<P> All three territories combined are the most sparsely populated region in Canada, covering 3,921,739 km (1,514,192 sq mi) in land area . They are often referred to as a single region, The North, for organisational and economic purposes . For much of the Northwest Territories' early history it was divided into several districts for ease of administration . The District of Keewatin was created as a separate territory from 1876 to 1905, after which, as the Keewatin Region, it became an administrative district of the Northwest Territories . In 1999, it was dissolved when it became part of Nunavut . </P> <P> Theoretically, provinces have a great deal of power relative to the federal government, with jurisdiction over many public goods such as health care, education, welfare, and intra-provincial transportation . They receive "transfer payments" from the federal government to pay for these, as well as exacting their own taxes . In practice, however, the federal government can use these transfer payments to influence these provincial areas . For instance, in order to receive healthcare funding under Medicare, provinces must agree to meet certain federal mandates, such as universal access to required medical treatment . </P> <P> Provincial and territorial legislatures have no second chamber like the Canadian Senate . Originally, most provinces did have such bodies, known as legislative councils, with members titled councillors . These upper houses were abolished one by one, Quebec's being the last in 1968 . In most provinces, the single house of the legislature is known as the Legislative Assembly; the exceptions are Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, where the chamber is called the House of Assembly, and Quebec where it is called the National Assembly . Ontario has a Legislative Assembly but its members are called Members of the Provincial Parliament or MPPs . The legislative assemblies use a procedure similar to that of the Canadian House of Commons . The head of government of each province, called the premier, is generally the head of the party with the most seats . This is also the case in Yukon, but the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no political parties at the territorial level . The Queen's representative to each province is the Lieutenant Governor . In each of the territories there is an analogous Commissioner, but he or she represents the federal government rather than the monarch . </P> <Table> Federal, Provincial, and Territorial terminology compared <Tr> <Th> Jurisdiction </Th> <Th> Legislature </Th> <Th> Lower house </Th> <Th> Members of lower house </Th> <Th> Head of Government </Th> <Th> Viceroy </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Canada </Th> <Td> Parliament </Td> <Td> House of Commons </Td> <Td> Member of Parliament </Td> <Td> Prime Minister </Td> <Td> Governor General </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Ontario </Th> <Td> Legislative Assembly </Td> <Td> Member of the Provincial Parliament * </Td> <Td> Premier </Td> <Td> Lieutenant Governor </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Quebec </Th> <Td> Legislature </Td> <Td> National Assembly † </Td> <Td> Member of the National Assembly </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Nova Scotia </Th> <Td> General Assembly </Td> <Td> House of Assembly </Td> <Td> Member of the Legislative Assembly </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> New Brunswick </Th> <Td> Legislature </Td> <Td> Legislative Assembly </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Manitoba </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> British Columbia </Th> <Td> Parliament </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Prince Edward Island </Th> <Td> General Assembly </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Saskatchewan </Th> <Td> Legislature </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Alberta </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Newfoundland and Labrador </Th> <Td> General Assembly </Td> <Td> House of Assembly </Td> <Td> Member of the House of Assembly </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Northwest Territories </Th> <Td> Assembly </Td> <Td> Legislative Assembly </Td> <Td> Member of the Legislative Assembly </Td> <Td> Premier </Td> <Td> Commissioner </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Yukon </Th> <Td> Legislature </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Nunavut </Th> <Td> Assembly </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> <Dl> <Dd> * Members were previously titled "Member of the Legislative Assembly". </Dd> <Dd> Quebec's lower house was previously called the "Legislative Assembly" with members titled "Member of the Legislative Assembly". The name was changed at the same time Quebec's upper house was abolished . </Dd> <Dd> Prince Edward Island's lower house was previously called the "House of Assembly" and its members were titled "Assemblyman". After abolition of its upper house, assemblymen and councillors both sat in the renamed "Legislative Assembly". Later, this practice was abolished so that all members would be titled "Member of the Legislative Assembly". </Dd> <Dd> In Northwest Territories and Yukon the head of government was previously titled "Government Leader". </Dd> </Dl> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How many provinces and territories are there in canada total