Vancouver. People and economy

About 70 percent of Vancouver's people were born in Canada. People of British ancestry make up the largest group. Other large groups, in order of size, include those of Asian, Irish, German, or French descent.

Vancouver's mild climate has helped make the city a popular retirement center. The climate also attracts large numbers of young people from other parts of Canada. But many of them lack job skills and cannot find work. As a result, they contribute to the city's relatively high rate of unemployment Poverty is another major problem in Vancouver. Most of the poor live in rundown buildings just east of the downtown section and in parts of the East End.

Economy. Trade and finance. Vancouver is Canada's busiest port Vancouver's port handles about 75 million tons (70 million metric tons) of cargo annually. It serves as the main center for the distribution of goods shipped between Canada and Asia. The port is also the center of an important northern coastal trade. More than 50 steamship lines serve Vancouver.

Vancouver is the largest wholesale and retail trading center of western Canada. About 100,000 workers in Greater Vancouver are employed by wholesale and retail companies. The sales of these firms exceed $2 у billion annually. Almost every large business in British Columbia has its headquarters in the city. The tourist industry ranks among Vancouver's fastest-growing sources of employment Vancouver has more banks, loan companies, and other financial institutions than any other city in western Canada.

Transportation. Vancouver serves as the western terminal of Canada's two transcontinental railroads, the Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. The British Columbia Railway, which is owned by the provincial government, has its general offices in Vancouver. The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe connects Vancouver with United States cities.

Vancouver International Airport is Canada's second busiest airport. Only the airport at Toronto serves more passengers. Major Canadian, Asian, European, and U.S. airlines use Vancouver's airport Local transportation facilities include a bus system. An elevated rapid transit system, Sky Train, connects downtown Vancouver with New Westminster, a city 12 miles (19 kilometers) southeast of downtown Vancouver. Ferry lines connect Vancouver and nearby Vancouver Island. The Lions Cate Bridge spans Burrard Inlet. It is 1,550 feet (472 meters) long and links Stanley Park and West Vancouver. The Trans-Canada Highway connects Vancouver and other Canadian cities.

Industry. Creater Vancouver ranks as the most important Canadian industrial center west of Ontario. The approximately 2,000 factories in Greater Vancouver produce about $2 billion worth of goods annually. They employ about 72,000 workers.

The area's leading industries are food processing and the manufacture of wood and wood products. Fish processing and meat packing rank as the chief activities of the food products industry. Vast evergreen forests in British Columhia provide the raw materials for the area's sawmills, pulp and paper mills, and veneer and plywood plants. Other activities include metal fabricating, the making of paper and related products, and the manufacture of petroleum and coal products.

Industry plays a key role in Vancouver's economy. However, many of the city's industries have caused environmental damage to the area. The waters of Burrard Inlet, for example, have become heavily polluted.

Communication. Vancouver has two major daily newspapers, The Province and The Sun. Three television stations and nine radio stations serve the city. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has its regional headquarters in Vancouver.