Why is British Columbia unique within Canada? What forces have shaped its landscape and its people? To answer these questions, Brett McGillivray adopts primarily a thematic approach. He begins by giving a regional overview and introduction to geographic concepts and the physical processes that produced a spectacularly diverse landscape. He then tackles different themes, tracing the province's historical geography, offering detailed accounts of its economic geography, and discussing contemporary issues such as urbanization, economic development, and resource management. This fully revised edition is enhanced by updated figures, maps, and graphs and by new discussions of how globalization, climate change, and recession are influencing the province and its people.

From the beginning of time, physical and human processes have altered British Columbia’s landscape. Geographers seek to understand these processes, and this text provides students with the basic tools and techniques of their craft. Completely revised and expanded for the 2020s, the four edition of Geography of British Columbia contains extensive urban content to reflect BC's transition from a resource-dependent economy to a more service-oriented one presents ideas and concepts in a clear and concise way includes a comprehensive glossary of key terms has more than 125 informative maps, diagrams, graphs, tables, and photos includes suggested readings and discussion questions for each chapter. In an era of climate change, it is more important than ever to understand the complex interaction between human influence on the landscape and the earth’s ever-changing physical processes. This book provides students with the tools, techniques, and knowledge they’ll need.

Brett McGillivray focuses first on the combination of physical processes that produced a spectacular variety of mountains, rivers, lakes, islands, fjords, forests, and minerals, explaining the forces that created the province and the natural hazards that can reshape it. A concise examination of B.C. historical geography follows, covering First Nations ways of life, colonization, Asian immigration, and the sad history of institutionalized racism. The second half of the book contains a detailed description of the economic geography of the province, with chapters on forestry, the salmon fishery, metal mining, energy supply and demand, agriculture, water, and the tourism industry. It addresses the present-day issues of urbanization, economic development, and resource management, providing a thorough background to these topics and suggesting what the future might hold. This up-to-date and comprehensive exploration of the rich historical geography and development of British Columbia will be welcomed by teachers, students, scholars, and everyone with an interest in the province.

Elephant Crossing. Houdini Needles. Miniskirt, Tickletoeteaser Tower, and Why Not Mountain. These are just some of the many names of places, rivers, mountains, and lakes that you will come across in the newest edition of British Columbia Place Names. This classic which, in its various editions, has sold over 29,000 copies, covers about 2,500 geographical features, cities, towns, and smaller communities in the province. The book abounds with fascinating historical facts, stories, and remarkable characters involved with the names of towns, cities, rivers, lakes, mountains, and islands. The selection was determined by the geographical importance of the feature as well as story of the naming. In the introduction the authors deal with the stages by which B.C. acquired its place names, the history of research into those names, and the categories into which they fall. The latter range from the honorific and commemorative to the comic and disrespectful. Aboriginal names receive particular attention. The location of each place is clearly indicated and the text is accompanied by detailed maps. Brief biographical accounts of persons with places named after them as well as an abundance of anecdotes make this a fascinating book for browsers and an invaluable resource for historians.

Why is British Columbia unique within Canada? What forces have made its landscape so rugged, its climate so varied, its population so diverse? Why did settlers come to the region, and what effect has their presence had on First Nations? What prompted so many Asian immigrants to come but then leave for other parts of the country? How have the rich resources of the land been exploited and managed? In this fully updated edition of a now classic text, Brett McGillivray adopts mainly a thematic rather than a regional approach to answer these questions. Beginning with a regional overview and introduction to geographic concepts he moves to dicuss the physical processes that produced a spectacular variety of mountains, lakes, fjords, forests, and minerals. His thematic exploration traces the province's historical geography, including First Nations ways of life, colonization, Asian immigration, and the bitter history of institutionalized racism. Detailed accounts of the province's economic geography-- forestry, fisheries, metal mining, energy supply and demand, agriculture, water, and tourism -- culminate in a discussion of contemporary issues such as urbanization, economic development, and resource management. This comprehensive introduction to BC's physical and human geography is enhanced by new and updated figures, graphs, and maps and by new discussions, including how globalization, climate change, and recession are influencing the province and its people.

British Columbia is regularly described in superlatives both positive and negative - most spectacular scenery, strangest politics, greatest environmental sensitivity, richest Aboriginal cultures, most aggressive resource exploitation, closest ties to Asia. Jean Barman's The West beyond the West presents the history of the province in all its diversity and apparent contradictions. This critically acclaimed work is the premiere book on British Columbian history, with a narrative beginning at the point of contact between Native peoples and Europeans and continuing into the twenty-first century. Barman tells the story by focusing not only on the history made by leaders in government but also on the roles of women, immigrants, and Aboriginal peoples in the development of the province. She incorporates new perspectives and expands discussions on important topics such as the province's relationship to Canada as a nation, its involvement in the two world wars, the perspectives of non-mainstream British Columbians, and its participation in recreation and sports including Olympics. First published in 1991 and revised in 1996, this third edition of The West beyond the West has been supplemented by statistical tables incorporating the 2001 census, two more extensive illustration sections portraying British Columbia's history in images, and other new material bringing the book up to date. Barman's deft scholarship is readily apparent and the book demands to be on the shelf of anyone with an interest in British Columbian or Canadian history.