A large number of Indian Nations used to live along the coast and in the interior of British Columbia before the arrival of the Europeans.

The Hudson's Bay Company controlled the area west of the Rocky Mountains, including part of the Oregon Territory, until 1846 when the boundary with the United States was established at the 49th parallel. In 1848 the mainland became a British colony, and in 1849 Vancouver Island also became a British colony, administered by the Hudson's Bay Company.

On July 20, 1871, British Columbia became part of the new Dominion of Canada - on the condition that the federal government would build a transcontinental railroad. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reached Vancouver, in 1885.

Throughout the twentieth century British Columbia continued to grow with immigrants arriving from the rest of Canada and a substantial growth in Asian immigration after the 1960's.

The two most well known cities are Victoria and Vancouver. Victoria, with a population of 326,010, is located on Vancouver Island and is the Capital of BC. It is known as a beautiful tourist city. Vancouver, with a population 1,831,665, is the nation's fourth largest city and a vibrant cultural and business centre.

The mild coastal region receives from 130 to 380 cm of rain a year, while the interior has a continental climate.