Camper van hire Vancouver
Vancouver is a city located in British Columbia, Canada. It has an estimated population of 631,000 people. The city's name comes from the native Nuu-chah-nulth word "Kanata", meaning "people". This name was given by early explorers who were impressed by the great numbers of people living along the coast. Today, Kanata is pronounced like the English name "Canadia" and means "land of many waters."
The city lies at the southern end of Burrard Inlet, between the North Shore Mountains and the Fraser River.
In 1858, when gold was discovered near present day Gastown, the first European settlers arrived in the area. Gold mining continued until 1912, after which the economy shifted towards trade and transportation. Vancouver became a major port for shipping goods across the Pacific Ocean. The Canadian Pacific Railway reached the city in 1886, linking it to the rest of Canada. A railway spur connected Vancouver to Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1907. By 1914, there were over 100 steamships plying the route between Vancouver and San Francisco, California.[4]
Today, Vancouver remains a major gateway to the US West Coast, and its economy continues to rely heavily upon international trade. Vancouver is home to numerous Fortune 500 corporations, including Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, and Amazon.com. The city's economic base is diversified, but tourism accounts for approximately 10% of the total GDP.
