Vancouver
Vancouver is located on the west coast of Canada, in the province of British Columbia. It is the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It is the most populous city in British Columbia. It is consistently ranked as one of the top ten most livable cities in the world, but is also the second most expensive city in Canada (after Toronto). It is two hours north of Seattle, Washington, U.S.. It is Canada's most important port city on the Pacific Ocean. It is also an important television and movie-making location. Its population is racially and culturally extremely diverse.
Fast Facts
- City population: 611,869
- Metro area population: Over two million
- Mayor: Sam Sullivan
- Time zone: PST
- Currency: Canadian Dollar
- Incorporated: 1886
- Airport: Vancouver International Airport
- Sister cities: Los Angeles, Edinburgh, Odessa, Yokohama, Guangzhou
Geography and Climate
Vancouver is located in the southwestern part of Canada. It is bordered by water on three sides. Its breathtaking scenery, with beautiful parks and mountain and ocean views, are widely heralded. Due to the Japan Current of the Pacific Ocean, it has an extremely mild climate, temperatures dropping below freezing under fifty days per year on average.
History
Vancouver was originally settled by the Coast Salish groups of Native Americans as long as 9,000 years ago. Western settlers came to the area in droves during the Fraser Gold Rush beginning in 1858. Originally called Granville, it was renamed Vancouver on the suggestion of the head of the Canadian Pacific Railway. From 1887 to 1900 it had explosive growth; its population expanded from 5,000 to 100,000 in only 13 years. With the advent of the Panama Canal, it became one of the most important port cities on the West Coast.
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