Why is Quebec the largest Canadian province by area?

Quebec is the largest of Canada’s 10 provinces by area, covering 595,391 square miles (1,542,056 square km), which constitutes nearly one-sixth of Canada’s total land area.12

It is important to clarify that while Quebec is the largest province, it is not the largest administrative division in Canada; the territories (Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon) are also vast, with Nunavut being the largest overall division in the country.3

Quebec’s current size is the result of historical boundary adjustments. Following the establishment of New France, the province's borders were altered multiple times. In 1898, the boundary was extended north to the Eastmain River and east to Labrador, and the district of Ungava was added less than two decades later. The present-day boundaries were finalized in 1927 following a decision by the British Privy Council regarding the border with Labrador.1