Regions of British Columbia

British Columbia is a very large province and communities are very different from each other. If you plan to move to British Columbia, WelcomeBC has information that can help you decide where to live.

There are eight geographic regions in British Columbia.

Vancouver Island and Coast/Victoria

Vancouver Island is the largest island on the west coast of North America. Greater Victoria is a city with 330,000 people; there are small towns along the east coast, and wild and rugged beauty on the west coast. Find out more about Vancouver Island and Coast/Victoria

Vancouver and Metropolitan Area

With 2.6 million people,Vancouver is British Columbia's largest city. More than half of all British Columbians live here. It is also the host city for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Learn more about Vancouver

Thompson/Okanagan

The Thompson Okanagan covers 95,000 square kilometres and has about 12 per cent of B.C.'s population - almost 515,000 people. It has four distinct seasons, and is popular for summer and winter activities. In June, July and August, it is one of the warmest and sunniest places in Canada. Kelowna has about 113,000 people, and Kamloops has 85,000 people.

Learn more about the Thompson/Okanagan

Kootenay

The region's spectacular mountain ranges — the Rockies, Selkirk, Purcell, and Monashee — are a draw for year-round tourist activity. There are many parks and recreation areas for camping, hiking, sightseeing. Cranbrook, with 20,000 people, is the largest city in the Kootenays.

Learn more about Kootenay

Cariboo

The Cariboo is in the very centre of British Columbia. It is located on a high plateau, surrounded by mountains. It is the third largest region in the province, but has only four per cent of the population.

Learn more about the Cariboo

North Coast

The North Coast is a vast area of mountains, rainforest and river valleys. Prince Rupert is the largest city in the region with a population of 15,000.

Learn more about the North Coast

Nechako

Nechako is the largest region in British Columbia, but it has the least people. This part of British Columbia has thousands of lakes and is home to caribou, moose, grizzly and black bears. The largest community in the region is Smithers, with a population of just under 6,000.

Learn more about Nechako

Northeast

The Northeast covers about a quarter of the province and is rich in resources, including oil and natural gas. Only two per cent of British Columbians live here (67,000 people), and the region is known for its wilderness and wildlife.

Learn more about the Northeast