British Columbia Wikipedia177853

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The larger lakes are made long and narrow by the north-south mountain ranges that confine them in the deep and narrow valleys in all parts of the province. Lesser rivers, such as the Skeena, Nass, Iskut, and Stikine, drain the northwestern region into the Pacific, while the Liard system drains the northeastern section into the Arctic Ocean. The vast territory of British Columbia lies almost entirely within the great mountain system, or cordillera, that stretches along the western edge of the Americas from north of the Arctic Circle to Cape Horn, at the southernmost extremity of South America. Vancouver, the province’s largest city, serves as the headquarters of many western-based natural resource companies. Though less than 5 percent of its vast 944,735 square kilometres (364,764 sq mi) land is arable, the province is agriculturally rich (particularly in the Fraser and Okanagan valleys), because of milder weather near the coast and in certain sheltered southern valleys. To the northwest of the province are the peoples of the Na-Dene languages, which include the Athapaskan-speaking peoples and the Tlingit, who live on the islands of southern Alaska and northern British Columbia.

British Columbia

During the 1770s, smallpox killed at least 30 percent of the Pacific Northwest First Nations. These peoples developed complex cultures dependent on the western red cedar that included wooden houses, seagoing whaling and war canoes and elaborately carved potlatch items and totem poles. The inlets and valleys of the British Columbia coast shelter large, distinctive populations, such as the Haida, Kwakwakaʼwakw and Nuu-chah-nulth, sustained by the region’s abundant salmon and shellfish. Forest gardens on Canada’s northwest coast included crabapple, hazelnut, cranberry, wild plum, and wild cherry species. Cetacean species native to the coast include the orca, humpback whale, grey whale, harbour porpoise, Dall’s porpoise, Pacific white-sided dolphin and minke whale.

Though the province’s ethnic majority originates from the British Isles, many British Columbians also trace their ancestors to continental Europe, East Asia, and South Asia. British Columbia is a diverse and cosmopolitan province, drawing on a plethora of cultural influences from its diasporas of British, European, and Asian Canadians, as well as the Indigenous population. In 1871, British Columbia entered Confederation as the sixth province of Canada, in enactment of the British Columbia Terms of Union. One of the earliest British settlements in the area was Fort Victoria, established in 1843, which gave rise to the city of bc game download apk Victoria, the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island. With an estimated population of 5.68 million as of 2025, it is Canada’s third-most populous province.

Building B.C.’s economy stronger

  • British Columbia’s provincial parks system is the second largest parks system in Canada, the largest being Canada’s National Parks system.
  • 75 percent of the province is mountainous (more than 1,000 m 3,300 ft above sea level); 60 percent is forested; and only about 5 percent is arable.
  • The high price of residential real estate has led to the implementation of an empty homes tax, a housing speculation and vacancy tax, and a foreign buyers’ tax on housing.
  • The Pre-emption Act did not specify conditions for distributing the land, so large parcels were snapped up by speculators, including 1,518 hectares (3,750 acres) by Moody himself.

The province’s vast forests provide timber for the thriving forestry industry, while the mountain ranges hold valuable mineral deposits, such as gold, copper, and coal. The interior zone, with a continental climate, experiences hotter summers and colder winters, resulting in diverse vegetation, including grasslands, forests, and subalpine ecosystems. The coastal zone, characterized by a temperate maritime climate, experiences mild winters and cool summers. One of these mountains is Mount Waddington – a dormant volcano in the Coast Mountains, which stands at an elevation of 13,186 feet. A ring of volcanic mountains referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire also features some of the highest mountains in British Columbia.

A 2016 poll on global biking website Pinkbike rated BC as the top destination mountain bikers would like to ride. Cross-country bike touring has been popular since the ten-speed bike became available many years ago. The 2010 Winter Olympics downhill events were held in the Whistler Blackcomb area of the province, while the indoor events were conducted in the Vancouver area.

Employment, business and economic development

In its second term especially, the NDP government faced political scandals, such as the fast ferry scandal, that ultimately contributed to its downfall. The completion of the Port of Vancouver spurred rapid growth, and in less than fifty years the city surpassed Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the largest in Western Canada. The completion of the railway in 1885 contributed to the economy, facilitating the transportation of the region’s considerable resources to the east.