The Okanagan Valley stretches 200km, from the desert climate of Osoyoos in the South to the boreal forests and Vernon in the North. In the middle lies Kelowna with its temperate climate that is perfect for orchards and vineyards. Whether by air (30 min) or car (4 hours), the Okanagan is ideally situated in close proximity to Vancouver, BC.
The towns, cities, and mountains-scapes that comprise the Okanagan Valley are stunning in their beauty and offer a wide-array of recreational, cultural, and family activities. World famous Ski resorts, World class golf, World renowned wineries and orchards, a patchwork of lakes and streams, and top notch recreational facilities are just a few reasons that make the Okanagan Valley a wonderful place to call home.
©Brian Sprout www.picturebc.ca
The relatively mild fall, winter, and spring temperatures also means that the Okanagan doesn't have an 'off-season'. Thus, the Okanagan really is a four-season playground. With winter temperatures that rarely get as cold as -10°C, the Cariboo, Monashee, and Selkirk mountain ranges collect an abundance of fresh powder snow, ripe for some of Canada's best skiing. You will find great skiing resorts near any of the cities and towns in the Okanagan Valley.
The climate does differ slightly from town to town. Kelowna, situated on the shores of Okanagan Lake, experiences more humidity than Osoyoos, a town in the south that is a true desert landscape.
Links:
Okanagan.com
Thompson Okanagan Tourism
Okanagan Wine Festivals
Okanagan Attractions
Source: www.KelownaRealEstate.com
Beautiful British Columbia
Capital: Victoria
Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendor without diminishment)
Flower: Pacific Dogwood
Population(1998): 4,014,329
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 Stctes, Japan, the European Union and the Pacific Rim countries as its clientele.
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003.
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