Home

About Canada

Prime Ministers

Provinces

History of Canada

Canadian Flag

National Anthem

Maps

Our Government

 

Arms of Canada

 

Arts & Entertainment

 

Sports

 

Order of  Canada

 

Famous Canadians

 

Walk of Fame

 

Quick Facts

 

Links

   
 

 

   
 

null

   
 

Download an eBook today

   
 
eBay
   

 

 

British Columbia

 

The Land

British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province and one of North America's most mountainous regions. BC is bordered by the province of Alberta, the Yukon Territory and several U.S. states, including Alaska. Given its location, British Columbia is a gateway to the Pacific and Asia. Sometimes simply categorized as part of Canada's "West," the province is actually a distinct region, both geographically and culturally.

The variety of its landscape is the main reason for British Columbia's distinctiveness: its 947 800 km2 offer remarkable topographical contrasts. Where the Pacific Ocean reaches the continent, it meets a chain of islands, large and small, running from north to south. Some of these islands are nestled in fiords carved in the majestic Coastal Mountains, which rise more than 2 000 metres above sea level.

To the east of the Coastal Mountains lies a rolling upland of forests, natural grasslands and lakes. Farther east, the Rocky Mountains (with peaks more than 4 000 metres high) separate British Columbia from neighbouring Alberta. In the north, a small corner of the province is occupied by the Great Plains.

The province's climate equals its topography for variety. For example, the mild coastal region receives abundant precipitation - from 130 to 380 centimetres of rain per year - while the interior has a continental climate. Other parts of the province are almost desert-like, with very hot summers followed by very cold winters.


The History

Aboriginal people lived in rich and complex societies in British Columbia for thousands of years before the first white settlers arrived. Because of the diversity of the Pacific coast - mild to cold climate, seashore to mountains - the First Nations who settled in this area developed many different cultures and languages.

The coastal inhabitants were experts at wood sculpture, as their totem poles attest even today. They were also famous for their skill and courage in whaling. As for their social system, it was marked by occasions such as the "potlatch" - a ceremony in which important gifts were given to guests - and by theatrical displays.

In 1774, the first Europeans, under the flag of Spain, visited what is now British Columbia. In contrast with eastern Canada, where the English and French were the two nationalities fighting over territory, Spain and Russia were the first countries to claim ownership of certain parts of British Columbia. In the 18th century, the Spanish claimed the west coast from Mexico to Vancouver Island. At the same time, the Russians were making an overlapping claim for control of the Pacific coast from Alaska to San Francisco.

In 1778, Captain James Cook of Great Britain became the first person to chart the region. The first permanent colony, in present-day Victoria, was established by the British in 1843.

When gold was discovered in the Fraser Valley in 1857, thousands of people came in search of instant wealth. To help maintain law and order, the British government established the colony of British Columbia the following year. The colony of Vancouver Island joined British Columbia in 1866.

The colony was cut off from the rest of British North America by thousands of kilometres and a mountain range. The promise of a rail link between the Pacific coast and the rest of Canada convinced British Columbia to join Confederation in 1871.


The People

The majority of British Columbia's inhabitants are of British origin, but the population is enriched by immigrants and descendants of immigrants of all nationalities. More than 100 000 British Columbians are descendants of the thousands of Chinese people who took part in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 19th century. Today, Vancouver has North America's second-largest Chinese community. In addition, British Columbians who trace their origins to India and Japan contribute tremendously to the province's economic and cultural vitality.

The Aboriginal population of British Columbia, which began to decline with the arrival of the first European settlers, is enjoying new strength. The population is growing in numbers (more than 139 000 people in 1996) and has developed strong Aboriginal organizations. This new energy coincides with a renaissance in Aboriginal cultural and artistic expression.

British Columbia continues to attract Canadians and foreigners alike: 22 000 persons settled in the province in 1998, and its population now exceeds 4 million - 13 percent of Canada's total. Nearly 60 percent live in Vancouver and Victoria, the province's capital. Vancouver, the largest dry cargo port on the Pacific coast of North America, is home to more than two million people, which makes it the third largest city in Canada.


The Economy

The economy is based on the province's great natural resources, primarily its vast forests, which cover 56 percent of its total area. Conifers from these forests are converted into lumber, newsprint, pulp and paper products, shingles and shakes - about half the total softwood inventory of Canada.

Tourism is the next most important economic sector. Each year, about 22 million people visit British Columbia. With over five million hectares of parkland, the Rocky Mountains remain the province's most popular attraction. Coastal British Columbia, with its beaches, hiking trails, artists' colonies, wildlife reserves, whale-sighting locales and other attractions, is not far behind. Of increasing attraction to visitors are the Queen Charlotte Islands, large parts of which have recently been set aside as parkland. The area contains untouched wilderness and unique species of flora. The abandoned Haida village of Ninstints is of such historical and cultural importance that it has been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Mining is the province's third most important economic sector. Copper, gold and zinc are the leading metals extracted from British Columbia; sulphur and asbestos are the leading industrial minerals. The most valuable resources, however, are coal, petroleum and natural gas.

Agriculture and fishing, especially salmon fishing, are two other key sectors of the economy of British Columbia, whose dairy cattle are among Canada's most productive. The valleys of the southern interior, principally the Okanagan Valley, are famous for the cultivation of tree fruits and grapes and for their wine industry. The cooler, wetter climate of the lower Fraser Valley produces rich crops of berries and vegetables.

Manufacturing in British Columbia is still largely resource-based, but is being gradually diversified by high-technology and computer-based industries related to telecommunications and the aerospace and sub-sea industries. British Columbia has the most balanced export market of all of Canada's provinces, with the United States, Japan, the European Union and the Pacific Rim countries as its clientele.


Back
Source:  Communication Canada
   
Related Sites:
BC Tourism
Government of British Columbia
 


   Top    Home