There’s no end to what you can explore when you go to BC.

British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province.

It is bounded by the Alaskan Panhandle and the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north; Washington, Idaho and Montana to the south; Alberta to the east; and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Physical Geography

British Columbia is made up of four physical regions: a mountain system along its west coast that includes the Coast Mountain Range and the Insular Mountains that form Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands); a mountain system to the east that includes the Rocky and Columbia Mountain Ranges; the rolling grasslands and forests of the Interior and Stikine Plateaux; and a segment of the continent's Great Interior Plains referred to as Peace River country, which lies in its north-eastern corner.

BC is laced through with lakes, marshes, rivers and streams that support wildlife in abundance. It has a highly celebrated system of parks, created to protect its diverse ecosystems for conservation, outdoor recreation, education and scientific study. 14% of BC's land base is protected.

Economy

While natural resources (such as fish, minerals, hydroelectricity and timber) have always been the backbone of BC's economy, newer industries such as eco-tourism, agri-tourism, film and high tech have become important economic drivers over the last decade.

Population

The population of BC is concentrated around the cities of Vancouver (pop. 2.4 million) and Victoria (pop. 359,000). Other major population centres include: Kelowna (pop. 188,000), Kamloops (pop. 101,000), Nanaimo (pop. 102,000), Prince George (pop. 88,000), Vernon (pop. 60,000), Penticton (pop. 45,000), Campbell River (pop. 39,000) and Cranbrook (pop. 26,000).

Since the retreat of the great glaciers about 10,000 years ago, Aboriginal populations have inhabited the BC landscape.

BC's first people may have journeyed to the region from Asia via a land bridge across the Bering Sea. As the ice receded, forests advanced and fluctuating sea levels exposed the temporary land passage linking Asia to the New World.

It is thought that BC's coastal region became one of the most densely populated areas in North America. Prior to European contact, BC's First Nations populations may have numbered some 300,000. The Aboriginal way of life would continue undisturbed for thousands of years, until the arrival of the British in 1778.

European Arrival

When British naval explorer Captain James Cook reached the west coast of Vancouver Island in 1778, he was eager to trade with the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people. In his wake, waves of European settlers arrived, carrying smallpox and other diseases that decimated Aboriginal populations in the late 1700s.

Nearly a century later, British agent James Douglas was searching the Pacific Coast for a new Hudson's Bay Company headquarters. He was welcomed by the Lekwammen, whose villages dotted the shores of what is now Greater Victoria. Douglas settled in and selected a site called Camosack. A year later, in 1843, Fort Victoria was built in the area now known as Old Town, the heart of Victoria's downtown.

Gold Rush in BC

The discovery of gold in the Fraser River and the Cariboo brought a rapid influx of prospectors, merchants, pioneers and other colourful figures to BC in the 1860s. They came from around the world, arriving from as far away as China. It was a time of rapid economic expansion; sleepy hamlets became bustling cities, and new roads, railways and steamships were constructed to carry the extra load.

Boomtowns were born and legends made, but not all experienced good fortune. The Aboriginal peoples lost most of their ancestral lands and, in 1876, First Nations populations were made subject to the federal Indian Act, which regulated every aspect of their lives.

Rapid Expansion in BC

Transportation and development marked another period of rapid economic expansion during the 1950s and 60s. Massive building projects changed the shape of the BC landscape. Expansive damming projects turned rivers into lakes; giant turbines powered dozens of new pulp mills and smelters; and the Trans Canada Highway was completed, while new bridges, railways, and BC Ferries linked land, people and technological progress.

British Columbia is known for its spectacular national and provincial parks and abundant wildlife.

Incredible BC Scenery

Across the province, gaze up at majestic mountains (many of them rising more than 3,000m/9,843ft), and explore ancient old-growth forests. Discover caves and hoodoos (ancient, stone-like pillars), and amble along long sandy beaches. Hike through alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers and trek to some of Canada's highest waterfalls. To relax, slip into the mineral waters of a natural hot spring.

Wildlife in BC

Look for wildlife while enjoying the scenery: go bird watching; join a whale watching tour; or spot grizzly bears pawing for salmon on a bear watching tour. Bald eagles often soar above, while mountain goats, moose and caribou roam BC's parks.