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).
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").
(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).