Agricultural Regions in the Province of British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

This study identifies agricultural regions in the province of British Columbia, Canada, by means of statistical analysis. The initial factor analysis was conducted based on census-consolidated subdivisions and 39 agricultural variables selected from Census of Agriculture data, resulting in the 10 maps shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Subsequently, cluster analysis was conducted on the factor scores, allowing the 10 maps obtained from factor analysis to be shrunk into one map with eight clusters. Based on the cluster distribution results and agricultural land characteristics, we propose eight agricultural regions for British Columbia: (I) the Lower Mainland, (II) Southern Vancouver Island, (III) Thompson, Cariboo, and Nechako, (IV) Okanagan Valley, (V) Kootenay and the Rocky Mountains, (VI) The Pacific Coast, (VII) Peace River, and (VIII) the Northern Rockies.