Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in both British Columbia and Western Canada. Source: Wikipedia

Vancouver is bounded by the Strait of Georgia, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. The city is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch ‘van Coevorden’, denoting somebody from (in Dutch: ‘van’) Coevorden, an old city in The Netherlands.

The population of the city of Vancouver is 578,041 and the population of Metro Vancouver is 2,116,581 (2006 Census). Vancouver is also part of the slightly larger Lower Mainland metropolitan area which comprises a total population of 2,547,479, making it the largest metropolitan area in Western Canada and the third largest in the country. The city is ethnically diverse, with 52% of city residents and 43% of residents of Metro Vancouver having a first language other than English.

The Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest and most diversified, does more than C$43 billion in trade with over 90 countries annually. Port activities generate $4 billion in gross domestic product and $8.9 billion in economic output. Vancouver is also the headquarters of forest product and mining companies. In recent years, Vancouver has become an increasingly important centre for software development, biotechnology and a vibrant film industry.

The city’s scenic location makes it a major tourist destination. Visitors come for the city’s gardens, Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, VanDusen and the mountains, ocean, forest and parklands surrounding the city. Over a million people annually pass through Vancouver en route to a cruise ship vacation, usually to Alaska. Vancouver will host the Winter Olympic Games 2010.

Date: 2009-06-23