British Columbia

British Columbia operates as Canada's Pacific gateway, its geography creating natural advantages that infrastructure has amplified. The Port of Vancouver ranks as North America's largest by exports, routing coal, potash, grain, and containers between Asian markets and continental producers. The province's position—5,000 km closer to Asia than competing US ports—creates competitive advantages that trade patterns reinforce.

The economy exhibits unusual diversity for a resource-dependent region. Forestry (though declining) remains significant; mining contributes copper, coal, and critical minerals; natural gas production shares the province with Alberta. Film production in Vancouver has grown into a major industry—'Hollywood North' employs thousands in productions attracted by tax credits and scenic diversity. Technology clusters around Vancouver and Victoria challenge the resource-economy stereotype.

Real estate dominates Vancouver's economic discussion. Housing prices—among the world's most expensive relative to incomes—create affordability crises that ripple through labor markets and politics. Foreign investment restrictions and speculation taxes attempt to dampen prices without crashing a market that underpins household wealth. Whether BC can maintain gateway status while managing the social consequences of real estate-driven inequality shapes provincial politics.