British Columbia is the westernmost province of
Canada. It has a population of 4,100,000. Its area is 95,000,000 hectares, which equates to about 10% of the country. The
Pacific Ocean is immediately to the west of the province, and it is bordered by the state of
Alaska and the
Northwest and
Yukon Territories to the north,
Alberta to the east, and
Montana,
Idaho and
Washington States to the south. The provincial capital city is
Victoria.
The three main languages spoken are English, Chinese, and Punjabi.
British Columbia's 34th, and current, Premier is the Honorable Gordon Campbell, leader of the provincial Liberal Party. In the provincial assembly's 79 seats, 46 are held by the Liberals, and 33 are held by the New Democrats.
The automobile licence plate slogan is "Beautiful British Columbia".
British Columbia's has area code overlays for Greater Vancouver 604 and 778, and a normal area code of 250 for the rest of the province.
Official Stuff:
The provincial flower is the Pacific Dogwood.
The provincial bird is the Steller's Jay.
The provincial gemstone is the Jade.
The provincial tree is the Western Red Cedar.
In 1871, British Columbia joined the Canadian confederacy, becoming Canada's 6th province.
British Columbia's coat of arms was first created as a shield of arms, in 1906, by King Edward VII, and then the other elements added in 1987 by Queen Elizabeth II.
British Columbia's provincial flag, adopted in 1960, depicts a sun setting on a wavy, blue and white horizontally striped field, over which is a union jack with a crown in the centre.
British Columbia's provincial tartan, adopted in 1974, is made up of five colours, blue, white, green, red, and gold.
Mountains:
Blackcomb Mountain
Burke Mountain
Whistler Mountain
Grouse Mountain
Mount Robson
Rocky Mountains
Valleys:
Comox Valley
Fraser Valley
Cities
Greater Vancouver Fraser Valley Vancouver Island
Burnaby Abbotsford Comox
Courtenay
Cumberland
Coquitlam Agassiz Duncan
Deep Cove Aldergrove Ladysmith
Delta Bradner Nanaimo
Horseshoe Bay Chilliwack Tofino
New Westminster Clayburn Victoria
North Vancouver Clearbrook
Pitt Meadows Cloverdale Queen Charlotte Islands
Port Coquitlam Fort Langley Masset
Port Moody Fraser Canyon Port Clemence
Richmond Harrison Queen Charlotte City
Surrey Hope Sandspit
Tsawassen Huntingdon Skidigate
Vancouver Kent
West Vancouver Ladner Other Cities
White Rock Langley City Ashcroft
Langley Township Cranbrook
Maple Ridge Creston
Matsqui Dawson Creek
Mission Fort Nelson
Mount Lehman Kamloops
Steveston Kelowna
Sumas Keremeos
Yale Nelson
Merritt
Penticton
Prince George
Prince Rupert
Smithers
Squamish
Whistler
Williams Lake
Islands:
Bowen Island
Denman Island
Gulf Islands
Hornby Island
Lasqueti Island
Texada Island
Sounds:
Howe Sound
Clayoquot Sound
Nootka Sound
Bays:
English Bay
Horseshoe Bay
Inlets:
Burrard Inlet
Saanich Inlet
Straits:
Strait of Georgia
Strait of Juan de Fuca
Rivers:
Fraser River
Nechako River
Skeena River
Other geography:
Juan de Fuca plate
False Creek
Pacific Ocean
People:
Big Tall Garden
bill bissett
Bill Reid
Christopher Gaze
Conrad Alexandrowicz
David Bloom
Douglas Coupland
Emily Carr
Glen Clark
Hal Gray
Jason Kurylo
Kinnie Starr
The Malchiks
Malcolm Lowry
Morris Paynch
Nick Bantock
Rosemary Brown
Ross Nichol
Shane Koyczan
Sharon Thesen
Spider Robinson
The Be Good Tanyas
W. P. Kinsella
William Gibson
Transportation:
SeaBus
SkyTrain
West Coast Bus Lines
BC Ferries
BC Transit
BC Ran It
AirCare
ICBC
TransLink
U-Pass
Food and Beverage:
Cold Beer and Wine Store
Purdy's Chocolates
Education:
British Columbia's Universities
Newspapers:
The Province
The Vancouver Sun
British Columbia's Political Parties:
Accountability British Columbia Party
All Nations Party of British Columbia
Alternative Party, The
B.C. Action Party
BC Youth Coalition
British Columbia Citizens Alliance Now
British Columbia Conservative Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
British Columbia Marijuana Party
British Columbia Party
British Columbia Patriot Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
Canadian Alliance Party of British Columbia
Central Party, The
Centre Democratic Party
Citizens Commonwealth Federation
Coalition British Columbia
Communist Party of BC
Council of British Columbians
Enterprise Party of B.C.
Freedom Party of British Columbia, The
Green Party Political Association of British Columbia
Link B.C.
Natural Law Party of British Columbia
New Democratic Party of B.C.
Party Of Citizens Who Have Decided To Think For Themselves And Be Their Own Politicians
People's Front
People of British Columbia Millionaires Party, The
Real Democracy Association of BC
Reform Party of British Columbia
Unity Party of British Columbia
We The People Party
Western Canada Concept Party of BC
Western Independence Party of BC
Western Reform
Your Political Party of BC
43 of the 197 provincial First Nations bands:
Cariboo
Chilcotin
Daa Ka
Eyak
Gitanyow
Gitxsan
Haida
Haisla
Halq'emeylem
Heiltsuk
In-SHUCK-ch
Kaska
Ktunaxa
Kwakiutl
Kwantlen
Kwikwitlam
Lillooet
Musgamagw
Musqueam
Nicola
Nisga'a
Nlaka'pamux
Nootka
Nuu-Cha-Nulth
Okanagan
Oweekeno
Pentlach
Salish
Secwepemc
Shuswap
Similkameen
Sliammon
Squamish
Stó:lõ
Tahltan
Te'Mexw
Tlinget
Tsawassen
Tsleil-Waututh
Tsimshian
Tutchone
Wet'suwet'en
Whe-La-La-U
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