About BC

British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province, bordered by the Alaskan Panhandle and the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north, and by Washington, Idaho, and Montana to the south. Alberta lies to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Ten mountain ranges push west from the Canadian Rockies, and ancient temperate rainforests hug the coast. In between are rolling grasslands, lush valleys, tens of thousands of lakes, glacier-fed rivers, semi-arid desert, and more.

British Columbia’s national and provincial parks protect some of the province’s best natural features and diverse environments. Approximately 14% of BC’s land base in protected, and this vast natural landscape supports wildlife in abundance, on land and in the sea.

Indigenous Peoples have inhabited this land for an estimated 10,000 years. Prior to the arrival of the first Europeans in the late 18th century, hundreds of First Nations communities thrived in all areas of what is now known as British Columbia, each with its own distinct language, culture, and traditions.

With the arrival of European settlers came a series of trading posts, and two consecutive gold rushes in the mid-1800s brought an influx of prospectors, merchants, and pioneers from around the world. The 1950s and 60s marked another period of rapid growth, with massive building projects including dams, bridges, railways, ferries, and the completion of the Trans Canada Highway.

Today, BC is home to more than 200 First Nations, many of whom offer immersive cultural experiences and guided tours around the province, sharing their living cultures through art, food, traditional knowledge, and connection with the land. There is a large Asian population here with Chinese and Punjabi the most spoken languages after English, and also sizeable German, Italian, and Russian communities.