Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport, located on the mainland of southwestern BC. It is named after Captain George Vancouver a british explorer.
The population of the city of Vancouver is 611,869, while the population of the metropolitan region, known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) or is 2,249,725 (2007 estimate). This makes it the largest metropolitan area in western Canada and the third largest in the country. The population of the city is growing rapidly, and the Metro population is projected to reach 2.6 million by 2020.
The economy of Vancouver has diversified over time, however. Vancouver has a growing tourism industry, for example, and has become the third-largest film production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York City, earning it the nickname Hollywood North .Vancouver has had an expansion in high-tech industries, most notably video game development
Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the three most livable cities in the world. According to a 2007 report by Mercer Human Resource Consulting for example, Vancouver tied with Vienna as having the third highest quality of living in the world, after Zürich and Geneva. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver and nearby Whistler.
*Winpediadia, The free encyclopedia, Copyright (c).
The Land
The variety of its landscape is the main reason for British Columbia's distinctiveness: its 947 800 km2 offer remarkable topographical contrasts. Where the Pacific Ocean reaches the continent, it meets a chain of islands, large and small, running from north to south. Some of these islands are nestled in fiords carved in the majestic Coastal Mountains, which rise more than 2 000 metres above sea level.
The People
British Columbia continues to attract Canadians and foreigners alike: 22 000 persons settled in the province in 1998, and its population now exceeds 4 million - 13 percent of Canada's total. Nearly 60 percent live in Vancouver and Victoria, the province's capital. Vancouver, the largest dry cargo port on the Pacific coast of North America, is home to more than two million people, which makes it the third largest city in Canada.
About three fourths of BC's population live in the southwestern corner of the province. The majority of B.C.'s inhabitants are of British origin, but the population includes immigrants and descendants of immigrants of all nationalities. More than 100 000 British Columbians are of Chinese origin, Vancouver has North America's second-largest Chinese community. In addition, more than 60,000 of B.C. inhabitants are from India and over 16,000 from Japan. The Aboriginal population of British Columbia is growing in numbers and is over 200,000 people
Economy
Tourism is an important economic sector in British Columbia. With over five million hectares of parkland, the Rocky Mountains remain the biggest attraction. Coastal B.C., with its beaches, and other attractions, is also popular. Each year, about 15 million people visit British Columbia.
Agriculture and fishing, especially salmon fishing, are two other key sectors of the economy of British Columbia. Manufacturing in B.C. is still largely resource-based, but is being gradually diversified by high-tech and computer-based industries related to telecommunications and the aerospace and sub-sea industries. British Columbia has the most balanced export market of all Canada's provinces, with the United States, Japan, the European Union and the Pacific Rim countries as its clientele.
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003.
| Strategic information for REBGV REALTORS® | June 27, 2008 |
They love us, they really love us Vancouver scores top marks on international liveability surveys |
LIVEABILITY STUDIES
1. Copenhagen
2. Munich
3. Tokyo
4. Zurich
5. Helsinki
6. Vienna
7. Stockholm
8. Vancouver
9. Melbourne
10. Paris
- Monocle magazine
1. Zurich
2. Vienna
3. Geneva
4. Vancouver
5. Auckland
6. Dusseldorf
7. Munich
8. Frankfort
9. Bern
10. Sydney
215. Baghdad
- Mercer Consulting *Copyright (c) June 2008. REALTORLINK | Two international studies recently scored Vancouver as one of the world’s most liveable cities.
By positioning Vancouver near the top of their surveys, and as the best North American city by far, Mercer Consulting and Monocle magazine further strengthened the city’s reputation as an internationallyattractive location.
“It’s gratifying to see Vancouver repeatedly profiled like this on the world stage,” said Dave Watt, president, REBGV. “It confirms we have much to offer people from around the globe who want to live here.”
Monocle magazine, based in Britain and started by a Winnipeg native, placed Vancouver eighth on its quality of life index, up seven places from last year.
The magazine credits our city for its role in fighting climate change, increasing building density, green initiatives, and cracking down on drug use. Points, however, were lost for the high crime rate.
The rankings were determined by a mix of the scientific - crime, education and healthcare data while incorporating a number of more subjective measurements, such as quality of housing, cultural venues and city living.
The only other Canadian city to make the list was Montreal, coming in at 16th, which was named Canada’s cultural capital.
Monocle said urban dwellers want a mix of shops and services, good transportation access, green space, independent businesses in their community, a sense of security, excellent coffee and a dynamic street life all within their communities.
Copenhagen was given the top spot by Monocle.
Mercer Consulting’s worldwide quality of life survey ranked 215 cities, with Vancouver in fourth position.
Their study was based on 39 key quality of life indicators such as political stability, banking services, censorship, sanitation measures, air pollution, education standards, public transportation, and community life.
Vancouver was the only North American city in the top 10. In fact, Canada’s cities were well represented with Toronto at 15th, Ottawa at 19th, and Montreal at 22nd. The highest placed US city is Honolulu at 28th.
Zurich scored the top position, while Baghdad was last.
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