VANCOUVER ISLAND, the largest of an archipelago of innumerable islands which fringes the Pacific coast of Canada, being at the same time the largest island on the west coast of North America. It forms part of British Columbia. Pop. (1931), It extends from 48° 20' to 51° N. and from 123° to 128° 3o' W., and is thus 285 m. long and from 4o to 8o m. wide, with an area of about 12,408 sq.m. It is bounded on the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and is separated from the mainland of the province by the Strait of Georgia and Queen Charlotte sound. A partially submerged range of mountains, which has been termed the Vancouver range, runs parallel to the coast of British Columbia ; a portion of this range forms Vancouver island, and it again rises above the level of the sea farther north, forming the Queen Charlotte islands. The coast-line is generally precipitous. The west coast is much broken by bays and inlets— the transverse valleys of the sunken range—which penetrate far inland. Among these may be mentioned the Alberni canal, which is 20 m. long with a fine harbour at its head, and the city of Port Alberni (pop. in 1931, 2,356), served by the Esquimalt and Nanaimo railway. Nootka sound, 6 m. wide, and sending three
arms inland, as well as Clayoquot, Esperanza, Kyuquot and Quatsino sounds, also penetrate deeply into the island. The gen eral height of the mountain-range on Vancouver island is from 2,000 to 3,00o ft.; Victoria peak is 7,484 ft. high.
There are extensive beds of coal, especially on the east coast, which are mined at Nanaimo, Connox, Ladysmith and other points, and there are large iron deposits. Copper is also mined at Tyce, and smelted at Ladysmith. The island is covered with dense forests, which yield immense supplies of magnificent tim ber, constituting with the coal-field and fisheries the chief re sources of the island. There are some level tracts on the south east coast, as well as in the narrow, well-watered valleys of the interior, which afford excellent agricultural land on which cereals of all kinds, as well as all the fruits of the temperate zone, flour ish, and which are also suitable for raising sheep and cattle. The climate of especially in the south, is wonder fully mild for the latitude.