British Columbia (French: la Colombie-Britannique) is one of the ten provinces of Canada, the only part of Canada on the Pacific Ocean.

The province includes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands off its Western coast.

British Columbia is Canada’s third largest province in area and population, behind Québec and Ontario. It is about four times the size of Great Britain with less than one tenth of the population.

The province is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ("Splendour without diminishment"). Much of it is rugged and mountainous, with the crest of the Rocky Mountains forming its SouthEastern border with Alberta.

British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation on July 20, 1871, as its sixth province.

More than half the population lives in the SouthWestern corner of the province, which includes Vancouver, the largest city, and Victoria, the provincial capital.

BC residents are referred to as British Columbians, while the generally accepted term for indigenous Indians or Native Canadians is First Nation. The rich and diverse cultural heritage of BC’s First Nation communities are now often the center of much of BC’s "ecotourism" industry.

With a few exceptions, the First Nations of BC (unlike the rest of Canada) have never signed treaties or officially ceded their territory to Canada. Therefore the official ownership of much of the province is contested as the First Nations claim much of the province as their territory.

The courts have generally acknowledged that there is a basis for the claims based on historical use of the land, and has urged the governments to negotiate a settlement to these claims. Settling these land claims is an enormous issue that the Province and the Country as well will have to face.

So far, only one treaty has been signed in the Nis’ga territory in Northern BC.

Like in most places worth visiting, there is a little something for everyone here. However, you will want to spend at least some time outside of the main cities in this region, and if you enjoy a very active and adventurous vacation, there are many options here to explore.

Ecotourism is an often mentioned attraction in this part of Canada. Whether backpacking in the majestic forests or coast mountains, or kayaking through the many groups of islands, getting off the beaten path is sure to lead to a memorable trip.

Following are British Columbia’s principal urban areas, in order of population (Canada Census 2006 estimates).

• Vancouver, a leading Pacific Coast seaport in SouthWestern British Columbia, and the main commercial, manufacturing, financial, tourist, and cultural center of the province.
• Surrey, in SouthWestern British Columbia, SouthEast of Vancouver, bounded by the Fraser River to the North and the United States to the South.
• Burnaby, a residential suburb East of Vancouver.
• Richmond, part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District in SouthWestern British Columbia.

Other major cities include

• Abbotsford, the primary retail, trade, and service center of the central Fraser Valley.
• Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver, between the Fraser River to the South and the flanks of the Coast Mountains to the North.
• Kelowna, the hub city of the Okanagan Valley.
• Delta, a district municipality in SouthWestern British Columbia, on a peninsula South of Vancouver.
• Kamloops, a transportation center that serves the Southern Cariboo country.
• Nanaimo, in the Regional District of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in SouthWestern British Columbia.
• Victoria, the provincial capital and main city of Vancouver Island.
• Prince George, in the Fraser-Fort George Regional District, the major center of North central British Columbia.