The Geography of British Columbia

British Columbia is in the northwestern part of North America. The Canadian province of Alberta is to the east. The Yukon and the Northwest Territories are to its north. The United States – specifically, the states of Washington, Idaho and Montana – is on B.C.’s southern border.

B.C. is a very large province – about the size of France, Germany and The Netherlands combined. It is four times as big as Great Britain and two and a half times bigger than Japan. From north to south it measures about 1,200 kilometres and 1,050 kilometres east to west.

About 12 per cent of the province is wilderness, consisting of parks, conservation areas, ecological reserves and recreation areas.

Vancouver is the largest city in B.C., located in a valley called the Fraser Valley, and is surrounded by ocean and mountains. The Fraser Valley stretches from Hope, in the northeast, to just east and south of Vancouver, following the course of the Fraser River as it flows towards the sea. The combined Fraser Valley and greater Vancouver area are known as the Lower Mainland. Vancouver sits in the Fraser River Delta area, between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the North Shore Mountains to the north.

Prince George is in the Cariboo Region of northern B.C. The Kootenays are a mountainous region in southeastern B.C. It is a pristine region of rivers, lakes, waterfalls, beaches, mineral hot springs, alpine meadows and snow-capped mountains. Four of British Columbia's seven national parks are located here. It is also referred to as British Columbia’s Mountain Playground.

Victoria is located on Vancouver Island, and is the capital city of the province of British Columbia.

Mountains

About 75 per cent of British Columbia is covered in mountains.

The main mountain ranges run more or less from north to south, and have a major effect on B.C.'s climate. Winds off the Pacific Ocean pick up moisture, which falls as rain or snow as they pass over the mountains. The ranges also funnel air through the valleys which creates a wide range in temperatures, rainfall and hours of sunshine across the province.

• Eastern B.C. contains the famous Rocky Mountains, the Columbia and Cariboo mountains.
• The Skeena, Hazelton, and Omineca mountains are in the interior of B.C.
• The highest peaks in the province are in Northern B.C. on the Fairweather, Richardson, Mackenzie, Selwyn, Pelly and Cassiar mountains.

The mountainous regions of B.C. are very popular for tourists and residents. Recreation in these areas include year-round climbing, hiking, bicycling and camping. World-class ski resorts attract many visitors each winter andyou may see some of these showcased during the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Islands and Coastline

British Columbia's Pacific coastline includes deep inlets, bays, harbours and fjords. These create some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Many of these are serviced by ferries.

There are about 40,000 islands of various sizes, ranging from tiny, unnamed rocks to the rugged beauty of Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) and heavily populated islands like the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.

In between islands, the ocean becomes what are called straits, bodies of water that separate islands from each other and the mainland. Coastal B.C. is defined by these straits, they are actively used for transportation, recreational boating and fishing.

B.C.'s coastal waters are ideal for all kinds of recreation including sailing, boating, kayaking, surfing, parasailing and fishing.

Rivers

British Columbia is also a land of rivers, most of which drain to the Pacific Ocean. Rivers have been very important throughout British Columbia’s history, serving as transportation links for First Nations people, early explorers and miners rushing to the gold fields of Alaska and Northern Canada.

Many of B.C.’s rivers are filled with salmon. Every year, millions of Pacific salmon return to B.C. rivers to spawn or lay their eggs. Visiting the rivers to see this amazing spectacle has become a popular event for both tourists and residents.

Forests

About half of British Columbia is covered with trees. Coastal forests have the giant Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedars and hemlock trees. Forests in the Interior consist mainly of Lodgepole pine and spruce trees. They produce 60 per cent of B.C.'s timber.

Softwood lumber and pulp are B.C.’s most important forest exports, worth about $9 billion in 2006. Forestry used to be the biggest part of B.C.'s economy. Now hi-tech, retail, tourism and other service industries are prominent.

The government owns 90 per cent of the land in B.C. These lands are home to more than two-thirds of Canada's bird species and land mammals.

The Government of B.C. has acted since the 1970’s to protect about 13 per cent of the province from logging and development. For example, the Tatshenshini-Alsek region in Northwestern B.C. is a heritage site, and the Khutzeymateen Valley is a grizzly bear sanctuary.

Many of B.C.’s parks are open to the public for hiking, picnicking and wildlife viewing. 
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