| British Columbia ((in)British Columbia) | |
 | |
| Reflection of Mount Whitehorn on Kinney Lake | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Regional capital | Victoria |
| Area | 944 735 km² |
| Population | 4 622 573 hab. (2012) |
| Density | 4,89 inhab./km² |
| Postal code | V |
| Spindle | pacific time |
| Location | |
 54 ° 6 ′ 0 ″ N 125 ° 36 ′ 0 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The British Columbia is a province of Canada located between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the East.
Understand
British Columbia is the province canadian the most westerly. It covers an area equivalent to about four times that of the Britain, but has only a tenth of the population of it. British Columbia is a very mountainous region with several mountain ranges stretching from north to south including the Rocky mountains, the Selkirks, the Purcells and the Coast Range.
British Columbia has something for everyone. You have to spend at least a little time outside the cities to fully appreciate the region. If you are active and adventurous, there are several options available to you. British Columbia is renowned forecotourism. Whether it is in hiking with backpack in the majestic forests or in the coastal mountains or by kayaking through the islands of one of the many archipelagos, going off the beaten track in British Columbia will make you experience a memorable trip.
Regions
.png/500px-BC_regions_map_(fr).png) British Columbia Map |
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Cities
- 1 Kamloops
- 2 Kelowna – Center of the okanagan valley.
- 3 Nelson
- 4 Prince george
- 5 Prince rupert
- 6 Tofino – Beaches, surfing and whales.
- 7 Victoria – The provincial capital, located on theVancouver Island.
- 8 Vancouver – The largest city in the province.
- 9 Whistler – Famous for its ski resort, Whistler-Blackcomb.
Other destinations
- 1 Glacier National Park – Park located in the Columbia mountain range protecting old forests of cedar and hemlock. It includes caribou, mountain goats and grizzly bears.
- 2 Gulf Islands National Park – National park comprising 15 islands and numerous islets protecting a representative element of one of the most endangered natural regions of the country. It includes seals and shorebirds.
- 3 Kootenay National Park (also extends into Alberta) – National park located in Rocky Mountains. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 4 Mount Revelstoke National Park – National park located in the Selkirk mountain range protecting a portion of the interior rainforest. It includes grizzly bears and caribou.
- 5 Yoho National Park – National park located in Rocky Mountains known for its Burgess Shale. It includes grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and wolverines. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 6 Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site – Park protecting the south of the archipelago Haida Gwaii, a group of islands with flora and fauna different from those found on the mainland. It is also a Haida heritage site including the SG̲ang Gwaay site where we find mortuary poles of this people. This site is part of Unesco World Heritage.
- 7 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve – Park protecting a temperate rainforest located on theVancouver Island. He is known for the West Coast trail. It is a biosphere reserve.
- 8 Mont-Robson Provincial Park
- 9 Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park
To go
By plane
The main international airport in the province is that of Vancouver which is served by most of the major international airlines. Victoria, Abbotsford, Cranbrook and Kelowna also have an international airport with connections to several other destinations canadian and some destinations American.
On a boat
There are ferries (ferries) connecting theWashington state in Victoria and Sidney, British Columbia. There are also ferries connecting theAlaska at Prince rupert.
By train
The Amtrak railway company connects Seattle in L'Washington state at Vancouver. For its part, the railway company VIA Rail offers connections within the Canada. The main line goes to Vancouver via Kamloops and go to Alberta via Jasper and goes to Toronto including through Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. Then, other lines allow you to go further east to Halifax in New Scotland on the east coast, including Montreal. From Jasper, there is a second rail line served by VIA Rail going to Prince rupert Passing by Prince george.
By car
There are several road entry points along the border American in British Columbia fromWashington state. There are also road entry points into British Columbia from theIdaho, of Montana andAlaska. British Columbia is connected toAlberta and at Yukon by several highways. Highways through Alberta then head east into the rest of the Canada, whose Trans-Canada Highway.
Circulate
By bus
There are coach connections along the main roads between the towns. It is sometimes possible to make arrangements to get off at any point between two stops. The main companies to contact are Pacific Coach Lines and Greyhound.
During the summer season, several guided bus tours are offered. Moose Travel Network is an interesting company that offers a unique service along less traveled routes that is a combination of just getting you to your final destination and touring interesting destinations. It offers various flexible packages, many of which connect the coast to popular destinations in the Canadian rockies such as Jasper and Banff in Alberta.
There is also a daily bus connecting theVancouver Island and Whistler.
By plane
Since British Columbia is a large province, air travel is the most efficient way to reach most of the province's destinations. However, flights can be very expensive. Indeed, it is often more expensive to fly from Vancouver to another destination in British Columbia than flying from the same city to theEurope. Vancouver is the regional hub for the majority of air links in British Columbia. Seaplanes are also used as an efficient means to reach several coastal destinations.
On a boat
There are ferry lines (ferries) Between Vancouver and theVancouver Island, between Vancouver Island and Prince rupert as well as between Prince rupert and the archipelago Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands).
BCFerries is the company to contact. Often it can be more advantageous to cross on foot or by bicycle than to embark with your vehicle. Even if the destination requires the use of a vehicle, it may be more beneficial to take the ferry on foot and rent a car on the island. If you are crossing on a bus, make sure the ferry is included in the ticket.
By train
By car
Since interesting destinations in British Columbia are often outside of cities and not accessible by public transit, renting a car is worth it.
Note that the headlights must be on both day and night regardless of the conditions. In winter, you must plan your route very carefully since British Columbia experiences dangerous weather conditions. Provincial laws require gasoline to be prepaid before refueling.
Itineraries
Speak
Although the Canada be officially a bilingual country English and French, there are very few Francophones in British Columbia. Federal government services are generally available in English and French, but provincial and municipal government services are provided in English only. Some establishments, particularly in Vancouver and Victoria, offer their services in other languages, mainly languages asian such as chinese Mandarin or Cantonese, because of the large Asian community living in the region.
Buy
Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5% and Provincial Sales Tax (PST) of 7%, for a total of 12%, apply on the majority of goods and services purchased in Colombia. British.
