Regional district

Nine of the twelve provinces of the Canadian Republic consist of vast geographical areas which are very scarcely populated; most are part of a district area, which consists of regional districts and municipal districts.

Unlike in county areas, where incorporated municipalities are subordinate to counties, several municipalities to a county (county areas make up the entirety of three provinces, and the vast majority of urban and suburban areas of the other nine provinces), in district areas municipal districts and regional districts are separate and don't overlap, meaning the two-tiered system of local government present in county areas is a one-tiered system in district areas.

Regional districts are generally geographically much larger than municipal districts, and also consist of a much lower population density. Generally speaking, regional districts consist of farmland and clusters of townships and hamlets as well as natural areas which surround the larger, denser communities in municipal districts. Regional districts use the council–manager form of government, while municipal districts use the mayor–council form.