Vancouver

The beautiful city of Vancouver is situated in the State of Washington of the United States if America. It is the 4th biggest city of the state. In 1889, the state of Washington was the 42nd addition to the Union. The state was named in the honor of the First President of the United States of America, George Washington and remains the only state to date which was named in the honor of an American president. More than half of the States' population lives in Seattle making it the ultimate hub of all its transport, arts, industry, business, and recreation as well as amusement. The rest of the land consists of some thick, lush green rain forests, small mountains, with scarcely any plains. In the heart of it all is situated the city of Vancouver! The total land area of the city is119.5 square km. 42.8 square miles of the total land area of the city of Vancouver is made up of land and the remaining 3.3 square miles of it is water according to the United States Census Bureau. The total area is 7.14% water. The temperature is moderate with a few inches of snowfall every year. July and August are the hottest months of the year. Humidity is much higher than the US average. Due to the thick, rain forests of the state of Washington, there is plenty of rainfall throughout the year. Summers are relatively less wet. Average annual precipitation rate is 42 inches. The population of Vancouver as per the census of 2008 was 164,000.

The unemployment average is lower than the state average at 8.6% as of May 2009. Although crime ratio has seen a major decline in the past few years but it still is higher (347.9%) than the national average (320.8%). Transportation is the city is excellent with two highways, 1-5, 1-205. The Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority operates 135 buses. Pearson Field is one of the oldest airports in operation today in the whole of United States of America. Historically, the city of Vancouver has been habituated by several Native American tribes. The first European contact was in 1775, at which time almost half of the locals died as result of diseases like small pox. Lewis and Clark expedition came in the year of 1806 but the first European settlement wasn't established until 1824 when Fort Vancouver was established, only then both the British and the Americans settled there under the ?joint occupation agreement'. A Few years after that, the area was by no means plague free; diseases like measles and malaria etc had reduced the local Native American population from some eighty thousand to a few dozen refugees. Finally, in 1857, the city got incorporated. Since it is an ancient area with rich history, the city is home to a multitude of structures today. The architecture of several of the building has traits of Victorian era. Several buildings have been reconstructed to preserve the cultural heritage. The Smith Tower, built in 1965 is a famous apartment building for the elderly is a pleasant architectural site of the city.

The city of Vancouver also has a healthy appetite for entertainment. Concerts, live music performances, musical nights and theatre performances are held regularly. Fred Meyer is a famous shopping place, whereas another shopping complex is in the process of completion. Till 2008, 4th of July was celebrated with great zeal and zest in the city of Vancouver. There used to spectacular display of fireworks. This has been terminated due to the economic recession. The Wine and Jazz Festival which is hosted in every August in the city of Vancouver, draws thousands of wine lovers from all over the world. St. Joseph Catholic School hosts the Vancouver Sausage Fest in September. This too brings almost a hundred thousand visitors in three days. Vancouver's Farmer Market is also a regular event. Vancouver is a City with much to offer visitors and residents alike. Pearson Air Museum, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, North Clark Historical Museum are the places which must be visited. Marine Park offers superb fishing experience. Besides all this fun, if you love rains and have an appetite for fun, Vancouver tickets just exactly that.