Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city on Canada's west coast in the province of British Columbia.

With a population of just over 642,000, it is Canada's eighth largest city, although Greater Vancouver, with a population of 2.3 million is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. It is arguably the most attractive setting of all of Canada's major urban centres, located as it is at the edge of the Pacific Ocean and set against the panoramic backdrop of the majestic North Shore Mountains.

Vancouver's location means that it has an active population, whether it be jogging around the False Creek seawall, kayaking in the Burrard Inlet, skiing on Grouse Mountain, or mountain biking on the North Shore, Vancouver affords its residents a multitude of opportunities to get out and enjoy the fresh air. Despite having a somewhat staid, conservative reputation, Vancouver is very much a lifestyle city, and is consistently ranked in global surveys as one of the most livable cities in the world.

Having only been incorporated in 1886, Vancouver is a young city, and to a certain extent, its character and identity are still developing. Downtown has seen considerable redevelopment since the early 1990s, along with an influx of Asian immigrants, and modern day Vancouver is a city of glass office and condo towers, restaurants serving cuisine of every description, and a modern urban backdrop that has made it a major film production location for the Hollywood movie studios.

In 2010, Vancouver, along with the resort of Whistler, played host to the Winter Olympics, and the city benefited from some major infrastructure upgrades in the lead up to the event, including the Canada Line rapid transit line that runs between Vancouver International Airport and downtown Vancouver, improved facilities at the nearby Cypress Mountain ski hill, and upgrades to the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler.

As a tourist destination, Vancouver receives between 8 and 9 million visitors annually, including approximately 1 million arriving on cruise ships at the Canada Place terminal.