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| October 20-22, 2009 | Victoria, British Columbia | Canada |
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Canadian province and renowned for its natural beauty.
British Columbia shares borders with the state of Alaska (US), British Columbia's land area comprises almost 945,000 km2 (365,000 sq mi) which makes it larger than the state of Texas (700,000 km2). BC, as it is commonly referred to, possesses over 27,000 km (17,000 mi) of coast line and almost 6,000 islands.
Three quarters of British Columbia's population can be found along the Lower Fraser River and its delta, a region commonly referred to as the Lower Mainland. The area also boasts one of Canada's best-known cities, Vancouver, which will be the host for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Greater Vancouver metropolitan area is home to 2.5 million people and as such the second-largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest.
In the province's interior, the Okanagan Valley forms the northernmost extension of the Sonora desert and summer temperatures can exceed 40°C (104°F) The region is famous for its wine and fruit industry and also produces excellent ciders.
The northern half of the province is only sparsely populated and mountainous. Bordering Alaska and the Yukon Territory it is transected by the Alaska Highway and has a significant oil and gas industry.
Vancouver Island is covered on a separate page.
