Vancouver Overview

On the map
Greater Vancouver is located on the mainland in the south west corner of British Columbia, the westernmost of Canada's 10 provinces. Greater Vancouver is made up of 18 municipalities that occupy 2,930 square kilometers on and around the Fraser River delta.
A metropolitan hub, the City of Vancouver is located on the Burrard peninsula. It borders the Pacific Ocean inlet called the Strait of Georgia, the Coast Mountains and the lush green farmlands of the Fraser Valley.
Vancouver shares the Burrard peninsula with municipalities Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, which are all to the east. To the north -- separated from the peninsula by the Burrard inlet -- West Vancouver, Lions Bay, North Vancouver, Belcarra and Artmore are located on the south slope of the majestic Coast mountain range. To the south -- on the opposite shore of the Fraser River -- are Richmond, Delta, Surrey, White Rock and Langley.

Twenty-Four miles south of downtown Vancouver is the Canada-US boundary.

Across the Strait of Georgia is the provincial capital city o£Victoria, on Vancouver Island.

Climate
Moderated by the Pacific Ocean currents, Vancouver's weather is the mildest in Canada with daytime temperatures averaging 20 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer to 2 degrees Celsius (35 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter.
Spring comes early, with flowers generally in full bloom by early March. Late summer and autumn days-through October-tend to be warm and sunny. Winter is the rainy season. An annual rainfall of 144 centimetres (S7 inches) translates into excellent skiing on the Coast Mountains.

Altitude / Time zone
Sea Level / Pacific

Phone codes
To call Vancouver, use the area code 604 for Vancouver and surrounds, for the rest of BC including Victoria use 250. From outside North America, use the international access code 011, the country code 1,250 or 604 area code and the number.

Languages
Official languages are English and French.

Taxation
There are three levels of taxation that affect visitors to Vancouver. There is a 10 per cent accommodation tax. And on the sale of most goods and the provision of most services, there is a seven per cent provincial sales tax (PST) as well as a seven per cent goods and services tax (GST) charged. A GST rebate can be claimed by visitors. For more information on the GST rebate contact Revenue Canada Customs and Excise (604.666.1492). Tax on liquor is 10 per cent.