Population: 583 296
Size: 114.67km²
Vancouver is situated 49°N of the Equator and 123°W of the Prime Meridian.
It is in the Pacific Time Zone. Both Vancouver City and Vancouver Island are named after the person who explored the area,
George Vancouver of Great Britain.
10 000 years of abundant plant life and animal life has supported
many of the people who live in the area.
Lumbering was the early industry along Burrard Inlet (Now Vancouver's sea
port). North Vancouver was where the first sawmill was opened in 1863. The first lumber export was taken to Australia in 1865.
This sawmill, called Stamp's Mill was in what was to become the city of Vancouver.
Vancouver is nicknamed the Terminal City because of the trans-continental
railway undertaken by the government of Canada. The name Vancouver derives from the existence of Vancouver Island so it would
help identify the location to easterners.
Stanley Park, which is one of Canada's largest urban parks, is found
in Vancouver.
Vancouver is the warmest city in Canada during the winter. Summer
months are sunny & the temperatures are moderate. The average temperature in Vancouver in the summer is 22°C. Rainy &
cool are what Vancouver's spring & fall are like. Snow rarely occurs in the winter because they are so close to the sea.
The average temperature of the winter is 3°C.
Vancouver is home to many people of different ethnic origins and
religions. The Punjabi Market, Japan Town, Little Italy and Greek Town are among the ethnic neighborhoods within the city.
Also, Vancouver is home to the second largest China Town in North America. Many Hong Kong immigrants consider Vancouver there
home, and call it Hongcouver! Also Vancouver has one of the largest gay populations in North America.
Canada's largest ports are found in Vancouver which is one of the
gateways to the Pacific trade. The amount of total foreign exports and cargo volume ranks second place out of all ports in
North America.
Movie making is also a popular industry here. Vancouver, also known
as "Hollywood North" is where 10% of movies are filmed.
Another important industry in the city is tourism. The best skiing
resort, Whistler, is 126km away from Vancouver. The city also has beaches, parks, waterfronts and the mountain backdrop which
attract people from all over the world to see the city's natural beauties. Also in 2010, the Winter Olympics are to be held
in the city, so that will definitely give the tourism industry a huge boost.
The most common transportation around the city is cars, buses, or
trolley buses. There are also ferry services across the Strait of Georgia to Nanaimo.
