West End, Vancouver © Tourism Vancouver/Andy Mons
Canada's most westerly province, British Columbia is sandwiched
between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the mighty Pacific
Ocean on the west, bordered to the south by the USA and to the
north by the Northwest and Yukon territories. Its location on the
Pacific Rim ensures that British Columbia has a rich blend of
cultures, with large numbers of Asian communities living among the
descendants of the English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh pioneers.
Together with the area's own rich native culture, this makes for
interesting towns and cities with a cosmopolitan ambience.
The combination of sea and mountains, and the broken coastline
which sports hundreds of islands and inlets, gives the province a
diverse set of natural attractions and recreational opportunities,
from world-class winter sports to sailing or hiking in tall
forests. It is especially attractive to travellers who enjoy the
great outdoors, particularly because a good transport
infrastructure of ferries, charter boats, trains and
well-maintained roads makes it possible to access all the
wilderness spots in British Columbia with ease and comfort.
The provincial capital is the city of Victoria, situated on the
southern tip of Vancouver Island, but its largest and most
populated city is Vancouver, known as Canada's 'emerald jewel'
because of its green-blue vistas of mountains and sea.
