British Columbia, often shortened to BC, is Canada’s westernmost province. The province has a varied topography, including rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, woods, lakes, mountains, inland deserts, and grassy plains. It is located in the Pacific Northwest, between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. British Columbia shares borders with the province of Alberta on the east, the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana on the south, the Yukon and Northwest Territories on the north, and Alaska on the northwest. With more than 5.6 million people expected to live there by 2024,