This is the 301st most frequent Dutch word.
provincie
A principal administrative division or region of a country.
Here, 'provincies' is used to indicate the administrative regions within the country.
Nederland heeft twaalf provincies.
The Netherlands has twelve provinces.
In this sentence, 'provincie' refers specifically to an administrative region within the country.
De provincie Friesland staat bekend om zijn meren.
The province of Friesland is known for its lakes.
Here, 'provincie' is used in a broader sense to denote rural or less urbanized areas outside cities.