Vancouver Island

The Vancouver Island is a large coastal island of Colombia-British (Canada) on the Pacifique coast. Separated from the continent by the Strait of Georgia, it is the largest island of the west coast of the North America with 32 134 km ².

Geography

Long for a maximum width of 80 km, it 460 km is the 11th larger island of Canada, the 43e larger island in the world and the second most populated island (after the river island of Montreal). It is separated from the continent in the east by a succession of strait, of west in is, the strait of the Queen-Charlotte, the very narrow Détroit of Johnstone, the strait of Georgia, vast water level which shelters with dimensions continental the town of Vancouver and finally with the south, opening on the ocean, the Détroit of Juan de Fuca which separates the island from the American State of Washington. The west of the island is open on the Pacific.

The west coast profits from an exceptional pluviometry and shelters imposing a wet moderate forest.

In 2002, the population is estimated at 750.000 inhabitants of which almost the half lives in the agglomeration of Victoria (Colombia-British), in the south of the island which is also the provincial capital of British Columbia. Among the other cities, one can quote Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, and Campbell River.

A British naval base was established with Esquimalt in 1865, and was given thereafter to the Canadians. It is the naval base of the Pacific Ocean of the Canadian royal Marine and its larger second bases after Halifax (Nova Scotia) in Nova Scotia.

Earthquakes

Located not far from the Zone of subduction of Cascadia, where the Plaque Juan de Fuca is inserted under the North-American Plaque, off the island, the Vancouver Island, as the surrounding area knew several seismic episodes of importance in its history. Among those which occurred near the island:

1700: supposed magnitude 8,7 to 9,2, earthquake of Cascadia accompanied by a powerful tsunami
1872: magnitude 7,4 at the border enters the State of Washington and the Colombia-British
1918: magnitude of 6,9 minor damage are recorded close to Estevan Point
1946: magnitude of 7,3 damage on the east coast of the island and a death by drowning
1976: magnitude of 6,7 in the west of the island
1980: magnitude of 6,9 in the west of the island

History

It has been populated by the human ones for approximately eight thousand years. At the end of the XVIIIe century the Européens started to be interested in it. There were then Amerindian populations of : the Nuu-Shah-Nulth (Nootka) on the west coast, the Sanish in the south and on the east coast, and the Kwakiutl in the center and in north.

When the Spain learned that fishing and Russian traders approached, it sent in 1774 a ship to north, the Santiago , under the command of Juan Jose Pérez Hernández then the another following year ordered by Juan Francisco of Bodega there Quadra but nobody unloaded.

During its third voyage, the captain James Cook sent a forwarding in bay of Nootka on March 31st 1778 and stated it to belong to the the United Kingdom. The draft of the furs led the Compagnie of the Western Indies British to install a station in the Amerindian village of Yuquot on the Nootka island.

The island was explored in 1789 by the Spanish captain Esteban Jose Martínez, which built Fort San Miguel close to Yuquot. It will be the only point of installation of Spain in what will be Canada. The Spaniards started to capture British vessels, which approached the two nations of the war. But the argument was solved peacefully in favor of Great Britain with the convention of Nootka of 1792. The takeover of the island was carried out by the British captain George Vancouver and from which the island draws its name. This last had already sailed as sailor with Cook in the area.

The first British colony was for the Compagnie of Hudson Bay, strong Camosun founded in 1843. It became an important center at the time of the Gold rush of Fraser, and the mushroom town was built-in like Victoria in 1862. She became the capital of the colony and kept this statute when the two colonies were joined together.

Economy

The economy of the island rests mainly on the Sylviculture, especially in north; the Tourism and the fishing hold also a big role.

See too

Simple: Vancouver Island

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