CANADA - British Colombia : VANCOUVER's downtown and False Creek

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VANCOUVER and BRITISH COLOMBIA location in CANADA

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is named for British Captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in the 1790s. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from Coevorden, a city in the Netherlands.

The largest metropolitan area in Western Canada, Vancouver ranks third largest in the country and the city proper ranks eighth. Its residents are ethnically and linguistically diverse; 52% do not speak English as their first language.

Logging sawmills established in 1867 in the area known as Gastown became the nucleus around which the townsite grew, and Vancouver was incorporated as a city in 1886. By 1887, the transcontinental railway was extended to the city to take advantage of its large natural seaport, which soon became a vital link in a trade route between the Orient, Eastern Canada, and London. The Port Metro Vancouver is now the busiest and largest in Canada, as well as the fourth largest port (by tonnage) in North America. While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second largest industry. It also is the third largest film production centre in North America after Los Angeles and New York City, earning it the nickname Hollywood North.

Vancouver has ranked highly in worldwide "livable city" rankings for more than a decade according to business magazine assessments. It has hosted many international conferences and events, including the 1976 United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication. The 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics were held in Vancouver and nearby Whistler, a resort community 125 km north of the city.

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False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city. It was named by George Henry Richards during his Hydrographic survey of 1856-63. Science World is located at its eastern end and the Burrard Street Bridge crosses its western end. False Creek is also spanned by the Granville Street and Cambie Street bridges. It is one of the four major bodies of water bordering Vancouver along with English Bay, Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River.

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Postcard sent by Brooke, as "Brookey"

Postcrossing - Reference CA-99602

Downtown Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
Vancouver's downtown and False Creek,
with the snow-kissed North Shore Mountains in back

Thanks / Merci