British Columbia is the westernmost province in Canada, bordering the Pacific Ocean. It has a diverse geography that includes coastal islands, mountain ranges like the Coastal Mountains and Rocky Mountains, and rivers like the Fraser River. The province has a population of over 4.2 million people and its largest city is Vancouver. Key industries include forestry, mining, fishing, farming, and film production. Tourism is also an important part of the economy as people visit places like Stanley Park, Whistler Mountain, and the Okanagan Valley.

1. British Columbia By : Rheal Faithful

2. Facts -B.C. is the most western province in Canada and the third largest.-Alberta is to the east, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories are north .-The Pacific Ocean is to the west. -To the south, B.C. is bordered by three U.S. states - Washington, Idaho and Montana.-There are many islands off the coast that are also part of B.C. -Victoria, the capital city is on Vancouver Island.-Vancouver is the third largest city in Canada.-B.C.'s flower - Pacific Dogwood, bird - Stellar's Jay, tree - Western Red Cedar. -motto - "Splendour without diminishment"

3. History About My Province. The first people to live in BC : Tlingit, Sekani, Haida, Nootka, Chilcotin and Shuswap.-They fished for salmon and seals and hunted deer, bear and elk.-They built large wooden houses and carved totem poles.-(1778) Captain James Cook a British explorer sailed to Vancouver Island.-George Vancouver mapped the coastline (1792-1794).-Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and David Thompson explored the interior of B.C. -Fur trading posts were built.-(1857-1858) Fraser Valley Gold Rush brought many people.-B.C. became a province in 1871.-Canadian government promised to build a railway to B.C.-Thousands of Chinese labourers arrived to pan for gold and to help build the railway. -The Japanese came to work as agricultural labourers and fishermen.-In 1885 the CPR railway reached Vancouver. -British settlers came by train to the west coast.

4. Fun stuff About my Province Bird: Steller’s Jay Flower: Pacific dogwood Gemstone: Jade Tree: Western Red Cedar B.C. is a haven for bird watchers. It's estimated that over one million birds use the Pacific Flyway, two of the many species that use this corridor are the rufous hummingbirds and the Snow geese. Animals include moose, Rocky Mountain elk, deer, woodland caribou, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bears, grizzly bears, cougars, and the hoary marmots. Subspecies of the black bear include the Kermode white bear that lives in the Terrace-Kitamat region and the glacier bear that's found in the northwest area of the province. Sea life is abundant in B.C. coastal waters. Pacific gray whales migrate along the west coast of Vancouver Island, orcas (killer whales) live in the east coast water of Vancouver Island. Occasionally minke whales are seen, and recently humpback whales have been spotted. Harbour seals are common. There are Stellar and California sea lion colonies. Five different species of salmon live in Pacific waters. Lingcod and halibut are also found in waters along the coast. B.C. inland streams and lakes offer cutthroat, rainbow and Dolly Varden trout and kokanee salmon. Be sure to visit the Wilderness section of the BC Adventure

5. The people B.C. is the home to over 4.2 million people. (2006) -The largest city is Vancouver. (2.1 million estimated) -The Northwest Coast Native peoples live in B.C.-People came from Britain, Western Europe, East and Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. -B.C. has the largest Chinese community in Canada.-The top 10 languages spoken are English, Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin), Punjabi, German, French, Tagalog, Korean, Spanish, Persian, and Italian.-About 75 percent of the people live in the southwest part of the province

6. LAND AND WATER The Fraser River is one of the largest rivers in Canada.-Both the Fraser and the Columbia River flow into the Pacific Ocean.-Ferry boats take people to and from the Islands off the coast.-There are seven national parks in B.C.-The three main mountain ranges are the Coastal Mountains in the west, the Columbia Mountains in the centre, and the Rocky Mountains in the east.-There are thousands of islands along the coastline,including the Queen Charlotte Islands (north) and the Gulf Islands near the southern end of Vancouver Island

7. CLIMATE -The coastal mountains protect the Lower Mainland and the coast from the cold Arctic air masses in the winter.-The mountains along the coast bring the coastal region a lot of rain. -Vancouver and Victoria are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than the central areas of the province.

8. RESOURCES/INDUSTRIES -Forestry is the largest industry. Forest covers over half of B.C.-B.C. has the largest and oldest trees in Canada.-B.C.'s mountains, parks and beaches attract many tourists.-Mining is the third largest industy. (copper, coal, gold, silver, zinc, sulphur, asbestos) -B.C. has a large fishing industry (salmon, halibut, clams, cod, crab, oysters, rockfish, shrimp and herring) -Fraser Valley has cattle and dairy farms and farms that grow fruit and flowers.-There are many orchards in the Okanagan Valley. ( apples, cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums)-The province is Canada's second largest generator of hydro electricity.-B.C. is Canada's second largest natural gas producer.-B.C. is the third largest film and television production centre in North America (after New York and Los Angeles).

9. PEOPLE and PLACES Emily Carr (1871-1945) - painted the West Coast Aboriginal people-Terry Fox (1958-1981) - tried to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research-Chief Dan George (1899-1981) - actor and poet -Stanley Park in Vancouver is one of Canada's biggest city parks with an aquarium, gardens, beaches, trails and totem poles carved out of wood by the native people of the west coast.-The mountains, the coastline and the mild weather attract thousands of tourists.-Tourists come to ski at Whistler Mountain and other ski resorts in B.C.-Okanagan Valley is known for the warm weather, wineries and as a fruit growing region.-Vancouver has Canada's largest port.-Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

10. Pictures