The
provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the
world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories. The major difference between a
Canadian province and a territory is that provinces are jurisdictions that receive their power and authority directly from the
Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories derive their mandates and powers from the
federal government. In modern
Canadian constitutional theory, the provinces are considered to be co-
sovereign divisions, and each province has its own "
Crown" represented by the
lieutenant-governor, whereas the territories are not sovereign, but simply parts of the federal realm, and have a commissioner.