The Largest And Smallest Canadian Provinces/Territories By Area

Political map of Canada.
Political map of Canada.

The ten provinces and three territories of Canada extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and north to the Arctic. Canada is the world’s second-largest country in total area since its territories and provinces cover an area of 3.855 million square miles. The provinces have more government responsibilities in the federal structure than those of the territories.

Geography Of Canada

Land makes up 91.08% of the country’s area while water makes up 8.92%, with a total area of 3,511,022.6 square miles and 344,079.95 square miles respectively. The country’s coastline stretches for 151,484.7 miles, and it touches the three oceans of Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic. The nation’s border with the US extends for 5,525.85 miles. The country’s highest point is Mount Logan, with an elevation of 19,551 feet and the lowest point is in the Atlantic Ocean. Canada’s population is approximately 36,508,003 people. Its population is mainly urbanized. 

Quebec is the largest province of Canada, and Nunavut is the largest territory.

The Largest And Smallest Provinces Of Canada

Quebec is the largest province in the country, occupying 15.4% of the country’s total area. Its land area is 523,603.95 square miles while its water area is 71,787.2 square miles and its total area is 595,442.88 square miles.

The second-largest province is Ontario accounting for 10.8% of the nation’s total area. The province’s land and water areas are 354,341.78 square miles and 61,256.65 square miles respectively while the total area is 415,598.43 square miles.

British Columbia, occupying 9.5% of the country’s total area, is the third-largest province. Its land area is 35,7216.3 square miles while its water area is 7547.91 square miles and its total area is 364764.22 square miles.

Prince Edward Island is the smallest province, and it accounts for a mere 0.1% of the country’s entire area. The province has a total area of 2185.3 square miles, all of which is land area.

Nova Scotia is the second smallest province with a total area of 21345.27 square miles. The land’s area is 20,593.9 square miles while its water area is 751.35 Square miles.

The Territories Of Canada By Size

Nunavut is the country’s largest territory, accounting for 21.0% of the country's total land area. The territory’s total area is 808,185.17 square miles divided between land (747537.4 square miles) and water (60,647.76 square miles).

The Northwest Territories occupies 13.0% of the country’s land area with a total area of 519,734.43 square miles. The territory’s land area is 456,808.27 square miles while the water area is 62,942.75 square miles.

The smallest territory is the Yukon, with a total area of 186272.28 square miles and a 4.8% share of the national land area. The territory’s land area is 183163.4 square miles while the water covers an area of 3108.9 square miles.

The Largest And Smallest Canadian Provinces/Territories By Area

RankProvince or TerritoryLand Area (sq km)
1Nunavut1,936,113
2Quebec1,365,128
3Northwest Territories1,183,085
4British Columbia925,186
5Ontario917,741
6Alberta642,317
7Saskatchewan591,670
8Manitoba553,556
9Yukon474,391
10Newfoundland and Labrador373,872
11New Brunswick71,450
12Nova Scotia53,338
13Prince Edward Island5,660
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