The Alaska Highway crosses the isolated northern interior of the province. The province is served by the Canadian Pacific, the Canadian National, and the British Columbia railways. All major towns and cities in British Columbia have regularly scheduled airline flights, and charter flights make the remote areas accessible. Waterways have steadily declined in importance. On the coast, government-owned ferries handle the vehicle traffic between the mainland and Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Georgia.
Ferries also connect isolated coastal towns north of the city of Vancouver.
British Columbia's well-developed transportation network provides tourists with easy access to the province's spectacular scenery and its excellent hunting and fishing areas. British Columbia has a one-chamber Legislative Assembly with 69 members, who are elected for a term not to exceed five years. The head of the government is the premier. A lieutenant-governor is appointed by the federal government. British Columbia has six seats in the federal Senate and 32 seats in the House of Commons.