British Columbia
British Columbia (BC; French: Colombie-Britannique) is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.016 million as of 2018, it is Canada's third most populous province.
Click on the map to view British Columbia's location.
Geography
British Columbia is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and the American state of Alaska, to the north by Yukon Territory and the Northwest territories, to the east by the province of Alberta, and to the south by the American states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. British Columbia's land area is 944,735 square kilometers. British Columbia rugged coastline stretches for more than 27,000 kilometers ,and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. British Columbia's capital is Victoria. The province's most populous city is Vancouver.
Climate
British Columbia is one of the warmest region in Canada with an average daily high temperature of 11 degrees centigrade. The climate widely corresponds to Central European weather conditions. It is cold, wet and a few beautiful summer months are also happening during a year. Due to the warmer temperatures the best time for traveling is from May to September. Winter athletes will find their favorite weather conditions from November to February.
History
The area now known as British Columbia is home to First Nations groups that have a deep history with a significant number of indigenous languages. There are more than 200 First Nations in BC. The arrival of Paleoindians from Beringia took place between 20,000 and 12,000 years ago. Around 5,000 years ago individual groups started to focus on resources available to them locally. These indigenous populations evolved over the next 5,000 years across a large area into many groups with shared traditions and customs.
Economy
British Columbia’ s economy is diverse, with service-producing industries accounting for the largest portion of the province's GDP. It is the terminus of two transcontinental railways, and the site of 27 major marine cargo and passenger terminals. Though less than 5% of its vast 944,735 km2 (364,764 sq. mi) land is arable, the province is agriculturally rich, because of milder weather near the coast and in certain sheltered southern valleys. Its climate encourages outdoor reaction and tourism, though its economic mainstay has long been resource extraction, principally logging, farming, and mining. Vancouver, the province's largest city, serves as the headquarters of many western-based natural resource companies.
Taxation
Sales taxes in British Columbia are Consumption taxes levied in the province since the introduction of the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on 1 July 1948, part of the Social Service Tax Act. Sales in the province have also been subject to the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) since its introduction on 1 January 1991.On 1 July 2010, the PST and GST were combined into the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) levied according to the provisions of the GST. The conversion to HST was controversial.The sales taxes levied in the province are the separate 7% PST and 5% GST, as of April 2013.
Government and Politics
British Columbia has an 87-member elected Legislative Assembly, elected by the plurality voting system, though in recent years there has been significant debate about switching to a single transferable vote system. The province is governed by the British Columbia new democratic party (BC NDP) under Premier John Horgan. The 2017 provincial election saw the Liberal Party take 43 seats, the NDP take 41, and the British Columbia Green Party take 3. No party met the minimum of 44 seats for a majority, therefore leading to the first minority government since 1953.
Education
More international students are now choosing to study in BC than any other province in Canada. Why study in BC? British Columbia regularly appear at the top of global rankings for livability and quality of life from sources as prestigious as The Economist. Universities are consistently among the top-ranked institutions in Canada, and highly integrated education system is a global model for progressive, flexible education. By choosing to study in BC, you will join more than 100,000 students from across the globe studying at all levels in our province.
Through the British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee immigration Program, prospective immigrants with the skills and experience targeted by the province may receive a British Columbia Provincial Nomination Certificate, which will allow that foreign national to apply for Canadian permanent residence. The BC PNP accepts applications under two main immigration streams:
- Skills Immigration (including Express Entry British Columbia)
- Entrepreneur Immigration
These streams are further divided into categories. Below we provide you with additional information about each to help you determine if the BC PNP is right for you.