Chinese provinces, as well as Punjab, Pakistan, pop. The Punjab ( Urdu:) province of 85,000,000.

The largest provinces by area are Xinjiang, China (1,600,000 km²) and Quebec, Canada (1,500,000 km²). Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Current provinces and polities translated "province"

Historical provinces

Ancient, medieval and feudal provinces

• Pharaonic Egypt : see nome (Egypt)
• Achaemenid Persia (and probably before in Media, again after conquest and further extension by Alexander the Great, and in the larger Hellenistic successor states : see satrapy
• Provinces of the Roman Empire
• Byzantine Empire : see exarchate, thema
• Frankish (Carolingian) 're-founded' Holy Roman Empire : see gau and county
• Caliphate and subsequent sultanates : see Emirate
• Khanate can also mean a province as well as an independent state, as either can be headed by a Khan
• In the Tartar Khanate of Kazan : the five daruğa ('direction')
• Mughal Empire : subah
• In the Habsburg territories, the traditional provinces are partly expressed in the Länder of 19th-century Austria-Hungary. |||} Vanuatu has been divided into six Provinces since 1994. The names in English of all provinces are derived from the initial letters of their constituent |||} Vietnam is divided into 58 Provinces (known in Vietnamese as tỉnh) Zambia is divided into 9 Provinces There is also a campaign by some for a tenth province to be called " Kafue Province" with Kaoma as it's capital |||} Zimbabwe is divided into 8 Provinces and 2 cities with provincial status Bulawayo (city Harare (city Manicaland A nome (from Νομός “district” was a subnational administrative division of Ancient Egypt. Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa This article is about Byzantine governors and ecclesiastical ranks A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. Khanate or Chanat is a Turkic origined word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. The Kazan Khanate (Казан ханлыгы|Qazan xanlığı|قازان خانليغى Russian: Казанское ханство tr: Kazanskoe khanstvo The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most A Subah is a Province of the former Mughal Empire. The governor of a subah was known as a subahdar, which later became Subedar
• The provinces of the Ottoman Empire had various types of governors (generally a pasha), but mostly styled vali, hence the predominant term vilayet, generally subdivided (often in beyliks or sanjaks), sometimes grouped under a governor-general (styled beylerbey). The subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire were Administrative divisions of the State organisation of the Ottoman Empire based on military administration but Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire Wali (Arabic ولي, plural Awliya ' أولياء) is an Arabic word meaning trusted one or friend generally denoting A wilāyah (ولاية or vilâyet (in Persian and Ottoman Turkish) is an administrative division usually Sanjak and Sandjak (other variants sinjaq sanjaq) are the most common English transcriptions of the Turkish word sancak " Beylerbeyi " redirects here Beylerbey (from Beylerbeyi, Ottoman Turkish for " Bey of Beys" meaning "Commander

Modern post-feudal and colonial provinces

• in the Spanish empire, at several echelons:
  • viceroyalty above
  • intendencia
• former British colonies
  • Province of Canada (1840-1867)
  • Province of South Australia (now an Australian state)
  • Provinces of India
  • Provinces of Nigeria
• The former provinces of France
• The former provinces of Ireland
• The former provinces of Japan
• The former provinces of Sweden
• The former provinces of Brazil
• The former Republic of the Seven United Provinces (The Netherlands)
• The former United Provinces of Central America
• The provinces of Prussia, a former German kingdom/republic

See also

• Governor
• Lists of unofficial regions by country
• Provincialism
• Rise: The Vieneo Province

External links

• Interactive China province map with city guides and more.

Sources and references

• Etymology OnLine
• WorldStatesmen