Metro Vancouver

Metro Vancouver, often known colloquially as the Lower Mainland and officially as the Lower Mainland Counties Area, is the metropolitan area centred around Vancouver, the most populous city in British Columbia and third-most populous in Canada. One difference between the terms "Lower Mainland" and "Metro Vancouver" is that the former refers to all seven counties in their entirety, while the latter often excludes exurban (beyond suburban) and rural areas of the seven counties; nevertheless, the terms are often used interchangeably, and all seven counties have at least a portion of urban and/or suburban elements of Metro Vancouver. The population of the Lower Mainland is estimated at 6.78 million; as the population of areas outside the urban and suburban areas of the Lower Mainland amounts to no more than 330,000, Metro Vancouver in its narrower definition consists of 6.45 million people, just over 95% of the total Lower Mainland population.

Metro Vancouver forms the third most populous metropolitan area (contiguous urban landmass) in the country, and is home to the provincial capital of New Westminster, as well as the city of Richmond, home to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the second-busiest airport by number of passengers in Canada and most important airport in Western Canada. another international airport and five smaller domestic airports are located in Metro Vancouver, for a total of seven civilian airports. Metro Vancouver is also home to CFB Abbotsford, a major airbase of the Canadian Aerospace Forces located in the city of Abbotsford.

The Lower Mainland covers all of Capilano County, Coquitlam County, Fraser Valley County, Golden Ears County, North Fraser County, North Shore County and South Fraser County. All seven counties are policed by the Lower Mainland Constabulary (LMC) as part of the Lower Mainland Police Area.