Буррард түбегі: географиялық сипаттамасы

Peninsula in southwest British Columbia, Canada

The Burrard Peninsula is a peninsula in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, bounded by the Burrard Inlet to the north, the Georgia Strait to the west, the North Arm of Fraser River to the south, and the Pitt River and Douglas Island to the east. The City of Vancouver occupies almost all of the western half of the peninsula, and the Cities of Burnaby and New Westminster occupy more than half of the eastern half. At its northeastern end, the peninsula is connected to the Eagle Mountain and Mount Burke of the Coast Mountains via a small isthmus at the center of the Tri Cities. The Squamish name for the Burrard Peninsula as a whole — or rather, for the long rise of land from Point Grey to Central Park, was Ulksen or Ulxen. The name Burrard Peninsula is rarely used in casual reference to the area among locals in favour of a specific community or neighbourhood therein.

There is no clear consensus on where the peninsula ends, as the Burrard Peninsula does not appear in official government gazetteers (directories of geographical features) and does not exist as a legal entity, thus having no legal definition. The peninsula is however attached to the mainland at its northeastern end, and as a matter of convenience, the isthmus may be taken to follow the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) across the relatively narrow, low neck of land from Port Moody at the eastern end of Burrard Inlet, through Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam southeast to the bank of Pitt River. From where the CPR tracks cross the Pitt River, the Burrard Peninsula runs due west for approximately to Point Grey. The peninsula is approximately wide (north south) for much of its length. Though it is a peninsula and is attached to the mainland, it cannot be accessed directly from the mainland without crossing some body of water either the Pitt River, the Fraser River, or the Burrard Inlet as the connection to the mainland is blocked by Coquitlam Mountain and other mountainous terrain.

Municipalities on the peninsula include — in roughly west to east order—the Cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. The University Endowment Lands (home to the main campus of University of British Columbia) occupies the unincorporated territory of Point Grey at the far west end of the peninsula. Northwest of the peninsular neck are the villages of Belcarra and Anmore, both of which are not part of the peninsula proper but are only accessible by road via the Burrard Peninsula.

The Burrard Peninsula has been extensively urbanized, and includes the largest and densest populations in the Metro Vancouver region, and in British Columbia more generally. While originally extensively forested, since the mid 19th century the Burrard Peninsula has gradually become essentially one large cityscape. Its largest remaining green spaces include Pacific Spirit Regional Park in Point Grey, Stanley Park in Downtown Vancouver, the areas around Burnaby Mountain, Central Park, Burnaby Lake, and Deer Lake in Burnaby, and Mundy Park and the Coquitlam River in Coquitlam.