British Columbia

British Columbia is one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. It has the most spectacular and varied scenery in the world. With such a range of landscapes there is almost anything to do for anyone. The coastal area of British Columbia is full of rainforests, inlets amd islands, while the northern interior is full of mountain ranges, lakes and forests and the southern interior has a small desert.

The bulk of the population is of British decent due to the gold rush in the 1850s. There is also a large Asian community in British Columbia.

British Columbia is the most westerly province in Canada and is bordered by the Yukon and Northwest Territories in the north, in the south by the US states of Idaho, Washington and Montana, and in the east by Alberta. The western coast of British Columbia is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

British Columbia's capital is Victoria and it is located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island lies on the south-west coast of Canada. Vancouver is British Columbia's main business district and is also the largest city in the province.

The climate in British Columbia is varied depending on what area of the province you are in. The coast is mild with warm, mostly dry summers and cool, very wet winters. The interior of the province is much drier, and the summers are hot and the winters are cold. In the mountainous regions of British Columbia, the summers are short and the nights are cool. When the snow falls in winter it is heavy.