| − | '''British Columbia''' is the westernmost province in [[Canada]]. It is bounded by the [[Pacific Ocean]] on the west and the US State of [[Alaska]] to the northwest. To the north it is bounded by the [[Yukon Territory]] and the [[Northwest Territories]], on the east by [[Alberta]], and on the south by the U.S. states of [[Washington]], [[Idaho]], and [[Montana]]. The capital of British Columbia is [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], and the province's population is 4,751,600 in 2016 accounting for 13% of the national population.<ref>http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo02a-eng.htm</ref> The total area of British Columbia is 947,800 km<sub>2</sub> with 25,730 km of coastline. It was explored by the Spanish in 1774, Captain Cook explored in 1778, and Captain Vancouver was sent to survey the coast by the [[Royal Navy]] in 1792. British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871, based on a promise that a transcontinental railway would be completed in 10 years.<ref>''Reader's Digest Atlas of Canada,'' 1995</ref> On July 18, 2017, instead of an election being called following the defeat of the minority [[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Liberal]] government in a confidence vote on June 29, 2017, a minority government was formed (but not elected) by the leftist [[British Columbia New Democratic Party|BC NDP]] at the request of then-Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon (who had refused to call an election) and with the support of the Green Party of British Columbia, and BC NDP leader John Horgan became the unelected premier of the province, also making the BC NDP under Horgan the only political party in the province's history to [[usurpation|take power without being elected]]. | + | '''British Columbia''' is the westernmost province in [[Canada]]. It is bounded by the [[Pacific Ocean]] on the west and the US State of [[Alaska]] to the northwest. To the north it is bounded by the [[Yukon Territory]] and the [[Northwest Territories]], on the east by [[Alberta]], and on the south by the U.S. states of [[Washington]], [[Idaho]], and [[Montana]]. The capital of British Columbia is [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], and the province's population is 4,751,600 in 2016 accounting for 13% of the national population.<ref>http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo02a-eng.htm</ref> The total area of British Columbia is 947,800 km<sub>2</sub> with 25,730 km of coastline. It was explored by the Spanish in 1774, Captain Cook explored in 1778, and Captain Vancouver was sent to survey the coast by the [[Royal Navy]] in 1792. British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871, based on a promise that a transcontinental railway would be completed in 10 years.<ref>''Reader's Digest Atlas of Canada,'' 1995</ref> On July 18, 2017, instead of an election being called following the defeat of the minority [[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Liberal]] government in a confidence vote on June 29, 2017, a minority government was formed (but not elected) by the leftist [[British Columbia New Democratic Party|BC NDP]] at the request of then-Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon (who had controversially refused to call an election) and with the support of the Green Party of British Columbia, and BC NDP leader John Horgan became the unelected premier of the province, also making the BC NDP under Horgan the only political party in the province's history to [[usurpation|take power without being elected]]. |