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Vancouver (49n16, 123w07 PST) is a Canadian city, in the province of British Columbia. It is a major seaport and the largest metropolitan centre in western Canada, home to 545,000 people in 2001 in the city itself and 2,134,300 people in the census metropolitan area in 2003. Vancouver is the main city of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and of the larger region commonly known as the Lower Mainland. As of 2001, the metropolitan area had a population of 1,986,985. The current mayor is Larry Campbell, Coalition of Progressive Electors.

Location
Vancouver is situated at 49 degrees, 16 minutes north, and 123 degrees, 7 minutes west, in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8). It is adjacent to the Strait of Georgia, a body of water that is separated from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. Some unfamiliar with the region assume that Vancouver lies on Vancouver Island itself, but it does not. However, both the city and island (and their US American counterpart) are named after Captain George Vancouver of Great Britain, who explored the region in 1792.

Scenery
Vancouver is home to North America's third largest urban park (Canada's largest), Stanley Park. Vancouver has all the urban amenities of a big city, as well as easy access to the Pacific Ocean and the mountains of the Coast Range. Real estate is limited by the surrounding mountains and water, so buildings in downtown Vancouver cluster somewhat like the highrises found in central Hong Kong. On a clear day one can see Mount Baker (a volcano in Washington state) to the southeast. Breathtaking views are routine from tall buildings, the North Shore mountains, and from airplanes.

Climate
Vancouver's climate is unusually temperate by Canadian standards; it is the warmest major city in Canada in the winter. The temperature and weather are similar to that of Seattle, Vancouver's nearest major US neighbour. Summer months are usually sunny and the temperatures moderate, with highs usually above 20°C (68°F) but only rarely reaching 30°C (86°F). Spring and autumn are typically rainy and windy. Winter is very rainy and stormy. Snow is common in the surrounding mountains but not at sea level. Vancouverites however usually see one major snowfall every winter. The average winter temperature is 3°C (37°F).

Living
Vancouver is a relaxed city with many diversions and easy access to outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, boating, and skiing. There is a lively cultural scene. Some have called it a "city of neighbourhoods," each with its own distinctive character. Vancouver can be an expensive city, as housing prices are among the highest in Canada. Various strategies aim to lessen housing costs. These include cooperative housing, suites, increased density and smart growth. Nevertheless, as with many other cities on the west coast of North America, homelessness is a concern, as is the growing gulf between rich and poor. A major problem neighbourhood in Vancouver is the Downtown Eastside, with its poor and displaced populations, high substance abuse, and crime. Vancouver has a very low crime rate by North American standards, but was reported in 2004 to have the third-highest crime rate in Canada. The same report noted that Vancouver's violent-crime rate was very low but its property-crime rate (partially a consequence of drug addiction centered in the Downtown Eastside) was second only to Tampa, Florida in North America

People
Vancouver is home to people of many ethnic backgrounds and religions. It contains the second largest Chinatown in North America (after San Francisco's), and many ethnic neighbourhoods including Little India and the Punjabi Village, Japantown, and Greektown. Street signs written in Chinese and Punjabi (with original English names) can be seen in those respective cultural communities. Prior to the hand-over of Hong Kong to China many Chinese immigrants made Vancouver their home. Since then, immigrants from all around the world have flocked to call Vancouver home as well. Vancouver has many progressive elements, including a bustling music and art scene and innovative approaches to drug issues. The Four Pillars Drug Strategy combines harm reduction (needle exchanges, safe injection sites) with prevention, treatment, and enforcement. Marijuana laws are generally unenforced within the city region allowing several "marijuana cafes" to open, earning it the name the Amsterdam of the North, or Vansterdam.

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