The Largest and the Smallest Canadian Provinces / Territories by Area

The largest Canadian province by area is Nunavut, followed by the Northwest Territories. Yukon is the smallest of the three territories. The largest and smallest provinces are Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Newfoundland and Labrador are larger than Prince Edward Island but smaller than New Brunswick. Nova Scotia is more extensive than both Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Canadian Provinces / Territories

Canada is the world’s second-largest country in size and covers 3.8 million square miles. The provinces have more power than the territories in total, primarily because of their different responsibilities.

The land area of Canada makes up 91.08%, while its water is only 8.92%. Its coastline spans 151,484.7 miles and touches three Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. The country’s border with the US extends for 5,525.85 miles, with its highest point, Mount Logan, at 19,551 feet and its lowest point at the Atlantic Ocean. Canada’s population is 38,654,738 people (2022); most are urban dwellers.

The Largest and Smallest Provinces

  1. Quebec is the largest province, occupying 15.4% of the country’s total area. It has a land area of 523,603.95 square miles and a water area of 71,787.2 square miles for a total area of 595,442.88 square miles.
  2. British Columbia covers 9.5% of the country’s total area. Its land area is 35,7216.3 square miles, and its water area is 7547.91 square miles. The province has a total area of 364764.22 square miles.
  3. Nova Scotia is the smallest province, with a land area of 20,593.8 square miles and a water area of 751.3 square miles.
  4. In Canada, the province of Prince Edward Island is the smallest territory and accounts for 0.1% of the area. The province has a total area of 2185.3 miles, all land.

The Largest and Smallest Territories

  1. Nunavut is the largest territory in Canada and constitutes 21% of the nation’s total area. Its land mass amounts to 74,745 square miles, while its water mass is 60,647 square miles.
  2. The Northwest Territories occupies 13% of Canada’s land area with a total area of 519,734.43 square miles. The territory’s land area is 456,808.27 square miles, and the water area is 62,942.75 square miles.
  3. The Yukon is the smallest territory in square miles and has a share of national land. With a total land area of 183,163 sq miles and water coverage of 3,108 sq miles, it’s the first territory to enter Canada by size.

Rankings: The Largest and Smallest Provinces / Territories in Canada

The list of the provinces and territories of Canada by area. Canada has ten provinces and three territories. In total area, Canada ranks second in the world; in land area, it ranks fourth. Canada is more extensive than any other country in terms of freshwater areas.

RankProvince / TerritoryLand Area (sq km)Land Area (sq mi)
1Nunavut1,936,113747,551
2Quebec1,365,128527,088
3Northwest Territories1,183,085456,800
4British Columbia925,186357,216
5Ontario917,741354,348
6Alberta642,317275,000
7Saskatchewan591,670228,449
8Manitoba553,556213,733
9Yukon474,391183,167
10Newfoundland and Labrador373,872144,355
11New Brunswick71,45027,587
12Nova Scotia53,33820,594
13Prince Edward Island5,6602,185
Rankings of the Provinces & Territories in Canada

The number is rounded to the nearest whole unit. The percentage is given to the nearest tenth of a percent.