Vancouver, Canada, the largest city in British Columbia and one
of the most populous in Canada. It is magnificently situated on
a peninsula in southwestern British Columbia between the Pacific
Ocean and the Coast Mountains. Burrard Inlet borders the city on
the north, the Strait of Georgia on the west, and the North Arm
of the Fraser River on the south. Downtown Vancouver faces
Burrard Inlet, site of the city's port.  Vancouver is the
principal commercial, industrial, and shipping center for
western Canada. Western Canada's abundant natural resources and
heavy trade with Asian countries have made Vancouver the busiest
port in the nation. Manufacturing includes lumber and paper
milling, food processing, oil refining, metal fabricating, and
the production of chemicals, machinery, electronic items, and
printed matter.  Vancouver's port is ice-free all year and
handles both overseas and coastal trade. Vancouver is served by
the Trans-Canada Highway, the nation's two transcontinental
railways, and one of the busie