The Strait of Georgia at centre, the Strait of Juan de Fuca below, Puget Sound at the lower-right, Johnstone Strait at the extreme upper-left. The Strait of Juan de Fuca (also called Juan de Fuca Strait) is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget Puget Sound (ˈpjuːʤᵻt is an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest Johnstone Strait is a 110 km (68 mi channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Sediment from the Fraser River clearly visible. For other uses of this name see Fraser River (disambiguation.

Strait of Georgia at sunset

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait[1] (also known as the Gulf of Georgia), is a strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Gulf Islands) and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British The Gulf Islands are the Islands in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page It is approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) long and varies in width from 18. 5 to 55 km (11. 5 to 34 mi). ^[1] Archipelagos and narrow channels mark each end of the Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands in the south, and the Discovery Islands in the north. The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. The Discovery Islands are the islands in the Discovery Passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland in British Columbia. The main channels to the south are Haro Strait and Rosario Strait, which connect the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Haro Strait, often referred to as the Haro Straits because it is really a series of straits is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Rosario Strait is a Strait in northern Washington state, separating Island and San Juan Counties. The Strait of Juan de Fuca (also called Juan de Fuca Strait) is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget In the north, Discovery Passage is the main channel connecting the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait. Discovery Passage is a channel that forms part of the Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands which lie off the British Columbia Johnstone Strait is a 110 km (68 mi channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

The term "Gulf of Georgia" includes other waters than the Georgia Strait proper such as the interinsular straits and channels of the Gulf Islands, and as a region name may refer to communities on the littoral of southern Vancouver Island. The Gulf Islands are the Islands in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia

The USGS defines the southern boundary of the Strait of Georgia as a line running from East Point on Saturna Island to Patos Island, Sucia Island, and Matia Island, then to Point Migley on Lummi Island. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Saturna Island is a mountainous island about 31 km² in size in the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia. Patos Island is a small island in the San Juan Islands of the U Sucia Island State Park is a Washington State Marine Park. Sucia Island is located north of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands, San Juan County Matia Island is an island in the San Juan Islands of the US state of Washington. Lummi Island, one of the San Juan Islands, lies at the southwest corner of Whatcom County Washington, USA, between the mainland part of the county and This line touches the northern edges of Rosario Strait, which leads south to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Boundary Pass, which leads south to Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Rosario Strait is a Strait in northern Washington state, separating Island and San Juan Counties. Boundary Pass is a Strait that runs for about along the boundary between the U Haro Strait, often referred to as the Haro Straits because it is really a series of straits is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the ^[2]

The mean depth of the Strait of Georgia is 156 metres (510 ft), with a maximum depth of 420 metres (1,400 ft). Its surface area is approximately 6,800 square kilometres (2,600 sq mi). The Fraser River accounts for roughly 80% of the freshwater entering the strait. For other uses of this name see Fraser River (disambiguation. Water circulates in the strait in a general counter-clockwise direction. ^[1]

Islands

Several major islands are in the strait, the largest being Texada Island and Lasqueti Island. Texada Island is the largest island in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Lasqueti Island is an Island off the east coast of Vancouver Island in the Gulf of Georgia, Powell River Regional District, British The strait is a major navigation channel on the west coast of North America, owing to the presence of the port of Vancouver. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The two busiest routes of the British Columbia Ferries system cross the strait, between Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (near Victoria) and between Horseshoe Bay (north of Vancouver) and Nanaimo. Tsawwassen is a suburban mostly residential community in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries ' main Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. Horseshoe Bay is a West Vancouver community of about 1000 permanent residents

History

While native communities have surrounded the strait for thousands of years, the first European exploration was by Captain Jose Maria Narvaez and Pilot Juan Carrasco of Spain, in 1791. José María Narváez (1768 &ndash August 4, 1840) was a Spanish naval officer Explorer, and Navigator who is mainly remembered Juan Carrasco was a Spanish naval officer Explorer, and Navigator. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common It was named for King George III as the "Gulf of Georgia" by George Vancouver of Great Britain in 1792, during his extensive expedition along the west coast of North America. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places Captain George Vancouver The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Vancouver Expedition (1791-1795 was a five-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy commanded by Captain George Vancouver. Vancouver designated the mainland in this region as New Georgia, and farther north as New Hanover and New Bremen.

Cities

Strait of Georgia from Burnaby Mountain, with Galiano Island and Vancouver Island in the distance

Towns and cities on the strait include Courtenay, Comox, Qualicum Beach, Parksville, Lantzville and Nanaimo on the western shore, as well as Powell River, Sechelt, Gibsons, and Greater Vancouver on the east. Burnaby Mountain, elev 370m (1214' is a forested hill in the city of Burnaby British Columbia, overlooking the upper arms of Burrard Inlet. Galiano Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland South Coast of British Columbia, Canada Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Comox is a town located on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Comox Valley. Qualicum Beach is a town in the Regional District of Nanaimo British Columbia, Canada Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Lantzville is a Coastal community on the east side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada Powell River is a city on the south mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. Gibsons is a coastal community of 4000 located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. Across the border in the United States, Bellingham, Washington and other communities also lie on the eastern shore. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Bellingham, Washington is the County seat of Whatcom County in the U Other settlements on Vancouver Island (such as Duncan) and the mainland are separated from Georgia Strait itself by islands, or are far enough south to be considered closer to Puget Sound. Duncan (pop 4986 is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

The Strait of Georgia is also widely known as a premier scuba diving and whale watching location. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Whale watching is the practice of observing Whales and other Cetaceans in their natural habitat

In 1967, Georgia Strait inspired the name of Vancouver's alternative newspaper, The Georgia Straight, which has published continuously since. The Georgia Straight is a free Canadian weekly News and Entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver

Georgia Strait Bridge proposal

Georgia Strait in the morning

A controversial idea has existed since 1872 of replacing the ferry service on the south coast with a bridge across the Strait of Georgia. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The first idea was to cross Seymour Narrows at Menzies Bay, British Columbia with a rail bridge for the nascent Canadian Pacific Railway to link Victoria, via Bute Inlet and the Yellowhead Pass, with the rest of Canada. Menzies Bay is a large bay adjoining Seymour Narrows and Quadra Island north of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. The modern road bridge connecting the GVRD to Vancouver Island in the manner of the Cheasapeake Bay bridge/tunnel, has been discussed for decades, ever since the commencement of service with BC Ferries. Metro Vancouver, legally the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is the inter-municipal body or regional district, charged with certain aspects Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Some crossing design suggestions include a part floating/part submerged tunnel to allow ship traffic to move freely. A tunnel is an underground passageway The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon The hurricane force windstorms of Typhoon Freda and December of 2005 also detract from the safety of such a project. The 1962 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds it ran year-round in 1962 but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and

Support for the construction of the bridge includes arguments that a reliable link to Vancouver Island from mainland Canada will increase tourism and growth on Vancouver Island.

The opposition argue that construction of a bridge will result in further urbanization of the island and that the area's environment will be negatively affected by construction and the increase in tourism. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing Other potential problems are the width and depth of the strait and the soft consistency of the strait floor, as well as high seismic activity in the Vancouver Island region, and that the strait is very heavily used as a navigation channel. Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes Also the depth of the strait is far in excess of any other bridged body of water worldwide.

Proposed renaming

In March 2008, the Chemainus First Nation proposed renaming the strait the "Salish Sea," an idea that reportedly met with approval by B. The Chemainus First Nation is a First Nations government located in southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, near the town of The Salish Sea is claimed to be the traditional name used by first nations peoples for the inland Waterway stretching from Tumwater, Washington to before C. 's Aboriginal Relations Minister Mike de Jong, who pledged to put it before the B.C. cabinet for discussion. Mike de Jong is British Columbia 's Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and Government House Leader The Executive Council of British Columbia (informally and more commonly the Cabinet of British Columbia) is the Cabinet of that Canadian Renaming would require a formal application to the Geographical Names Board of Canada. Geographical Names Board of Canada is a national committee of the Canadian Government Department of National Resources which authorizes the names used on official ^[3] This term is not supported by other First Nations and has no currency in daily use. A parallel American movement promoting the name has a different definition, inclusive of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound as well as the Strait of Georgia and related waters. The Strait of Juan de Fuca (also called Juan de Fuca Strait) is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget Puget Sound (ˈpjuːʤᵻt is an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest

See also

• Georgia Straight (newspaper)
• Howe Sound
• Sunshine Coast
• Burrard Peninsula
• Georgia Basin
• Queen Charlotte Strait

References

External links

• Map and information from the Georgia Strait Alliance
• A Potential Fixed Link to Vancouver Island - report from the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation
• Google Satellite Image, Accessed August 7, 2006