province

noun8

1. •
   An administrative subdivision of certain countries, including Canada and China.

   • The telegraph administration refuses to transmit messages either to or from the Provinces of Hu-Peh, Hu-Nan, Kiang-Si, Sze-Chuan, Kwei-Chow, and Yu-Nan^([sic – meaning Yun-Nan]). — 1911
2. •
   An area under the jurisdiction of an archbishop, typically comprising a number of adjacent dioceses.

   • In 1309, neither the Archbishop of Canterbury nor his suffragans would attend in Parliament while the Archbishop of York had the cross borne erect before him in the province of Canterbury. — 1838
3. •
   An area under the jurisdiction of a provincial within a monastic order.
4. •
   (historical) An area outside Italy which is administered by a Roman governor or prefect.

   • He reminded his audience of events in 88BC, when the same Mithridates invaded the Roman province of Asia, on the western coast of Turkey. — 2008
5. •
   [in the plural] The parts of a country outside its national capital.

   • To-day the first part of the new Indian Constitution comes into force with the granting of a large measure of autonomy to the provinces. — 1937
6. •
   An area of activity, responsibility or knowledge; the proper concern of a particular person or concept.

   • Some few hands are reserved called ship-keepers, whose province it is to work the vessel while the boats are pursuing the whale. — 1851
7. •
   A region of the earth or of a continent; a district or country.

   • […] we should find, as we do find, some groups of beings greatly, and some only slightly modified,—[…]—in the different great geographical provinces of the world. — 1859
8. •
   A major region defined by common geologic attributes and history.