British Columbia

• Canada's westernmost province 
• has over 27,000 km of coastline 
• third largest province, occupying 10% of Canada's land surface 
• larger than Washington, Oregon and California combined
• about the size of France, Germany and the Netherlands combined 
• one of few places in the world with a temperate rainforest 
• Vancouver Island is the largest island off the coast of the Americas 
• Mount Robson 3,954 m is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies 
• provincial capital Victoria 
• provincial flower Pacific Dogwood 
• provincial tree Western Red Cedar 
• provincial bird Stellar's Jay 
• most of the province is in the Pacific Time Zone, with the far southeastern corner in the Mountain Time Zone 

British Columbia (BC) is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north, with the panhandle of Alaska forming about half of the western boundary. On the east, BC is bordered by Alberta, and to the south the US states of Washington, Idaho and Montana. Google Map

BC is a distinct geographical region in Canada. Where the Pacific Ocean reaches the continent, it meets a chain of islands running from north to south known as the Inside Passage. This passage extends from the Juan de Fuca Strait at the southern end of Vancouver Island, north to Prince Rupert and up to Alaska. The rugged coastline includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, many of them uninhabited.

Much of the western part of Vancouver Island and the rest of the coast is covered by temperate rain forest. This region is one of a mere handful of such temperate rain forest ecosystems in the world.

The BC Interior changes dramatically from north to south. In the extreme northeast a small corner is an extension of the Great Plains. The Cariboo plateau is a series of high plateaus and rolling ranchland, while the southern Okanagan interior is made up of fertile valleys that produce fruits and vegetables. The far south of the province is a small section of arid desert.

Sixty percent of the province is forested, about 5% is arable, and 75% is mountainous:

• The Coastal Mountains rise 3000-4000m above sea level 
• The Insular Mountains form the backbones of the offshore islands. 
• The Rocky Mountains form almost half of the province's eastern boundary. 
• The Interior System of the Purcell, Selkirk,Monashee and Caribou mountains 

Lakes and Rivers - Lakes and rivers dominate the interior valleys. The southern interior lakes such as the Okanagan, Skaha and the Shuswap are popular tourist destinations. The northern lakes such as Babine and Atlin Lake are more closely related to hydro-electric projects and subsistence activities by First Nations peoples.

Most of the province's major rivers, the Columbia, Fraser, and Kootenay, and the Finlay and Parsnip, unite to form the Peace River in the Rocky Mountain trench. The remote Tatshenshini-Alsek River in the northwest corner of the province is a ten day canoe trip.

Climate - The mild coastal region receives from 130 to 380 cm of rain a year. Along the coast temperatures are also milder, averaging about 16°C (60°F) in July and 4°C (39°F) in January.

Some parts of the Interior are nearly desert, with an annual rainfall of less than 250 millimetres. The valleys of the Columbia-Kootenay region have a dry climate, with an annual rainfall of 450 to 500 millimetres. The Okanagan area has some of the warmest and longest summer climates in Canada, although their temperature ranges are exceeded by the even-warmer Fraser Canyon, where summer shade temperatures often surpass 40°C (104 °F) but with very low humidity.

Temperatures in the far northern section of the Interior System may range from below -57° C in the winter to above 38° C (100° F) in the summer. In the southern section and in the north eastern Peace River country, winter temperatures are less severe.

See also

Birdwatching in British Columbia

National Parks in British Columbia

Amphibians of British Columbia

Reptiles of British Columbia