Province

Province view

For a list of all provinces, see List of provinces.

In Europa Universalis IV, the world is divided into continents, regions, countries, and provinces. Provinces are the smallest of these divisions. They contribute to a nation's tax, manpower, unrest, overextension, and trade.

Each province comprises a small geographic region, with a town or city at its center. Cities currently have no functionality outside of aesthetics, but like provinces, can be renamed as of patch 1.4. Both province and city names can be changed by left clicking on them in the province tab. With the Wealth of Nations expansion, province names can also be dynamic and scripted to be unique for either the province owner, the province culture or the province culture group (in that priority). Since the Common Sense expansion, a province can be improved with development. As of patch 1.28, you can develop provinces without needing Common Sense.

There are 3633 provinces in total.

Terms and mechanics

Provinces are the heart of any nation in Europa Universalis IV. They provide income, manpower, and trade goods.

Development

Main article: Development

Introduced in patch 1.12, development is the measure of a province wealth and productivity. The level of development of a province contributes to local trade power, land and naval force limits, supply limit modifier and the total number of buildings that can be built in a province. Development is further divided into base tax, production and manpower. Each can be improved further with the appropriate monarch points.

Tax

Main article: Tax

Each province has a base tax, roughly corresponding to the population and wealth of the area. The amount shown is the tax earned each month from that province, after all the modifiers have been accounted for. Prior to patch 1.12, the figure given ingame is the tax obtained annually.

Production

Main articles: Production, Trade goods

Each province produces a specific type of resource or trade good. See Trade for a complete list of trade goods. The figure given ingame is the monthly production income. Production efficiency further increases the income received.

Manpower

Main article: Manpower

Every province contributes a certain amount of manpower to the manpower pool of a nation. This is affected by the province manpower development level, and are modified by ideas, government type and buildings.

Defence

Main article: Land warfare

Provinces can be defended by forts. Provinces that lack a fort will fall easily to the enemy. Forts exert a Zone of Control around itself and surrounding provinces, and must be taken before an enemy army may pass through. In times of peace, a fort may be mothballed in order to save maintenance, at the cost of it falling into disrepair and possibly not being able to defend the province. Nations may start off with forts in strategic locations. Capital provinces without a fort starts with a special level 1 fort that does not exert Zone of Control around itself, and has a smaller garrison.

Trade

Main article: Trade

Related closely to production is trade. Each province produces a certain amount of trade power and contributes trade value to the trade node it is attached to.

Autonomy

Main article: Local autonomy

Autonomy represents the degree of control the government of the nation exerts over a province. The lower it is, the more control the government has. Autonomy determines how productive a province is to a nation.A province with 100 local autonomy won't pay tax and won't give manpower and trade power.

Unrest

Main article: Rebellion

In troubled times, various parties may decide to rebel against the national government. This is represented in-game by unrest. The type of rebels that may appear are shown in the province screen, and also in the stability and expansion government tab. Unrest can also be lowered by increasing the local autonomy, but will decrease the income and manpower that province produces.

Devastation

Provinces that have been besieged or occupied or where their owner has scorched the earth gain devastation, a value ranging from zero to 100%. At 100% devastation, a province gets the following penalties:

	−100%	Local goods produced modifier
	−50%	Supply limit modifier
	−100%	Institution spread
	+10%	Local development cost
	−100%	Manpower modifier
	−100%	Sailors modifier
	−25%	Local hostile movement speed
	−25%	Local friendly movement speed

Devastation changes according to the following factors:

Monthly change	Factor
+0.1	Under siege (even friendly)
+0.1	Under blockade (even friendly)
+0.2	Occupied
−0.08	Under its owner's control
−0.83	In the zone of control of a friendly active fort (not if occupied)
−0.25	Edict of Absolutism (requires Mandate of Heaven)
−0.05	In states with Metropolitan (requires Third Rome)

Looting a province increases devastation by significant (but unspecified) amounts, observed anywhere from +0.07 to +2.1. (Once the province's loot is depleted, the increase reverts to the usual +0.2 for being occupied.)

Developing in a province removes devastation at 5% per point (with adjustment according to local autonomy).

Cores and claims

Main articles: Core, Claim

Cores represent the parts of the nation that it considers rightfully theirs. Cores belonging to nations that do not exist are greyed out. A province can have an unlimited amount of cores. A nation may claim another province through espionage or boundary disputes.

Culture and religion

Main articles: Culture, Religion

Each province has a primary culture and religion. Provinces that have foreign cultures or do not share the state religion tend to be more rebellious and less productive.

Buildings

Main article: Buildings

Nations may further develop their provinces by building improvements and infrastructure. The number of buildings that can be built in a province are limited by its development level.

Capital

Main article: Capital

Every nation in Europa Universalis IV has a capital province. The capital is considered the political center of the nation and should be defended at all costs. Capitals can be moved at the cost of 200 administrative points.

Main trading port

Every nation has a main trading port province which is by default located in the same province as the capital. Trade is automatically collected in a nation's main trading port without the need to station a merchant there, and without suffering from the -50% total trade power cut suffered when collecting trade income in another node than the one of the main trading port.

Relocate main trading port

Trading ports can be moved at the cost of 200 diplomatic power in order to optimize trade income.

Straits

Straits are connections between two provinces which do not share a land border but instead can be accessed over a water body. A list of straits in the base map is below.

• Majorca - Minorca
• Ibiza - Majorca
• Gran Canaria - Tenerife
• Lund − Sjælland
• Sjælland − Fyn
• Fyn − Østjylland
• Fyn − Kolding
• Fyn − Lolland
• Sjælland − Lolland
• Calabria − Messina
• Constantinople − Kocaeli
• Menominee − Michigan
• Stockholm − Åland
• Åland − Åbo
• Corfu − Epirus
• Epirus − Achaea
• Athens − Naxos
• Edirne − Biga
• Sutherland − Outer Hebrides
• Inner Hebrides - Outer Hebrides
• Inner Hebrides - Sutherland
• Inner Hebrides - Argyll
• Sutherland − Orkney
• Amsterdam − Friesland
• Zeeland - Ghent
• Suo − Chikuzen
• Bungo − Iyo
• Iyo − Aki
• Leichow − Kingchow
• Reval − Ösel
• Ösel − Goldingen
• Johor − Siak
• Lingga − Jambi
• Nootka − Salish
• Nootka − Squamish
• Nootka − Kwakiutl
• Eskikewakik − Unamakik
• Sipeknekatik − Epekwitk
• Chisedec − Taqamkuk
• Deren − Sakhalin
• Tajura − Mokha
• Venezia − Treviso
• Stade − Dithmarschen
• Awa − Settsu
• Mutsu − Oshima
• The Kurils–Tokachi
• Bagamoyo − Zanzibar
• Corsica − Sassari
• Al-Qatif − Bahrain
• Qatar − Bahrain
• Zamboanga - Buglas
• Samar - Bikol
• Halmahera − Ternate
• Halmahera − Tidore
• Taranaki − Waitaha
• Chios − Sugla
• Chios − Biga
• Caffa − Matrega
• Haida − Tlingit
• Odawa − Okouara
• Odawa − Soto
• Mingan − Anticosti
• Ayrshire − Ulster
• Madurai − Vanni
• Orinoco Delta − Trinidad
• St. Vincent − St. Lucia
• St. Lucia − Martinique
• Martinique − Dominica
• Guadalupe − Antigua
• Antigua − St. Kitts
• Surabaya − Madura
• Bali − Lombok
• Lombok − Sumbawa
• Sumbawa − Flores
• Flores − East Timor
• Buton − Kendari
• Panay - Buglas
• Leyte - Caraga
• Panay - Mindoro
• Taytay - Mindoro
• Ambom − Ceram
• Bangka − Palembang
• Bintan − Johor
• Para − Marajó
• Belem − Marajó
• Menominee − Odawa
• Djerba − Tataouine
• Banten − Tulungbewang
• Mogostan − Hormuz
• Qawasim − Hormuz
• Athens − Euboea
• Euboea − Naxos
• Savolax − Kainuu
• Ceuta − Gibraltar
• Leyte - Cebu
• Buglas - Cebu

Climate and weather

Each province has a climate and may experience winters and/or monsoon of varying severity. There are map modes for climate and weather.

Arctic The arctic climate is harsh, where there is not much large vegetation. Arctic provinces give: %−10 Local settler increase −40% Supply limit modifier 0%+1 Attrition for enemies 0%−1 Possible number of buildings +50% Local development cost Arid The arid climate has a severe lack of rainfall, making it very hard to keep a large army supplied. Arid provinces give: %−10 Local settler increase −20% Supply limit modifier 0%+1 Attrition for enemies +15% Local development cost Tropical The tropical climate makes it very hard for new cities to grow, as diseases and heat are large obstacles. Tropical provinces give: %−10 Local settler increase −30% Supply limit modifier 0%+2 Attrition for enemies +15% Local development cost	Climate map. Legend: temperate tropical arid arctic
Mild winter There is a small amount of snow on the ground, and the temperature is just below freezing. Provinces with a mild winter have: +1 Attrition for enemies −10% Supply limit modifier Normal winter The ground is covered by snow, and the temperature is solidly below freezing. Provinces with a normal winter have: +2 Attrition for enemies −20% Supply limit modifier Severe winter The snow has piled up quite severely, and the temperatures are far below freezing. Provinces with a severe winter have: +3 Attrition for enemies −30% Supply limit modifier	Weather map. Legend: no winter mild winter normal winter severe winter mild monsoon normal monsoon severe monsoon
Mild monsoon Mild seasonla rain is falling, fertilizing the ground but increasing the difficulty of travel. Provinces with a mild monsoon have: +1 Attrition for enemies −20% Friendly movement speed −20% Hostile movement speed Normal monsoon The Monsoon season is in full swing as torrential rain falls from the sky. Provinces with a normal monsoon have: +2 Attrition for enemies −25% Friendly movement speed −25% Hostile movement speed Severe monsoon Extreme wind and rainfall make this province very difficult to traverse. Provinces with a severe monsoon have: +3 Attrition for enemies −50% Friendly movement speed −20% Hostile movement speed

Modifiers

Center of Trade

Center of trade is a controllable mechanics now.

Center of trade can be upgraded or downgraded manually, but cannot be created or removed. However, some events (like colonial 19) allow a natural harbor growing to center of trade. Manual management can be done in building interface, where center of trade icon occupies 2 building slots. As a result, province with center of trade can only build 10 buildings at most rather than normal 12 buildings.

The base cost to upgrade a center of trade from level 1 to level 2 is 200ducats, and the base cost from level 2 to level 3 is 1000ducats. You can only upgrade a trade center to level 3 if your current merchant count is higher than your level 3 count. Downgrading a center of trade will cost 10 prestige, but this option is available only if country has positive prestige. If a province suffers from change of ownership, no matter by war or by diplomatic actions, the center of trade level will automatically drop by 1 to a minimum of level 1.

For a list of all centers of trade, see Economic list of provinces.

Effects of centers of trade by level  :

Name	Tier	Effects	Description
Natural Harbor	Coastal Lvl.1	Province modifier: +5 Local trade power	This province is a natural harbor and a trading hub. Local traders have come here for centuries, the infrastructure of the trade emerging despite a lack of state investment.
Entrepot	Coastal Lvl.2	Province modifier: −5% Local development cost +10 Local trade power +10% Institution spread	This province is a major entrepot for trade. Merchants from the entire region gather here to buy and sell goods.
World Port	Coastal Lvl.3	Province modifier: +25 Local trade power +30% Institution spread State modifier: −10% Local development cost +100% Local sailors modifier +1 Possible number of buildings Global modifier: -0.2% Yearly navy tradition decay	This province is one of the major ports of the world. Goods from entire globe regularly pass through here and the city itself is as famous as many kingdoms.
Emporium	Inland Lvl.1	Province modifier: +5 Local trade power	This province is a natural spot for trade and local merchants have been coming here for centuries.
Market Town	Inland Lvl.2	Province modifier: −5% Local development cost +10 Local trade power	This city is a major regional market and traders from the entire region regularly seek it out to sell and buy goods.
World Trade Center	Inland Lvl.3	Province modifier: +25 Local trade power +30% Institution spread State modifier: −10% Local development cost +33% Local manpower modifier +1 Possible number of buildings	This province is one of the most important trade centers in the world. There are few goods that cannot be bought here and the city itself is as famous as many kingdoms.

Estuary

Controlling the important river estuary strengthens our hold of the trade in the region.

River estuaries give +10 local trade power, unless the estuary is shared between two provinces in which case both receive +5 local trade power

• Neva
• Riga
• Memel
• Danzig
• Hamburg
• Ferrara
• Caux
• Vendee
• Gascogne
• Provence
• Andalucia
• Lisboa
• Porto
• London
• Yedisan
• Azow
• Rosetta
• Damietta
• Basra
• Shirvan
• Astrakhan
• Thatta
• Velanadu
• Bengal Delta
• Dakha
• Pegu
• Canton
• Rio de la Plata
• Guayaquil
• Chinook
• Chitimacha
• Santee
• Powhatan
• Lenape
• Manhattan
• Stadacona
• Cayor
• Benin
• Quelimane
• Budjak
• Pathein
• Suzhou
• Stettin
• Bremen
• East Frisia
• Konaseema
• Hai Phong
• Prek Russey
• Mangazea
• Coahuilteco
• Tarragona
• Ngoyo
• Haizhou
• Den Haag

Religious center

The importance of this province as a Religious Center will make it very difficult to convert.

Religious centers have −5% local missionary strength.

• Roma
• Mecca
• Hillah
• Lhasa
• Doaba – after 1499
• Varanasi
• Kandy
• Mashhad
• Samawah

After the the Protestant Reformation, new religious centers will appear for the Protestant, Reformed, and Anglican faiths, depending on where they start. Up to three religious centers will appear for each of the Protestant and Reformed religions, and no more than one for Anglican.

Other special places

The following provinces also have permanent province modifiers:

Name	Province	Bonus	Limitation
Sound Toll	Sjælland (8)	+20.0 local trade power	—
Bosphorus Sound Toll	Constantinople (151)	+10.0 local trade power	—
Stora Kopparberget	Dalaskogen (8)	+5.0 local goods produced	—
Cerro Rico	Potosi (795)	+3.0 local goods produced	—
The Spice Islands	Ternate (649) Tidore (650)	+3.0 local goods produced	—
Skåne Market	Lund (6)	+1.5 local goods produced	until the event ‘Herring Runs Out’
Granary of the Mediterranean	Rosetta (362) Damietta (363) Al Gharbia (2316) Sharqiya (4316)	+2.0 local goods produced	—
Murano Glass Industry	Venezia (112)	+2.0 local goods produced +0.02 the Guilds influence	after the event ‘Growth of the Murano Glass Industry’
Diamonds of Golconda	Golconda (542)	+4.0 local goods produced	—
Kilns of Jingdezhen	Poyan (2151)	+2.5 local goods produced	—
Coffea Arabica	Mokha (387)	+3.0 local goods produced	until the event ‘Decline of [mocha.GetCapitalName]’
Great Bookmarket	—	+1.0 local goods produced +25% institution spread	after the event ‘Lending Libraries and Book Clubs’
Grand Bank Fisheries	Beothuk (980) Taqamkuk (981) Placentia (2573)	+2.0 local goods produced	after the event ‘Grand Banks Fisheries’
Diamond District	—	+0.5 local goods produced +15% trade value modifier	after the event ‘Faceting’
Perfume Capital	—	+0.5 local goods produced +15% trade value modifier	after the event ‘Growth of the Perfume Industry’
Schwaz Silver Mine	Tirol (73)	+1.0 local goods produced	after the event ‘Schwaz Silver Mine’
Oracle of Pachacamac	Lima (809)	+0.5 tolerance of the true faith	until the event ‘The Oracle of Pachacamac’
Cholula Temples	Cholula (2644)	+0.5 yearly legitimacy +0.5 yearly devotion +0.5 yearly prestige	until the event ‘The Temple City of Cholula’
Heian-kyo	Kyoto (1020)	+1.0 yearly prestige +1.0 possible advisors	—
Jingu	Ise (4359)	+1.0 tolerance of the true faith +0.5 yearly legitimacy	until the event ‘The Ise Grand Temple’
The Tower of Belém	Lisboa (227)	+1.0 local defensiveness	after the event ‘The Tower of Belém’

States and Territories

An example of states and territories as held by Castile on the Iberian peninsula.

Main article: Territories and states

States and Territories are a new mechanic introduced in patch 1.16 intended to replace the old Overseas mechanic. The system introduces a 2-part coring process. A newly conquered province is considered as part of a territory (unless it already belongs to one of the nation's existing states). Turning a territory into a state requires firstly coring all the uncored owned provinces in that territory and secondly payment of state maintenance. Afterwards, it is possible to instantaneously complete the coring process by paying the remaining coring costs.

Provinces which are not part of a nation's state and cored have 75% Local autonomy floor and therefore regarded the same way as overseas provinces used to beforehand.

Terrain

Each province has a terrain type associated with it. These terrain types can have both positive and negative effects. Combat is affected majorily by terrain type and can even make the difference between glorious victory or shameful defeat. Terrain types and their corresponding positive/negative effects can be seen here:

Terrain	Supply limit	Local defensiveness	Movement cost	Attacker penalty	Local development cost
Glacial	+2		+25%	−1	+50%
Farmlands	+10		+10%		−5%
Forest	+4		+25%	−1	+20%
Hills	+5	+10%	+40%	−1	+25%
Woods	+6		+10%	−1	+15%
Mountain	+4	+25%	+50%	−2	+35%
Grasslands	+8
Jungle	+5		+50%	−1	+35%
Marsh	+5		+30%	−1	+25%
Desert	+4		+5%		+50%
Coastal Desert	+4				+35%
Coastline	+6				+25%
Drylands	+7				+5%
Highlands	+6	+10%	+40%	−1	+20%
Savannah	+6				+15%
Steppes	+6				+20%

Farmlands, grasslands, and drylands terrain also get +1 possible number of buildings

Footnotes

Province mechanics