Vancouver

This article is about the Canadian city. For the suburb of Portland, Oregon, see Vancouver, Washington. For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation).

Vancouver
City
City of Vancouver
Downtown Vancouver skyline
Canada Place
Stanley Park and Lions Gate Bridge
Science World
Vancouver Art Gallery
Gastown
Harbour Centre
Flag of Vancouver
Flag
Coat of arms of Vancouver
Coat of arms
Official logo of Vancouver
Logo
Nickname: 
See nicknames of Vancouver
Motto(s): 
"By sea land and air we prosper"
Location of Vancouver in Metro Vancouver
Location of Vancouver in Metro Vancouver
Vancouver is located in Canada
Vancouver
Vancouver
Location within Canada
Vancouver is located in British Columbia
Vancouver
Vancouver
Location within British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°15′39″N 123°06′50″W / 49.26083°N 123.11389°W / 49.26083; -123.11389[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional districtMetro Vancouver
First settled6000–8000 BCE
EstablishedMarch 10, 1870 (as Granville)
IncorporatedApril 6, 1886 (as Vancouver)
AmalgamatedJanuary 1, 1929
Named forGeorge Vancouver
SeatVancouver City Hall
Government
 • TypeMayor-council government
 • BodyVancouver City Council (11 members)
 • MayorKen Sim (ABC Vancouver)
Area
[2]
 • City
123.63 km2 (47.73 sq mi)
 • Land115.18 km2 (44.47 sq mi)
 • Urban
[3]
911.64 km2 (351.99 sq mi)
 • Metro
[4]
2,878.93 km2 (1,111.56 sq mi)
Highest elevation
(Little Mountain)
152 m (501 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • City
662,248
 • Density5,749.9/km2 (14,892/sq mi)
  • Rank1st in Canada
 • Metro
[4]
2,642,825 (3rd in Canada)
 • Metro density918.0/km2 (2,378/sq mi)
 • Region
3,049,496
DemonymVancouverite
Gross metropolitan product
[5]
 • Vancouver CMACA$163.772 billion (2020)
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Forward sortation area
V5K – V6T, V6Z, V7X – V7Y
Area codes604, 778, 236, 672
NTS map92G3 Lulu Island, 92G6 North Vancouver
GNBC codeJBRIK[1]
Websitevancouver.ca Edit this at Wikidata

Vancouver (/vænˈkuːvər/ ⓘ van-KOO-vər; Canadian French: [vãkuvaɛ̯ʁ]) is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley, comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3 million. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada, with over 5,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,000/sq mi),[6] and the fourth highest in North America (after New York City, San Francisco, and Mexico City).

Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada: 49.3 percent of its residents are not native English speakers, 47.8 percent are native speakers of neither English nor French, and 54.5 percent of residents belong to visible minority groups.[7][8] It has been consistently ranked one of the most livable cities in Canada and in the world.[9][10][11] In terms of housing affordability, Vancouver is also one of the most expensive cities in Canada and in the world.[12] Vancouverism is the city's urban planning design philosophy.

Indigenous settlement of Vancouver began more than 10,000 years ago and included the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard) peoples. The beginnings of the modern city, which was originally named Gastown, grew around the site of a makeshift tavern on the western edges of Hastings Mill that was built on July 1, 1867, and owned by proprietor Gassy Jack. The Gastown steam clock marks the original site. Gastown then formally registered as a townsite dubbed Granville, Burrard Inlet. The city was renamed "Vancouver" in 1886 through a deal with the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Canadian Pacific transcontinental railway was extended to the city by 1887. The city's large natural seaport on the Pacific Ocean became a vital link in the trade between Asia-Pacific, East Asia, Europe, and Eastern Canada.[13][14]

Vancouver has hosted many international conferences and events, including the 1954 Commonwealth Games, UN Habitat I, Expo 86, APEC Canada 1997, the World Police and Fire Games in 1989 and 2009; several matches of 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup including the finals at BC Place in Downtown Vancouver,[15] and the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics which were held in Vancouver and Whistler, a resort community 125 km (78 mi) north of the city.[16] In 1969, Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver. The city became the permanent home to TED conferences in 2014.

As of 2016, the Port of Vancouver is the fourth-largest port by tonnage in the Americas,[17] the busiest and largest in Canada, and the most diversified port in North America.[18][19] While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second-largest industry.[20] Major film production studios in Vancouver and nearby Burnaby have turned Greater Vancouver and nearby areas into one of the largest film production centres in North America,[21][22] earning it the nickname "Hollywood North".[23][24][25]

  1. ^ a b "Vancouver". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference VancouverCity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Government of Canada (February 9, 2022). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population – Vancouver [Population centre], British Columbia". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 2021censusCMA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices by metropolitan regions". ec.europa.eu. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Government of Canada (October 26, 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Vancouver, City (CY) British Columbia [Census subdivision] Visible minority". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Vancouver ranked best city in North America for quality of living". Daily Hive. March 20, 2018. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  10. ^ "Vancouver and Melbourne top city league". BBC News. October 4, 2002. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  11. ^ Taylor, Chloe (March 13, 2019). "These are the world's top cities to live in, according to researchers". CNBC. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  12. ^ "Vancouver yet again most expensive place to live in Canada". CTV News. June 26, 2019. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  13. ^ Morley, A. (1974). Vancouver, from milltown to metropolis. Vancouver: Mitchell Press. LCCN 64026114.
  14. ^ Norris, John M. (1971). Strangers Entertained. Vancouver, British Columbia Centennial '71 Committee. LCCN 72170963.
  15. ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ match schedule unveiled". FIFA. March 21, 2013. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  16. ^ "Vancouver 2010 Schedule". olympic.org. International Olympic Committee. 2010. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  17. ^ "World Port Rankings 2016" (XLSX). American Association of Port Authorities. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  18. ^ "Port Metro Vancouver Mid-Year Stats Include Bright Spots in a Difficult First Half for 2009". Port Metro Vancouver. July 31, 2009. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  19. ^ "Cargo and terminals". Port of Vancouver. March 18, 2015. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "Overnight visitors to Greater Vancouver by volume, monthly and annual basis" (PDF). Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  21. ^ "Industry Profile". BC Film Commission. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  22. ^ Wagler, Jenny (March 20, 2012). "Ontario film industry outperforming B.C.'s". Business in Vancouver. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  23. ^ Gasher, Mike (November 2002). Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. ISBN 978-0-7748-0967-2.
  24. ^ Shrimpton, James (August 17, 2007). "Vancouver: Welcome to Brollywood". News Limited. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  25. ^ "Canada's Hollywood Gets a Boost with New Studio". Miami Herald. August 9, 1988. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013 – via NewsBank.