BRITISH COLUMBIA INFORMATION
Land and Resources |
Physical Geography |
Rivers and Lakes |
Climate |
Plants and Animals |
Population |
Cultural Institutions |
Historical Sites |
Sports and Recreation |
Fishing |
Tourism |
Transportation |
History |
Exploration and Settlement
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Pacific coast province in southwestern Canada, bounded on the north by Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories; on the east by Alberta; on the south by the states of Montana, Idaho, and Washington; and on the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska. The crest of the Rocky Mountains forms the southern portion of the eastern boundary. The province includes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. off the western coast. The only Canadian province on the Pacific Ocean, British Columbia is the third-largest province in both area and population, behind both Québec and Ontario. It is a mountainous region, with its population primarily in the southwest corner of the province. The largest city is Vancouver, and the provincial capital is Victoria.
British Columbia became part of the Confederation of Canada on July 20, 1871, as the sixth province. It is well endowed with natural resources, including mineral reserves, forests, and fisheries, all of which have provided the basis for its diversified economic development. The outstanding scenic and recreational attractions of the province have also made tourism important. Its name refers to the Columbia River, which originates here and flows south across the border into the United States.
Land and Resources
British Columbia, with an area of 947,800 sq km (365,946 sq mi), is the third largest province in Canada. The province is roughly rectangular in shape; its extreme dimensions are about 1250 km (about 780 mi) from north to south and about 1050 km (about 650 mi) from east to west. Elevations range from sea level to 4663 m (15,300 ft) at Mount Fairweather in the Saint Elias Mountains. British Columbia's shoreline along the Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of islands and land bordering estuaries, is 32,747 km (20,348 mi) long.
Physical Geography
British Columbia is the most physically diverse of the four western Canadian provinces. Mountain ranges trending southeast to northwest cover much of the province. In the northeastern corner, however, is a portion of the Interior Plains of Canada. This region has a flat to gently hilly landscape. Almost all of British Columbia was covered by ice during the Glacial Period except for the Queen Charlotte Islands, which have unique flora and fauna.
The Eastern Mountain System comprises a complex belt of heavily glaciated ranges and valleys trending southeast to northwest. This region is dominated by the Rocky Mountains. Lesser ranges include the Cassiar and Omineca Mountains in the north and the Cariboo, Selkirk, Monashee, and Purcell ranges of the Columbia Mountain system in the south. The most prominent valley in the region is the Rocky Mountain Trench, a deep, narrow rift valley between the Rocky Mountains in the east and the Columbia Mountain system in the west. Several important passes across the Continental Divide link southeastern British Columbia with Alberta.
The Intermontane Region is also a rugged area. The central section, around Prince George and Williams Lake, has a broken, rolling terrain, but both the northern and southern portions contain mountain ranges with elevations only slightly lower than those of the Rockies. The valleys of the southern interior trend north to south, and many contain large lakes.
The Western Mountain System is dominated by the heavily glaciated Coast Mountains, which in the extreme northwest contain the province's highest peak, Mount Fairweather. The many islands along the Pacific coast are the highest points of a mountain range that was partly submerged by a geologically recent sea-level rise. Much of the coast has fjord scenery. The only significant coastal lowlands are in the lower Fraser River valley and around Victoria on southeastern Vancouver Island.
Rivers and Lakes
Runoff from the mountains feeds many swift-running streams and large rivers in British Columbia. The most prominent are the Fraser, Skeena, Columbia, and Kootenay rivers, all of which drain to the Pacific Ocean, and the Peace River, which drains northeast toward the Arctic Ocean. The Fraser has its source in the Rocky Mountains and flows 1368 km (850 mi) before emptying into Georgia Strait, near Vancouver. The Columbia River, one of the largest rivers in western North America, begins in southeastern British Columbia and flows 740 km (460 mi) before entering the United States. The Stikine is another important river in the northwest part of the province. British Columbia has many large natural lakes, especially in the valleys of the southern and central interior. Among the largest lakes are Babine, Atlin, Kootenay, Ootsa, Okanagan, Upper and Lower Arrow, and Quesnel. Several high dams have backed up long reservoirs, particularly on the Columbia and Peace rivers, and hydropower generation is well developed. Some rivers have not been harnessed in order to protect the salmon runs on them. Artificial lakes include Williston Lake on the Peace River (the province's largest lake) and the Nechako Reservoir on the Nechako River.
Climate
Coastal British Columbia has a mild climate; winters are wet and mild, and summers are cool and somewhat drier, especially in the south. The average coastal temperature is about 0° C (32° F) in January, and about 15° C (59° F) in July. Moist ocean winds bring plenty of precipitation to the coastal region, with annual precipitation in the range of 150 to 250 cm (59 to 98 in). With some local variations, it can be noted that annual temperature range increases and precipitation decreases moving inland from the coast. The eastern and especially northeastern parts of the province have a different climate, more like the weather of the interior plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Winters are very cold, summers are warm to hot, and there is moderate precipitation. Average temperatures range from -10° to -15° C (14° to 5° F) in January, to July temperatures between 15° and 20° C (60° and 70° F). Inland average precipitation is in the range of 70 to 100 cm (28 to 39 in), and can be as low as 25 cm (10 in). The lowest temperature ever recorded in British Columbia was -58.9° C (-74° F), in Smith River in 1947. The highest was 44.4° C (111.9° F), at Lillooet in 1941.
Plants and Animals
About half of the total land area of British Columbia is forested, and the province contains nearly 40 percent of Canada's merchantable wood. The coastal forest, with western hemlock, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and various pines, grows rapidly in the mild, wet climate and produces the largest trees in Canada. The forest of the interior is coniferous; aspen and birch are also common here, as well as spruce and pine. In the dry lowlands of the southern and central interior, a steppelike vegetation of grasses and pines is characteristic. In the northeastern corner of the province is found a parkland of prairie grasses and aspens. At elevations higher than about 1830 m (about 6000 ft), an alpine vegetation of shrubs, mosses, and grasses occurs.
Large mammals are abundant in British Columbia and include grizzly bear, black bear, moose, caribou, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat. Other mammals found here include beaver, lynx, marten, mink, and otter. The great diversity of habitat also harbors a wide range of bird life, especially waterfowl. Also found are various species of frogs, toads, and snakes, including rattlesnakes in the southern interior. Coastal waters abound in salmon, herring, tuna, and shellfish. Trout, pike, and sturgeon are important sport fishes in most of the rivers.
Population
According to the 1999 census, British Columbia had 3,762,061 inhabitants. The overall population density in 1991 was only 3 people per sq km (9 per sq mi); the distribution of population, however, was extremely uneven, with the majority concentrated in the southwest and in the valleys of the south central part of the province. English was the only mother tongue of about four-fifths of the people; less than 2 percent had French as their only mother tongue. More than 83,000 indigenous peoples lived in the province, about half of them on reserves. The great majority of the Native Americans in British Columbia belonged to six linguistic groups: Kootenay, Salishan, Haida, Tlingit, Wakashan, and Tsimshian. People of Asian descent, particularly Chinese and Indians, formed a significant and growing minority in British Columbia, concentrated primarily in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area. The United Church of Canada, a Protestant denomination, was the largest religious group in the province. About 80 percent of all British Columbians lived in areas defined as urban, and the rest lived in rural areas. The province's largest cities were Vancouver, the heart of Canada's third largest metropolitan area; Richmond; Surrey; Kamloops; Kelowna; Victoria; and Prince George.
Cultural Institutions
Vancouver is the cultural heart of the province, but Victoria and other communities also have many cultural institutions. The leading museums in Vancouver include the Vancouver Museum, with historical and anthropological collections; the Museum of Anthropology, on the campus of the University of British Columbia; and the Maritime Museum, with items related to the development of the Port of Vancouver. The H. R. MacMillan Planetarium in Vancouver presents regular shows. The Pacific National Exhibition, with agricultural and industrial exhibits, is held in Vancouver every year in late August. 'Ksan Indian Village in Hazelton is a detailed reconstruction of a Native American village from the 1800s, and there are cultural performances each summer. Museums in Victoria include the Royal British Columbia Museum, containing local Native American artifacts, and a maritime museum. Thunderbird Park in Victoria has an excellent collection of totem poles.
British Columbia has more than 550 municipal, regional, academic, and special libraries. The largest public library system is in Vancouver. The leading research library is at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver. In Victoria are the Legislative Library and the Provincial Archives, which have materials related to the province's history.
Both Vancouver and Victoria have symphony orchestras and opera companies, and Vancouver also has a ballet company. The province's foremost theaters include Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver and McPherson Playhouse in Victoria. Nearly 30 professional theater groups and nine dance companies are active in British Columbia.
Historical Sites
Most of British Columbia's historical sites commemorate the pioneers and early settlers of the province. Barkerville Provincial Historical Park, in the Cariboo Mountains, is a restored mining town that was founded during the gold rush of the 1860s. National historic sites in the province are Fort Langley, east of Vancouver, with remnants of the Hudson's Bay Company fort, and Fort Rodd Hill, near Victoria, with 19th-century fortifications.
Sports and Recreation
British Columbia is famous for its spectacular mountains and beautiful coastal scenery, which are well represented in the many provincial and federal parks, including Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier, and Pacific Rim National Park. Excellent salmon fishing and other water sports at Vancouver Island attract tourists; hunting, hiking, and camping are also popular. B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, one of the largest air-supported domes in the world, was built for Expo '86 and is the home of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. The Vancouver Canucks, a professional ice-hockey team, belongs to the National Hockey League. The upstart Vancouver Grizzles of the NBA, play in the beautiful new GM Place Arena
Fishing
The fishing industry accounts for no more than 1 percent of the annual gross domestic product in British Columbia, but remains an important economic factor for many coastal communities. Salmon is by far the most important species; others caught include herring, cod, halibut, crab, flounder, and shrimp.
Tourism
Tourism is a significant sector of the British Columbia economy. Each year some 23 million overnight visitors spend more than Can.$5.5 billion in the province. Recreational and scenic attractions of both seacoast and mountains are provided in British Columbia's four national parks and 390 provincial parks, wilderness areas, and campgrounds.
Transportation
In the late 1980s British Columbia had about 65,350 km (about 40,605 mi) of roads and streets, of which 58 percent was paved. Major highways include the Trans-Canada Highway, which crosses the Rocky Mountains and terminates at Vancouver, and the Alaska Highway, which links Dawson with Fairbanks, Alaska. The province is served by about 6575 km (about 4085 mi) of mainline railroad track. Transcontinental lines terminate in Vancouver and Prince Rupert. The Port of Vancouver is by far the busiest port in Canada, handling about one-third of the tonnage loaded for export. It is essentially a bulk cargo port handling grains (especially wheat) and minerals. Other ports in British Columbia include Prince Rupert and East Vancouver Island. Vancouver International Airport is one of the busiest in Canada. An international airport is also located in Victoria.
History
The Danish navigator Vitus Bering approached what is now British Columbia in 1741. In 1774, the coast was noted on charts by the Spanish explorer Juan Pérez. British trading with the Native Americans of the northern coast followed the visit of the British mariner and explorer Captain James Cook to Nootka in 1778. Much of the subsequent mapping of the coastal indentations and islands of the region was done by two expeditions, one British and the other Spanish; they did not know of the other's presence in the area until they met in Georgia Strait in 1792. The British were commanded by a naval officer, George Vancouver. The two parties explored the Pacific coast from Puget Sound northward through Georgia Strait and then sailed together for Nootka Sound to discuss ownership of the newly mapped coast. In 1795, under the Nootka Convention (1790), Spain withdrew from the area.
At about the same time, explorations of the interior regions were also in progress. In 1793 the British explorer Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who was in the service of the fur-trading North West Company, ascended the Peace and Parsnip rivers from Lake Athabasca in search of an overland route to the Pacific. He crossed the low divide to the Fraser River, turned westward up the West Road River, and found a low pass through the Coast Mountains to the sea near Bella Coola. Other fur traders from the interior followed, and the first fur-trading fort, Fort McLeod, was built in 1805 to the north of present-day Prince George. From this interior fur-trading region the American-born trader and explorer Simon Fraser completed the exploration of the swift Fraser River, arriving at its mouth in July 1808. At about the same time, the Canadian surveyor and explorer David Thompson mapped the rivers of the Kootenay region, and in 1812 he explored the Columbia River to its mouth. During this period the mainland was known as New Caledonia.
For several decades thereafter the area was the domain of the Hudson's Bay Company, a fur-trading enterprise. Fort Langley, the first coastal trading post of the company, was built in 1827 near the mouth of the Fraser River, and the West Coast headquarters, Fort Victoria, was erected in 1843. When the Oregon Treaty of 1846 established the 49th parallel as the boundary between British and United States territory, Victoria became the center of British interests. In order to protect the territory, Great Britain proclaimed Vancouver Island a crown colony in 1849, naming Victoria the capital. The first governor, Richard Blanshard, had little authority over the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company. The British government acknowledged this fact in 1851 by naming the chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, James Douglas, governor of the colony. In the same year the Queen Charlotte Islands were made a dependency of the Vancouver Island colony.
The Gold Rush
In 1858 gold was discovered in the central Fraser River and Cariboo Mountains regions, and the rush to the area began, with miners flocking northward from San Francisco. As a result, the British Colonial Office created a new crown colony on the mainland, that of British Columbia. By 1860 the rowdy, booming town of Barkerville was the center of the Cariboo mining population, and Royal Engineers were attempting to construct a road along the canyons of the Fraser River. In order to control the northward movement of the gold miners, the territory of Stikine was added to British Columbia in 1862.
After the readily found alluvial gold was exhausted, the excitement of the search subsided, and the gold-seeking population of the interior drifted out of the colony or migrated to the coast. In 1866 the mainland and island colonies were merged into a single entity, with New Westminster as capital; in 1868, however, the capital was reestablished in the older settlement of Victoria.
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