multiprovince

Multiprovince is a term used in political science and regional planning to describe a political-administrative arrangement in which two or more provinces form a single governing entity for certain functions or across all policy areas. The concept is typically theoretical or applied in policy proposals, constitutional discussions, or fictional world-building, rather than as an established official designation in most countries. In a multiprovince arrangement, the member provinces retain some degree of autonomy but delegate shared powers to a supraprovincial authority or interprovincial council. Tasks commonly coordinated across provinces include transportation infrastructure, environmental regulation, economic development, health care delivery, and disaster response. The precise balance of powers varies and may be defined through constitutional amendments, treaties, or intergovernmental agreements.

Advantages often cited include policy coherence across large geographic areas, economies of scale, and stronger negotiating power with external actors. Potential drawbacks include governance complexity, risk of unequal representation, fiscal imbalances, regional identities, and difficulties in democratic accountability. The term is more widely used descriptively rather than as a formal political category in current federations; real-world examples typically take the form of interprovincial bodies, regional authorities, or limited cross-border arrangements rather than a unified multiprovince state.

See also: federalism, intergovernmental organization, provincial amalgamation, regional governance.