British Columbia

Colombie-Britannique

General Information:

Location: Western Canada
Capital: Victoria
Language(s): English
Population: 5,120,184
Total Area: 944,735 sq km
Curious Alcohol Fact: The legal drinking age in the province is 19.
Most Popular Drink(s): Wines, beers and maple syrup.
What You Must Do in British Columbia: You need to visit the famed Glacier National Park.

British Columbia Travel Video

Video Courtesy: World Wild Hearts

The Province

British Columbia is the westernmost province in Canada and is bounded to the west by the American state of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. To the north are the Northwest Territories and Yukon and on the east, there is the province of Alberta. To the south, British Columbia is bounded by three US states: Washington, Montana and Idaho. The geography of the province is mind-blowing and it is only in British Columbia that you will see Norwegian-styled fjords and incredibly beautiful archipelagos. Although the provincial capital is Victoria, the largest and the most popular city is the legendary Vancouver. This city also doubles as the largest port in the country and one of the most populous metropolitan areas in North America.

The People

Although more than half of the people in the province have English (or Irish) ancestry, I was struck by the multiethnic nature of British Columbia. You will come across Europeans (French, Germans, Ukrainians, Dutch, Norwegians, Polish, Swedish, Russian and Italians) and Asians (Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Pakistanis, Iranians and Koreans). One thing is that if you are a polyglot, you will love British Columbia. In addition to all these residents, there are indigenous groups like the Athabaska who form minorities in the province. In terms of religious beliefs, the residents are mainly Christians with numerous sects –Protestants, Roman Catholic and the United Church of Canada. Around a fifth are not affiliated to any religion and there is a handful of pagans, Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Jews. Irrespective of the background of the people of British Columbia, you will find them very charming and receptive.

Eating

You will find this province very interesting when it comes to the food. The best thing about the meals is that you get flavors from all parts of the planet. If you want the Oriental taste or the typical Western diet, British Columbia is the place. There are many restaurants and eateries where you can consume sushi or Chinese rice cakes. French bread and wines are also available while you can always order for nice Italian spaghetti. As for me, I tried steamed lobsters with traditional wine, and nothing tasted better! You can also experiment with the different meals in British Columbia. Barbequed beef and fruit juice seems nice!

Drinking

In British Columbia, you always have enough to drink (if you are 19 and above). But you need to know that there various liquor stores where you can buy and many of them are owned by the government and there are many wine stores for you. Wines are produced in the province in the famed Okanagan Valley, and if you happen to visit during autumn when the grapes are harvested, you will sip some of the best wines in North America.

Interesting Facts

The name of the province was specially chosen by Queen Victoria and it stemmed from the Columbia River, which drains the area.
The province is located at the extreme west of the country.
The province is governed by a Lieutenant-Governor who represents the Queen of England.
The capital of the province, Victoria, was named for Queen Victoria of England.
British Columbia has a rugged coastline, along which are majestic fjords and thousands of islands.
A very rugged landscape, about 75% of British Columbia is rocky and mountainous.
British Columbia is known for having one of the mildest climatic conditions in Canada.
Seven of Canada’s national parks are found in BC and the Glacier National Park is one of them while the Yoho National Park is another.

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Special thanks to our contributors:
Adebayo Ahmed Adebola (Ilorin, Nigeria).