The Lower Mainland is the name that residents of
British Columbia apply to the region surrounding the City of
Vancouver. While the term has been recorded from the earliest period of European settlement in
British Columbia, it has never been officially defined in legal terms; therefore, it remains subjective.
Today, the term Lower Mainland generally refers to the legally defined area known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District. This area is made up of 21 municipalities: Anmore, Belcarra, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley City, Langley Township, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver City, North Vancouver District, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and White Rock.
The Greater Vancouver Regional District is bordered on the west by the Straits of Georgia, to the north by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, on the east by the Fraser Valley Regional District, and to the south by Whatcom County, Washington in the United States.
According to the 1996 Canada Census there were 1,831,665 persons living in this region.
Government websites for the Lower Mainland
- Greater Vancouver Regional District - pop. 1,831,665 (1996): http://www.gvrd.bc.ca
- Anmore - pop. 981 (1996): http://www.anmore.com
- Belcarra - pop. 665 (1996): http://www.belcarra.ca
- Bowen Island - pop. 3,066 (1996): http://www.bowen-island-bc.com
- Burnaby - pop. 179,209 (1996): http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca
- Coquitlam - pop. 101,820 (1996): http://www.coquitlam.ca
- Delta - pop. 95,411 (1996): http://www.corp.delta.bc.ca
- Langley City - pop. 22,523 (1996): http://www.city.langley.bc.ca
- Langley Township - pop. 80,179 (1996): http://www.township.langley.bc.ca
- Lions Bay - pop. 1,347 (1996): http://www.lionsbay.citymax.com
- Maple Ridge - pop. 56,173 (1996): http://district.maple-ridge.bc.ca
- New Westminster - pop. 49,350 (1996): http://www.city.new-westminster.bc.ca
- North Vancouver City - pop. 41,475 (1996): http://www.cnv.org
- North Vancouver District - pop. 80,418 (1996): http://www.district.north-van.bc.ca
- Pitt Meadows - pop. 13,436 (1996): http://www.pittmeadows.bc.ca
- Port Coquitlam - pop. 46,682 (1996): http://www.city.port-coquitlam.bc.ca
- Port Moody - pop. 20,847 (1996): http://www.city.port-moody.bc.ca
- Richmond - pop. 148,867 (1996): http://www.city.richmond.bc.ca
- Surrey - pop. 304,477 (1996): http://www.city.surrey.bc.ca
- Vancouver - pop. 514,008 (1996): http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca
- West Vancouver - pop. 40,882 (1996): http://www.westvancouver.net
- White Rock - pop. 17,210 (1996): http://www.city.whiterock.bc.ca
