Province
- For a list of all provinces, see List of provinces.
In Europa Universalis IV, the world is divided into continents, regions, areas, and provinces. Provinces are the smallest of these divisions and are the basic unit of the game mechanics. 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, although cities currently have no functionality outside of aesthetics.
There are 3272 land provinces in total.
Terms and mechanics[edit | edit source]
Provinces are the heart of any nation in Europa Universalis IV. They provide income, manpower, and trade goods.
Development[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Development
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[edit | edit source]
- 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.
Production[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Provinces that have been besieged or occupied or where their owner has scorched the earth gain devastation.
Devastation is expressed as a percentage: 0% indicates that no devastation is present in the province, while 100% represents an extreme amount of devastation.
Effects[edit | edit source]
The effects of devastation are scaled linearly according to the percentage value. At 100% devastation, a province would incur the following penalties:
On the state level, prosperity cannot be achieved while any province in the state has any amount of devastation.
Causes and remedies[edit | edit source]
Devastation changes according to the following factors:
Monthly change |
Factor |
---|---|
+10 once | ![]() |
+variable | Tribal grazing (only for migratory tribes) |
+0.1 | Under siege (even friendly) |
+0.25 | Under blockade (even friendly) |
+0.2 | Occupied |
+0.25 | ![]() |
−0.08 | Under its owner's control |
−0.83 | In the zone of control of a friendly active fort (not if occupied; modifier is reduced for obsolete forts) |
−0.25 | Edict of Absolutism (requires ![]() |
−0.05 | In states with Metropolitan (requires ![]() |
−0.05 | In states with the ![]() ![]() |
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 devastation increase reverts to the usual +0.2 for being occupied.
Devastation can be manually removed by developing a province. Development removes devastation at 5% per point (with adjustment according to local autonomy).
Cores and claims[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- 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 is limited by its development level.
City[edit | edit source]
The term City is used for fully colonized provinces. In contrast colony denotes provinces which are in the process of being colonized.
Capital[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
![]() |
Available only with the Wealth of Nations DLC enabled. |
The main trading port can be moved to another province at the cost of 200 diplomatic power. This enables countries to move their trade collection to richer trade nodes over the course of a game, without needing to move their capital city as well.
After the move, trade collection will automatically occur in the trade node which now contains the main trading port. Automatic collection will immediately cease in the original trade node.
Within a given trade node, the effects of the main trading port will be identical regardless of which province is chosen as the main trading port.
Straits[edit | edit source]
Straits are connections between two provinces which do not share a land border but instead can be accessed over a water body. They count as a land border for most purposes. A list of straits in the base map is below.
- Mallorca – Menorca
- Ibiza – Mallorca
- Gran Canaria – Tenerife
- Lund – Sjælland
- Sjælland – Fyn
- Fyn – Østjylland
- Fyn – Kolding
- Fyn – Lolland
- Sjælland – Lolland
- Calabria – Messina
- Constantinople – Kocaeli
- Baawitigon – Michigami
- Stockholm – Åland
- Åland – Åbo
- Corfu – Epirus
- Arta – Achaea
- Athens – Naxos
- Gallipoli – Karasi
- 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
- Nuu-chah-nulth – Duwamish
- Nuu-chah-nulth – Skwxwu'mesh
- Nuu-chah-nulth – Kwakwaka'wakw
- Eskikeogag – Onamagag
- Piktuk – Epagoitgnag
- Chisedec – Taqamkuk
- Tyr – Nangha'er
- 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 – Te Tau Ihu
- Chios – Sugla
- Lesbos – Karasi
- Caffa – Matrega
- Haida – Tlingit
- Odawa – Saginawe
- Odawa – Marameg
- Ekuanitshu – Notiskuan
- Ayrshire – Ulster
- Madurai – Vanni
- Orinoco Delta – Trinidad
- St. Vincent – St. Lucia
- St. Lucia – Martinique
- Martinique – Dominica
- Guadelupe – 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
- Ambon – Ceram
- Bangka – Palembang
- Bintan – Singapura
- Para – Marajó
- Belem – Marajó
- Baawitigon – Odawa
- Djerba – Tataouine
- Mogostan – Hormuz
- Qawasim – Hormuz
- Athens – Euboea
- Euboea – Naxos
- Savolax – Kainuu (invisible lake crossing)
- Ceuta – Gibraltar
- Leyte – Cebu
- Buglas – Cebu
- Arta – Cephalonia
- Rügen – Stralsund
- Wolgast – Kolberg
- Tiwi – Woolna
- Hawaii – Maui
- Maui – Oahu
- Oahu – Kauai
- Vanua Levu – Lau
- Lau – Viti Levu
- Viti Levu – Vanua Levu
- Wurundjeri – Peerapper
- Bali – Blambangan
Island[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Island
Some provinces are considered islands or on an island which is important for some events, achievements and decisions.
Climate and weather[edit | edit source]
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it with: further information about winters, see the talk page.. |
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:[1]
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Arid
![]() The arid climate has a severe lack of rainfall, making it very hard to keep a large army supplied.
Arid provinces give:[2]
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Tropical
![]() The tropical climate makes it very hard for new cities to grow, as diseases and heat are large obstacles.
Tropical provinces give:[3]
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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:[4]
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Normal winter
![]() The ground is covered by snow, and the temperature is solidly below freezing.
Provinces with a normal winter have:[5]
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Severe winter
![]() The snow has piled up quite severely, and the temperatures are far below freezing.
Provinces with a severe winter have:[6]
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Mild monsoon
![]() Mild seasonal rain is falling, fertilizing the ground but increasing the difficulty of travel.
Provinces with a mild monsoon have:[7]
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Normal monsoon
![]() The Monsoon season is in full swing as torrential rain falls from the sky.
Provinces with a normal monsoon have:[8]
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Severe monsoon
![]() Extreme wind and rainfall make this province very difficult to traverse.
Provinces with a severe monsoon have:[9]
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Modifiers[edit | edit source]
Center of Trade[edit | edit source]
With Dharma, Centers of Trade (CoTs) can be upgraded or downgraded manually, but cannot be created or removed. However, some events (such as “Growth of the port”) allow a natural harbor to growing into a CoT. Manual management can be done in the building interface, where the CoT icon occupies 2
building slots. As a result, a province with a CoT can only build 10 buildings at most, rather than the usual maximum of 12 buildings.
The base cost to upgrade a CoT from level 1 to level 2 is 200ducats, and the base cost from level 2 to level 3 is 1000
ducats. The cost can be reduced by:
![]() |
Traditions | Ideas | Bonuses | Policies |
---|---|---|---|---|
−20% | — |
|
— | — |
−15% | — |
|
— | — |
You can only upgrade a CoT:
- to level 2
- if the province is part of a state or Trade Company
- has at least 10 development
- to level 3
Downgrading a CoT will cost 10 prestige, but this option is available only if country has positive prestige. If a province changes ownership, via war or diplomatic actions, the level of the CoT will automatically drop by 1.
You cannot upgrade or downgrade CoTs when country is at war.
For a list of all CoTs, see Economic list of provinces.
Effects of CoTs by level:[10]
Name | Tier | Effects |
---|---|---|
Coastal Lvl.1 | Province modifier: | |
Coastal Lvl.2 | Province modifier: | |
Coastal Lvl.3 | Province modifier:
State modifier: Global modifier: | |
Inland Lvl.1 | Province modifier: | |
Inland Lvl.2 | Province modifier: | |
Inland Lvl.3 | Province modifier:
State modifier: |
Estuary[edit | edit source]
![]() |
Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.33. |

River estuaries give +10 local trade power.[11]
- Aix (Rhône Estuary)
- Astrakhan (Volga Estuary)
- Azov (Don Estuary)
- Basra (Euphrates Estuary)
- Bengal Delta and Dhaka (Ganges Estuary)[12]
- Benin (Niger Estuary)
- Bessarabia (Danube Estuary)
- Bordeaux (Gironde Estuary)
- Bremen (Weser Estuary)
- Canton (Pearl Estuary)
- Caux (Seine Estuary)
- Cayor (Senegal Estuary)
- Chesapeake (James Estuary)
- Chitimacha (Mississippi Estuary)
- Coahuilteco (Rio Grande Estuary)
- Danzig (Vistula Estuary)
- Den Haag (Rhine Estuary)
- East Frisia (Ems Estuary)
- Ferrara (Po Estuary)
- Guayaquil (Guayas Estuary)
- Hai Phong (Red River Estuary)
- Haizhou (Huang He Estuary)
- Hamburg (Elbe Estuary)
- Issati (Santee Estuary)
- Konaseema (Godavari Estuary)
- Lisboa (Tagus Estuary)
- London (Thames Estuary)
- Manahahttan (Hudson Estuary)
- Mangazea (Taz Estuary)
- Memel (Neman Estuary)
- Mushkegowuk (Nelson Estuary)
- Nantais (Loire Estuary)
- Neva (Neva Estuary)
- Ngoyo (Congo Estuary)
- Orinoco Delta (Orinoco Estuary)
- Pathein and Dagon (Irrawaddy Estuary)[12]
- Porto (Douro Estuary)
- Prek Russey (Mekong Estuary)
- Quelimane (Zambezi Estuary)
- Riga (Daugava Estuary)
- Rio de la Plata (Parana Estuary)
- Rosetta and Damietta (The Nile Estuary)[12]
- Sakimauchheening (Delaware Estuary)
- Sevilla (Guadalquivir Estuary)
- Shirvan (Kura Estuary)
- Stadacona (Saint Lawrence Estuary)
- Stettin (Oder Estuary)
- Suzhou (Yangtze Estuary)
- Tarragona (Ebro Estuary)
- Thatta (Indus Estuary)
- Tsinuk (Columbia Estuary)
- Tyr (Amur Estuary)
- Velanadu (Krishna Estuary)
- Yedisan (Dnestr Estuary)
Religious center[edit | edit source]
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Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.33. |

Religious centers have −5% local missionary strength.[11] .
- Can apply to various provinces with the following requirements for the religion in the province:
- Roma (118):
Catholic
- Mecca (385): in the Muslim group
- Karbala (409):
Shia
- Lhasa (677):
Vajrayana
- Doaba (2075):
Sikh. In starts after 1499.
- Varanasi (2095):
Hindu
- Kandy (2099):
Theravada
- Samawat (2311):
Shia
- Mashhad (2221):
Shia
- Geneva (4720):
Protestant or
Reformed. From The Geneva Conventions event.
- Prague (266):
Hussite
- Yanzhou (2140):
Confucian
- Stockholm (1):
Norse
- Roma (118):
- This modifier is also applied as a non-triggered modifier to the following provinces:
- Ise (4359) from the event The Ise Grand Temple.
- the province which spawns
sikhism in the event The Sikh Faith
- provinces which have a center of reformation (this modifier goes away if the center of reformation is removed)
Other special places [edit | edit source]
![]() |
Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.27. |
The following provinces also have permanent province modifiers:
Name | Province | Bonus[11] | Limitation |
---|---|---|---|
Sound Toll | Sjælland (12) | ![]() |
— |
Bosphorus Sound Toll | Constantinople (151) | ![]() |
— |
Stora Kopparberget | Dalaskogen (8) | ![]() |
— |
Cerro Rico | Potosi (795) | ![]() |
replaced by the monument Cerro Rico del Potosí with the ![]() |
The Spice Islands |
|
![]() |
— |
Skåne Market | Lund (6) | ![]() |
until the ![]() |
Granary of the Mediterranean |
|
![]() |
— |
Murano Glass Industry | Venezia (112) | after the ![]() | |
Diamonds of Golconda | Golconda (542) | ![]() |
— |
Kilns of Jingdezhen | Poyan (2151) | ![]() |
— |
Coffea Arabica | Mokha (387) | ![]() |
until the ![]() |
Great Bookmarket | — | after the ![]() | |
Grand Bank Fisheries |
|
![]() |
after the ![]() |
Diamond District | — | after the ![]() | |
Perfume Capital | — | after the ![]() | |
Schwaz Silver Mine | Inntal (73) | ![]() |
after the ![]() |
Oracle of Pachacamac | Lima (809) | ![]() |
until the ![]() |
Cholula Temples | Cholula (2644) | until the ![]() | |
Heian-kyo | Kyoto (1020) | — | |
Jingu | Ise (4359) | until the ![]() | |
The Tower of Belém | Lisboa (227) | ![]() |
after the ![]() |
Development of Amsterdam | Amsterdam (97) | ![]() |
after the ![]() |
Expand Infrastructure[edit | edit source]
![]() |
Please help with verifying or updating this section. It was last verified for version 1.33. |
![]() |
Available only with the Leviathan DLC enabled. |
It is possible to expand the infrastructure of individual provinces via a small button in the provinces building menu.
For every 15 development a province has, infrastructure can be expanded once for the cost of
50 administrative power.
Each level of Expanded infrastructure has the following effects:
States and territories[edit | edit source]
- Main article: States and territories
Within a country, each province is either part of a state or a territory. This distinction affects provinces in a variety of ways, such as by determining their minimum local autonomy.
Terrain[edit | edit source]
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:
Farmlands, grasslands, and drylands terrain also get +1 possible number of buildings
Naming[edit | edit source]
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).
Footnotes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Arctic).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Arid).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Tropical).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Mild Winter).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Normal Winter).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Severe Winter).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Mild Monsoon).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Normal Monsoon).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/static_modifiers/00_static_modifiers.txt (Static modifiers#Severe Monsoon).
- ↑ See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/centers_of_trade/00_centers_of_trade.txt
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 See in /Europa Universalis IV/common/event_modifiers/00_event_modifiers.txt
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 The estuary is shared between two provinces in which case both receive
+5 local trade power.
Concepts | Corruption • Governing capacity • Overextension • Power projection • Rebellion • Regions • Stability • States and territories |
Court | Advisors • Consort • Monarch power • National focus • Ruler • Ruler personalities |
Estates and Factions | Factions • Estates (Base estates (Burghers • Clergy • Nobility) • Cossaks estates (Cossacks • Dhimmi • Tribes) • Dharma estates (Brahmins • Jains • Marathas • Rajputs • Vaishyas) • Domination estates (Janissaries • Eunuchs)) |
Events and Missions | Decisions • Disasters • Events • List of decisions • Missions |
Goverment | Absolutism • Culture • Government • Government rank • Modifiers • Policies |
Province mechanics | Autonomy • Buildings • Canal • Capital • Core • Province |
Religions | Christian denominations • Eastern denominations • Muslim denominations • Other denominations • Pagan denominations • Religion |
Specific governments | Native council • Parliament • Steppe hordes |
Colonisation | Exploration • Colonisation • Colonial nation • Tariffs • Trade company |
Economy | Debase currency • Development • Economy • Privateering • Production • Raid coasts • Tax |
Trade | Trade • Trade company • Trade goods • Trade nodes |
Diplomacy | Diplomacy • Diplomatic feedback • Envoy • Espionage |
Other | Defender of the Faith • Great power • Hegemon • Prestige • Regions |
Political structures | Emperor of China • Holy Roman Empire • Papacy |
Relations | Personal union • Relations • Subject nation |
Ideas and Policies | Idea groups • National ideas • Policies |
Ages and Institutions | Ages • Institutions |
Innovativeness and Technology | Innovativeness • Technology |
Declaring war | Alliance • Casus belli • Claim • Peace • War exhaustion • Warfare |
Defense | Fort • Zone of control |
Land warfare | Army • Condottieri • Discipline • Drilling • Land units • Land warfare • Manpower • Militarisation • Mercenaries • Professionalism |
Naval warfare | Flagship • Naval blockade • Naval doctrine • Naval units • Naval warfare • Navy • Sailors |
Other | Force limit • Military leader • Military tradition |