GEOGRAPHY

Between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, British Columbia is on the West Coast of Canada. It is a very large province - four times as big as Great Britain and two and a half times bigger than Japan.

British Columbia's spectacular Pacific coastline includes deep inlets, bays, harbours and fjords. There are about 40,000 islands along the coast, ranging from tiny, unnamed rocks to the rugged beauty of Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) and heavily populated islands like the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.

About 75 per cent of British Columbia is covered in mountains. These regions are very popular for hiking and skiing. Whistler and Blackcomb mountains are near Vancouver, and will be showcased during the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Find out more about the geography of British Columbia.