It is estimated that the first people began living in British Columbia around 20,000 years ago. These original inhabitants developed small hunter-gatherer societies that would routinely move their homes in hopes of finding more resources. These unsophisticated societies gradually started to evolve over the course of thousands of years. Europeans settlers started arriving in British Columbia in the late 1700s. While they helped develop trading posts throughout the area, they also brought Smallpox and other dangerous diseases.
British Columbia officially became a colony of Great Britain in 1858. The area was turned into a province of Canada 13 years later. British Columbia rapidly expanded after its confederation, and it is now one of the largest and most economically diverse provinces in the country.
Located directly on the Pacific Ocean, British Columbia is found on the western border of Canada. It shares a land border with Alberta, the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories and four US states. The geography of British Columbia drastically changes based on your location. The western edge of the province is filled with beautiful coastlines and forests. There are large mountains in the northern section of the province, but this area has very few inhabitants. The diverse topography of the area truly makes British Columbia one of the most unique provinces in Canada. There is no better place to witness the unique beauty of the area than at one of the four national parks in the province.
Due to its location near the Pacific Ocean, British Columbia has a rather mild climate when compared to the rest of Canada. The annual average temperature in British Columbia is warmer than anywhere else in the country. This means most of the province will rarely experience extreme weather throughout the entire year. The winters bring a lot of precipitation. Most of this precipitation is rain because temperatures rarely drop below freezing. The mountainous regions in the north will see heavy snow storms in the winter, but these areas are large deserted. The summers in British Columbia are dominated by warm and dry weather. Mild temperatures and occasional rain are the norm in the spring and autumn months.
British Columbia has a very diverse economy that drastically changes based on the local area. The economies in the rural ares are dominated by foresting and mining. Real estate and the financial sector dominate the economy in the province’s highly populated cities. The coastal regions have economies that are focused on tourism. The economic performance of British Columbia has steadily grown in recent years. It contributed roughly $282 billion to Canada’s national GDP last year. With an unemployment rate of just over four percent, the economy should continue to grow in the upcoming years. British Columbia’s unemployment rate is lower than any other province in Canada.
British Columbia Cities and Regional Municipalities Include:
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