British Columbia

The province of British Columbia, sometimes known simply as BC, is located in western Canada, sandwiched in between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Its official abbreviation is BC. It is bordered by the province of Alberta to the east, the territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north, the states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana to the south, and Alaska to the northwest. Its terrain is varied and includes rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, and inland deserts and grassy plains. It is projected to have the third-highest population in Canada by the year 2022, with an anticipated total of 5.3 million residents. Victoria is the name of the city that serves as the capital of British Columbia, whereas Vancouver is the biggest city in the province. The metropolitan region around Vancouver is home to 2.6 million people according to the census completed in 2021, making it the third biggest metropolitan area in all of Canada.

At the very least 10,000 years ago, the earliest known human residents of the region established themselves in British Columbia. Peoples such as the Coast Salish, Tsilhqot'in, and Haida are examples of such groupings, although there are many more. Fort Victoria, which was founded in 1843 and became one of the early British colonies in the region, eventually developed into the city of Victoria, which served as the capital of the colony of Vancouver Island. After the gold rush in the Fraser Canyon, Richard Clement Moody and the Royal Engineers, Columbia Detachment, established the Colony of British Columbia in 1858–1866, which was a direct reaction to the gold rush in the Fraser Canyon. Moody chose the location of what would become the mainland colony's capital and established New Westminster there. With the incorporation of the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia in 1866, Victoria became the capital of the combined province that was known as British Columbia. As a result of the passing of the British Columbia Conditions of Union in 1871, British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada and became a part of the Confederation.

The Indigenous population, as well as the British Canadian, European, and Asian diasporas, have all contributed to making British Columbia a culturally rich and cosmopolitan province. This has allowed the province to draw on a wide variety of cultural influences. Despite the fact that the British Isles account for the vast bulk of the province's population, many people in British Columbia may also trace their ancestry to locations in continental Europe, East Asia, or South Asia. Around six percent of the entire population in this province is made up of Canadians of Indigenous descent. Despite the fact that the vast majority of people in the area do not adhere to any religious tradition, Christianity is the dominant faith in the area. The most widely spoken language in the province is English, however Punjabi, Mandarin Chinese, and Cantonese are all widely spoken in the Metro Vancouver area. The Franco-Columbian community is a linguistic minority that is legally acknowledged, and around one percent of people who live in British Columbia identify French as their mother language. At least 34 unique Indigenous languages may be found in the province of British Columbia.

The logging industry, the mining industry, the film and video production industry, tourism, real estate, construction, wholesale trade, and retail trade are the primary contributors to British Columbia's economy. Lumber and other types of wood, pulp and paper goods, copper, coal, and natural gas make up the bulk of the country's exports. The property prices in British Columbia are among the highest in the country, and the province is an important hub for marine commerce. In fact, the Port of Vancouver is not only the biggest port in Canada but also the most diverse port in all of North America. In spite of the fact that less than 5 percent of the province's area is fertile ground, substantial agriculture may be found in the Okanagan and the Fraser Valley thanks to the milder temperature. 45% of all publicly traded firms in Canada are headquartered in the province of British Columbia.