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Set against a bachdrop of natural wonders, Vancouver unites outdoor adventure and urban excitement like no other place in the world. From wild

life to nightlife you'll discover a destination for all seasons. When visiting Vancouver, you will not only encounter our great oudoors, but also experience amazing attractions, the finest dining, a vibrant cultural scene and a multicultural environment that you're unlikely to experience in any other major city.

Vancouver is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. It is the largest metropolitan centre in western Canada and the third largest in the country. Vancouver is one of the cities of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and of the larger geographic region commonly known as the Lower Mainland of B.C. The Port of Vancouver is significant on a world scale, and Vancouver is the third largest film production centre for US-based productions in North America after Hollywood and New York.

The city's population is estimated to be 602,231 (2005) and that of the metropolitan area 2,186,965 (2001 census)[1]. Some predict that by 2020, the population of the metropolitan area will be 2.6 million[2]. A resident of Vancouver is called a "Vancouverite." The current mayor is Sam Sullivan. In 2006, Vancouver has been ranked the 56th most expensive city to live among 144 major cities in the world, and the 2nd most expensive in Canada (after Toronto).

Vancouver will be the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2007 Memorial Cup and the 2009 World Police and Fire Games. Swangard Stadium, just across the city line in Burnaby, will host some games for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Vancouver is adjacent to the Strait of Georgia, a body of water that is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. It is in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8), and the Pacific Maritime Ecozone[4]. The city itself forms part of the Burrard Peninsula, lying between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to the south. Those unfamiliar with the region may be surprised to learn that Vancouver is not on Vancouver Island. However, both the island and the city (and its U.S. counterpart) are named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver of Great Britain, who explored the region in 1792.

Vancouver has an area of 114.67 km² (44 sq. miles), including both flat and hilly ground. Vancouver has a wet climate and is surrounded by water; while early records show that there may have been as many as fifty creeks and streams in the area, currently only four are left.

Vancouver's climate is unusually temperate by Canadian standards; after Victoria, it is the second warmest major city in Canada during the winter, with daily minimum temperatures falling below 0°C on an average of 46 days per year and below -10°C on only two days per year. Precipitation varies from about 1,100 mm (43 inches) at Point Grey to 3,500 mm or more (137 inches) near the north shore mountains. Summer months are generally sunny and dry, with moderate temperatures. The daily maximum averages 22°C in July and August, and temperatures rise above 30°C only about once every five summers on average. Thunderstorms are rare, with about four to six per year. Rainfall is frequent in winter; more than half of all winter days record measureable precipitation, snowfall much less so, with only 9 winter days averaging any snowfall, and only 3 days with amounts greater than 5 cm.

The original vegetation of most of Vancouver and its suburbs was dense temperate rain forest, mostly conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder, plus large areas of swampland (even in upland areas due to poor drainage). The conifers were the usual coastal BC mix of Sitka spruce, Western red cedar, Western hemlock and Douglas fir and yew, and were reckoned to be the greatest concentration of the largest of these trees on the entire British Columbia Coast; only those of Seattle's Elliott Bay rivalled those of Burrard Inlet and English Bay in size, and there too sawmills and lumbering sprang up to exploit the gigantic trees which were within an "easy" drag of the shoreline, and therefore markets. The largest trees in Vancouver's old-growth forest were in the area of what is now Gastown, where the first logging occurred, and on the south slopes of False Creek and English Bay, especially around Jericho Beach. Stanley Park, which to most people appears to be first-growth, is actually mostly second and third growth and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can be seen throughout the park.

A diverse range of plants and trees were imported from other parts of the continent and from points across the Pacific and can be found growing throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Various species of palms have proven to be hardy to this climate, and are a common sight as are large numbers of other exotic trees including the monkey puzzle tree, the Japanese maple and various flowering exotics such as magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons. Many rhododendrons have grown to immense size as with other species imported from harsher climates in Eastern Canada or Europe; although the native Douglas maple can attain tremendous size. Also, streets in large areas of the city are lined with varieties of flowering Japanese cherry which were donated by Japan in the 1930s and make an impressive show every spring. Certain areas of West Vancouver which have the right balance of sunlight and rainfall are home to the arbutus (Arbutus menziesii), which is more associated with the climate of the Gulf Islands, Greater Victoria, and northern Puget Sound.

Vancouver is internationally renowned for its scenic setting. Vancouver has one of North America's largest urban parks, Stanley Park. The North Shore mountains dominate the city landscape, and on a clear day scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount Baker in the State of Washington to the southeast; Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia to the west and southwest and the Sunshine Coast to the northwest. The views of the city and its surroundings have made it renowned for its beauty.

Vancouver is considered to be a relaxed city, particularly by North American standards. There is a lively cultural scene, many diversions, and year-round access to outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, boating, and skiing. Some have called it a "city of neighbourhoods", each with a distinct character and ethnic mix. The city is consistently ranked within the top 3 cities in the world in which to live.

Increasingly, however, this popularity comes with a price. Vancouver can be an expensive city, with the highest housing prices in Canada. A recent survey comparing median house prices to median incomes found Vancouver was the most unaffordable city for housing in Canada -- and the fifteenth worst in the world, just marginally better than London.

The city has adopted various strategies to reduce housing costs, including cooperative housing, legalized secondary suites, increased density and smart growth. Nevertheless, as with many other cities on the west coast of North America, homelessness is a concern, as is the growing gap between rich and poor. The city’s residents are thought (incorrectly) to be affluent, a superficial perception reinforced by the number of luxury vehicles on city streets and the rate at which residential properties sell (median house price $638,000, 1st Quarter 2006), despite a median household income of only C$56,000. The Downtown Eastside district of Vancouver is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada, and is located only six to ten blocks from the expensive downtown "instant neighbourhoods" of Coal Harbour and Yaletown.

Vancouver's population density on the downtown peninsula is as high as 30,000 people per square kilometre.[citation needed] The density of the city itself is third highest of any metropolitan centre in North America, after New York City and San Francisco.

City planners in the late 1950s and 1960s deliberately encouraged the development of high-rise condominium towers in the West End downtown neighbourhood, which has resulted in a compact, pedestrian/transit/bike friendly urban core. A major and ongoing downtown condominium construction boom began in the late 1990s, financed in large part by a huge flow of capital from Hong Kong immigrants prior to the 1997 hand-over. High-rise residential developments from this period now dominate the Yaletown and Coal Harbour districts of the downtown peninsula, and also cluster around some of the SkyTrain stations on the east side of the city. Vancouver continues to pursue policies intended to increase density as an alternative to sprawl, most recently in the form of Mayor Sam Sullivan's Eco-Density initiative.

Since the 1990s, real estate values gaining as much as 10-15% per year. Due to a recent economic boom, and rise in construction and labour costs, the city has seen house prices rise as much as 20-25%, especially in the suburbs.
With its location on the Pacific Rim and at the western terminus of Canada's transcontinental highway and rail routes, Vancouver is one of the nation's largest industrial centres.

The Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest and most diversified, does more than $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 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 and a combination of mountains, ocean, forest and parklands surrounding the city. The city's numerous beaches, parks, waterfronts, and mountain backdrop, combined with its cultural and multi-ethnic character, all contribute to its unique appeal and style. Over a million people annually pass through Vancouver en route to a cruise ship vacation, usually to Alaska.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Canada's second busiest airport and the second largest gateway on the west coast of North America for international passengers.

The 1986 World Exposition was held in Vancouver. This Worlds Fair was the last to be held in North America and was considered to be a great success.

Notable buildings within the city include Christ Church Cathedral, the Hotel Vancouver (now part of the Fairmont chain, originally a Canadian Pacific hotel), the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (with a collection of First Nations art including work by Bill Reid), and the Vancouver Art Gallery (notable collections include several paintings by Emily Carr).

There are several striking modern buildings in the downtown area, including the Vancouver Law Courts and surrounding plaza known as Robson Square (Arthur Erickson, architect) and the Vancouver Library Square (Moshe Safdie, architect), reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome. The original BC Hydro headquarters building at Nelson & Burrard Streets is a modernist high-rise, now converted into the Electra condominiums. Another award winner was the "concrete waffle" of the MacMillan-Bloedel building on the north-east corner of the Georgia and Thurlow intersection. A prominent addition to the city's landscape is the giant tent-frame Canada Place, the former Canada Pavilion from Expo '86 and including the Trade and Convention Centre as well as a Cruise Ship Terminal and the Pan-Pacific Hotel.

A collection of Edwardian buildings in the city's old downtown core were, in their day, the tallest buildings in the British Empire. These were, in succession, the Province Building, the Dominion Building (1907. both at Cambie & Hastings Streets), and the Sun Tower (1911, Beatty & Pender Streets. The Sun Tower's cupola was finally exceeded as the Empire's tallest by the elaborate Art Deco-flavoured Marine Building in the 1920s (even though its absolute elevation was lower than the Hotel Vancouver and other more uptown buildings). The Marine Building is known for its elaborate ceramic tile facings and brass-gilt doors and elevators, which make it a favourite location for movie shoots. Another famous Edwardian building in the city is the current Vancouver Art Gallery building, designed by Francis Mawson Rattenbury who also designed the provincial Legislature and the original and highly decorative Hotel Vancouver (torn down after WWII as a condition of the completion of the new Hotel Vancouver a block away).

Topping the list of tallest buildings in Vancouver as of June 2006 is One Wall Centre at 150 m and 48 storeys, followed closely by the Shaw Tower at 149 m and 41 storeys. One Wall Centre will be eclipsed by new skyscrapers in the coming years, including the new 196 m tall, 60 storey Living Shangri-La residential tower and hotel, slated for completion in 2008.

The mild climate of the city and close proximity to ocean, mountains, rivers and lakes make the area a popular destination for outdoor recreation. Indeed, Vancouver has a low adult obesity rate compared to the Canadian average. Only 8% of Vancouverites are overweight as opposed to 15.5% nationwide.

Vancouver has over 2,700 acres (11 km²) of parks, with Stanley Park being the largest. The municipality also has several large beaches, many flowing into each other, with the largest groups extending from the coast of Stanley Park before reaching False Creek, and on the other side of English Bay, starting in the Kitsilano neighbourhood all the way to the University Endowment Lands, which are separate from Vancouver. The 18kms (11 miles) of beaches that surround Vancouver include English Bay (First Beach), Jericho, Kitsilano Beach, Locarno, Second Beach (Stanley Park), Spanish Bank East, Spanish Bank Extension, Spanish Bank West, Sunset, and Third Beach (Stanley Park). The coastline provides for many types of water sport, and the city is a popular destination for boating enthusiasts.

The nearby North Shore mountains are home to three ski hills - Cypress Bowl, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour - each within 20 to 30 minutes of downtown Vancouver. Mountain bikers have created world-renowned trails across the North Shore. Three rivers - Capilano River, Lynn Creek, Seymour River - each within 20 minutes of downtown provide opportunities to white water enthusiasts during periods of rain and spring melt.

Nightlife in Vancouver had, for years, been seen as restricted in comparison to other cities, with early closing times for bars and night clubs, and a reluctance by authorities to allow for further development. However, in the past few years, Vancouver has experimented with later closing hours and relaxed regulations, and an effort has been made to develop the Downtown core even further as an entertainment district, especially on and around Granville Street.