British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province, is defined by its Pacific coastline and mountain ranges. Nature areas like Glacier National Park offer hiking and biking trails, as well as campgrounds. Whistler Blackcomb is a major ski resort that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. The scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway links Whistler with Vancouver, a city known for its film industry, at the province's southern U.S. border.

The first Monday of August is known as BC Day in the province of British Columbia. British Columbia is the third largest and most westerly province in Canada and it is four times the size of Great Britain. The length of BC’s coastline is over 27,000 kilometres. Half of all British Columbians live in the metropolitan area of Vancouver.

BC has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, six National Parks and over 400 provincial parks, recreation and conservation areas. Two-thirds of British Columbia’s land base (we’re speaking of an area larger than France!) is forest land, and more than half of that area has had little or no human contact. Among all provinces and territories of Canada, British Columbia has the mildest climate. It has the longest frost-free periods of Canada and flowers often start blooming as early as February.

Quick Facts about British Columbia:

• Population:5,174,724 (5.1 million estimated)
• Land Area:944,735 Sq. Km.
• Pop. Density:4.8 persons per square kilometer
• Major Cities:Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and Prince George
• Capital City:Victoria
• Average Income:CA$84,850 median family income
• Winter:in the coldest months of the year, Vancouver has some of the mildest weather in Canada with temperatures ranging on average from 20 Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) in summer to 0 - 5 Celsius (about 45 Fahrenheit) in winter.
• Cost of Living:1250 CAD per month for single person and 2800 CAD/month for a family of 2 people. The average annual cost of shelter in British Columbia is CA$16,200.