A prowincja (plural: prowincje), or Region, was the largest territorial subdivision in medieval and Renaissance-era Poland, and later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The term designated each of the largest constituents of the state: depending on the period, including Wielkopolska, Małopolska,the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and Ducal Prussia.
Though larger than a province (województwo), the prowincja or Region was less important in terms of offices and power. In most respects, it was merely a titular unit of administration. The real power lay with the provinces (województwa)—and, to a lesser extent, with ziemias ("lands").
The Polish term "prowincja" has not been used to denote any part of independent Poland since the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795)—unlike "ziemia", which has continued to be used for certain geographical areas. Since 1795, the Polish word "prowincja" has been used only for certain foreign-imposed units of administration within territories of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
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