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.
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