The Aboriginal population of British Columbia, which began to decline with the arrival of the first European settlers, is enjoying new strength. This new energy coincides with a renaissance in Aboriginal cultural and artistic expression. Vancouver, the largest dry cargo port on the Pacific coast of North America, is home to more than 1.8 million people, which makes it the third-largest Canadian city. The economy is based on the province's great natural resources, primarily its vast forests, which cover 56 percent of its total area. Conifers from these forests are converted into lumber, newsprint, pulp and paper products, shingles and shakes - about half the total softwood inventory of Canada.
Tourism is the next most important economic sector.
Each year, about 15 million people visit British Columbia. With over five million hectares of parkland, the Rocky Mountains remain the biggest attraction. Coastal B.C., with its beaches, hiking trails, artists' colonies, wildlife reserves, whale-sighting locales and other attractions, is not far behind. Of increasing attraction to visitors are the Queen Charlotte Islands, large parts of which have recently been set aside as parkland. The area contains untouched wilderness and unique species of flora.