Why Canada has BIG, BLOCKY provinces

Happy 🍁 CANADA DAY 🍁

Photo by Ali Tawfiq on Unsplash

Today is the one day that’s all for Canada. No other country has any claim over July 1st. It has been declared! Nah. In actuality, a number of countries celebrate some form of “independence” day on July 1st, including China (Founding Day), Burundi, Rwanada, Somalia, Suriname and Ghana. And I’m probably forgetting someone. And, fun fact, in Quebec they have an unofficial “holiday” today called Moving Day. Which apparently was because, at one point, the province mandated fixed term leases that ended on July 1st or something. I’m not sure of the specifics, but it sounds like a HUGE headache if you have to move today.

Regardless, today IS Canada Day and that deserves something special. A little extra treat for both Canadians, and those that live south of the border but appreciate our northern neighbors. So, to celebrate this Canada day, I’ve gone ahead and made a video all about what the United States would look like if it were made into 10 big, beautiful, blocky provinces just like Canada 🤓

And, of course, if you’re more curious as to why Canada’s provinces look so big and blocky, then read on!

If you look at a map of Canada, and you’re at all interested in geography and borders (which you are because you’re here), you’ll immediately be struck by the sheer scale and often geometric precision of its provincial borders, particularly as you move westward. Unlike many older countrie where boundaries often follow natural features like rivers or mountain ranges, or developed organically over centuries, Canada's vast provinces were more based on the logic of the surveyor's line.

The reason for these expansive, block-like shapes lies primarily in the history of how these territories were claimed and settled. When European powers began to assert control over North America, the concept of surveying vast, often uninhabited lands led to the imposition of grid systems. This was especially true as Canada expanded westward, where the land was largely undeveloped (in the traditional European sense) and the need to quickly define immense areas for administrative purposes became paramount. Imagine the challenge of drawing a boundary across thousands of kilometers of boreal forest or prairie, a straight line was simply the most practical solution! At this point, they didn’t even know where most rivers, lakes and mountain ranges were.

Of course, not all Canadian provinces are like this! If we compare east to west, the older, eastern provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and even Quebec and Ontario to some extent) generally possess borders that feel more "organic." These provinces were among the first areas settled by Europeans, and their boundaries often reflect early colonial claims, natural geographical features, and the gradual evolution of communities. For instance, the Saint Lawrence River plays a significant role in defining parts of Quebec's southern boundary. Similarly, the Appalachian Mountains influenced early settlement patterns and, by extension, some of the initial provincial outlines in the Maritimes. These boundaries emerged from a time when mapping was less precise and human settlement was more directly tied to the immediate landscape. This is not too dissimilar to how European countries evolved over the centuries actually.

But moving westward, there’s a stark shift in how Canada’s provinces look. Provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are prime examples of the "blocky" Canadia aesthetic. These were largely carved out of the vast North-West Territories in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At this time, the Canadian government was keen to encourage settlement and agricultural development. Which meant they needed to bureaucratize it! And the most efficient way to divide this immense, largely featureless prairie land was through surveyed lines of latitude and longitude. This approach created the recognizable rectangular shapes we see today, making land division and administration straightforward. British Columbia, while not as strictly rectangular due to its mountainous terrain with Alberta and the Pacific coastline, still shows elements of these surveyed lines, particularly along its eastern border with Alberta.

The Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut further showcase this trait, with their immense, often perfectly straight borders spanning vast, remote Arctic regions. Though it’s worth pointing out that none of these are provinces, rather they’re territories with greater degrees of autonomy than anything in the south.

So, while the eastern provinces look more organic due to the nature and time in which they were settled, the western provinces and territories were divided strictly to maximize the potential of the land. In this way, Canada isn’t all that different from the United States, whose western states have similar angular lines. Though if you want to know more about how Canada and the United States differ, then check out the video above.

Oh and as for you Australians… don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. Because while Canada’s provinces are big and blocky, your states are even bigger and blockier! Unfortunately, this article is about Canada. You’ll have to wait until Australia Day, I guess.