Geography of British Columbia

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Geography of British Columbia

Continent	North America
Region	Western Canada
Coordinates	49°00′N 114°04′W / 49.000°N 114.067°W / 49.000; -114.067 -- 60°00′N 139°03′W / 60.000°N 139.050°W / 60.000; -139.050
Area	Ranked 3rd among provinces
• Total	944,735 km2 (364,764 sq mi)
• Land	97.9%
• Water	2.1%
Coastline	27,000 km (17,000 mi)
Borders	Total land borders: United States: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana; Canadian provinces Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories
Highest point	Mount Fairweather 4,663 m (15,299 ft)
Lowest point	Pacific Ocean sea level
Longest river	Fraser River 1,368 km (850 mi)
Largest lake	Williston Lake 1,761 km2 (680 sq mi)

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. With an area of 944,735 km² (364,764 sq mi) it is Canada's third-largest province. The province is almost four times the size of the United Kingdom and larger than every United States state except Alaska. It is bounded on the northwest by the U.S. state of Alaska, directly north by Yukon and the Northwest Territories, on the east by Alberta, and on the south by the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Formerly part of the British Empire, the southern border of British Columbia was established by the 1846 Oregon Treaty. The province is dominated by mountain ranges, among them the Canadian Rockies but dominantly the Coast Mountains, Cassiar Mountains, and the Columbia Mountains. Most of the population is concentrated on the Pacific coast, notably in the area of Vancouver, located on the southwestern tip of the mainland, which is known as the Lower Mainland. It is the most mountainous province of Canada.