British Columbia (Colombie~Britannique) is commonly known and written as 'BC'.
It is the westernmost of Canada's provinces.
BC is famous world~wide for the natural beauty and breathtaking scenery,
as reflected in its Latin motto, 'Splendor sine occasu'.
According to oral traditions in more than 30 different languages, indigenous peoples have inhabited
the territory now called "British Columbia"
since the beginning of time.
In 1790 ,the Spaniards created the first European colony in the region,
but England gained supremacy in 1795.
It was the sixth province to join the Canadian Confederation on July 20 1871.
BC is bordered by the Pacific Ocean
on the west, by the US state of Alaska on the northwest,
and to the north by the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, on the east by the province of Alberta, and on the south by the US states of Washington,
Idaho, and Montana.
British Columbia's land area is 944735 km2 (364764 mi2)
which is about the size of France, Germany and the Netherlands combined.
BC is larger than the total area of
Washington, Oregon and California.
Over 75% of the province is mountainous,
60% is forested, and only about 5% is arable.
British Columbia's coastline is longer than 27000 km (17000 mi),
and has many deep inlets and mountainous fjords.
There are over 6000 islands, most of which are uninhabited.
WEATHER
Climate in British Columbia
is extremely variable, constantly influenced by latitude,
mountainous topography and the Pacific Ocean.
This diversity causes wide variations in
precipitation and sunshine
over short distances.
Rainfall is heaviest along the coast and
lightest in the southern interior.
The windward outer coast of Vancouver Island
receives the greatest amount of annual rainfall.
Higher elevations in the Coast Mountains get heavy
snowfall in the winter.
Winters on the coast are temperate.
If snow falls it usually doesn't stay long.
The Coast Mountains act as a barrier to the moist
ocean air flow.
Immediately east of this mountain range,
the Interior Plateau
has an arid climate.
Summers are hottest in BC's interior,
especially in the south where temperatures
frequently surpass 30 ° C (86 ° F).
Most of the interior experiences freezing
temperatures and lasting snow from November to March.
Along the coast, temperatures range from
22 to 28 ° C (72 ~ 83 ° F).
The interior region in northwestern BC has
much colder winters and cooler summers.
The winters are generally colder and drier the further north
one travels. Summers are short and fairly cool,
though the long days partially compensate for these conditions.
Precipitation, though quite light, is distributed evenly
throughout the year.
To the east of the northern Rocky Mountains,
in the northeastern portion of BC,
lies an extension of the Great Plains, which spans
the provinces of Alberta,
Saskatchewan and
Manitoba.
This area experiences long, cold winters and short,
warm summers, with a high number of sunlight hours,
a wide variance in seasonal temperatures and
maximum rainfall during summer months.
ECONOMY
British Columbia has a resource dominated economy,
centred on the forestry and mining industries.
New jobs are mostly in the construction and retail/service sectors.
The Vancouver region is the 3rd~largest
feature~film production location in North America, after Los Angeles and New York.
The economic history of BC
is one of dramatic upswings and downswings.
This boom and bust pattern has influenced the politics,
culture and business climate of the province.
Commercial ocean transport is of vital importance.
Major international deep~sea ports are located at Vancouver,
Squamish, Prince Rupert, and Victoria.
Of these, the Port of Vancouver is the most important,
being the largest in Canada,
and the most diversified in North America.
Vancouver, Victoria,
and Prince Rupert are
also major ports of call for cruise ships.
BC's
growing tourism industry is in great economic shape,
fueled by a
competitive business climate, industry innovation,
world~class convention centres,
and virtually unlimited access to
natural resources and outdoor activities.
Top employers within tourism are food services,
accommodation and retail.
The BC Chamber of Commerce
is a non~profit organization representing the
interests and concerns of local Chambers of Commerce and
corporate members from across the province.
Members have
access to benefits, partnerships, and networking opportunities.
The Chamber routinely advocates to Provincial and Federal governments
on behalf of its members to ensure that their concerns
are being heard.
SCHOOLS
From Night~School to a
Masters Degree, from certificate to Ph.D,
British Columbia has a comprehensive
network of Universities,
Private and Public Schools, Community Colleges and other
Training Facilities.
The British Columbia Ministry of Education is responsible
for primary and secondary education, while the
Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology
is responsible for post~secondary education.
The provincial public school system is a free, universal,
non~sectarian system covering all grades from kindergarten to grade 12.
Attendance is compulsory for children from 6 to 16 years of age.
The system is currently made up of 59 school districts and
one 
Francophone Education Authority
(Conseil Scolaire Francophone
de la Colombie~Britannique).
Each district has an elected board of trustees that governs
under the School Act.
There are 6 publicly funded universities in BC,
three of which are in the Vancouver area,
and an
extensive college and institute system providing academic,
technical, vocational, career and adult basic education programs.
The programs are administered through 11 community colleges,
5 university~colleges, 5 institutes and the
Open Learning Agency.
HOSPITALITY
Servicing the needs of many tourists and business travellers has
created a huge industry of lodges, chalets, hostels,
bed & breakfasts, motels, hotels, ranches,
and park~camping facilities.
Experience BC’s breathtaking scenery and
cosmopolitan cities.
There's a room for every budget,
from 5~star resorts to rustic
backcountry cabins, laid back relaxation to white knuckle adventure.
For more detailed information, visit BC's Official Tourism Site.
NEWS
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