Chapter 4: Canada’s Regions — Provinces, Territories and the Land Itself

Canada is not just a country — it is a continent-spanning landscape of oceans, prairies, mountains, arctic tundra and some of the world’s great cities. Understanding how Canada is divided into regions, provinces and territories is essential knowledge for the citizenship test, and it is also the key to understanding why Canadians from different parts of the country have such distinct identities, industries and ways of life.

What to Expect in This Chapter

This chapter takes you across Canada from east to west and north, introducing each of the five geographic regions and all ten provinces and three territories within them. You will learn where each province and territory sits, what its capital city is, what makes its economy and culture distinctive, and why these details matter for your citizenship test.

Why This Chapter Matters for the Citizenship Test

Questions about Canada’s geography and regions appear regularly on the citizenship test. You may be asked to identify capital cities, match provinces to their regions, or recall key facts about a specific province or territory. Knowing the ten provinces and three territories — and their capitals — is one of the most direct, testable pieces of knowledge in the entire study guide.

Geography also unlocks a deeper understanding of Canada’s history, economy and identity. The fisheries of the Atlantic, the manufacturing heartland of Central Canada, the wheat fields of the Prairies, the Pacific gateway of British Columbia and the vast mineral wealth of the North have all shaped the country you are preparing to join.