The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town need be involved. Specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within a county.

In eastern Canada a township is one form of the subdivision of a county. This is translated into French as canton in Quebec.

In Ontario, there are both geographic and political townships. Most of Ontario, except for the sparsely populated far north, is subdivided into geographic townships. A political township is one or more geographic townships united as a single entity with a single municipal administration, but which does not have sufficient population to be defined as a town.

In the Prairie provinces and parts of British Columbia, a township is a division of the Dominion Land Survey, roughly square and about 95 km² in area. These townships are not political units (although political boundaries often follow township boundaries), but exist only to define parcels of land in a relatively simple way.

The District Municipality of Langley, B.C. is officially the "Township of Langley". As well, Nova Scotia used to be divided into townships, however this is no longer true.

See also:

• List of cantons in Quebec
• List of townships in Ontario