10 Facts About Gulf Islands

1.

Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia.

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2.

Name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia, " the original term used by George Vancouver in his mapping of the southern part of the archipelago and which before the San Juan Island dispute was taken to include what have since been called the San Juan Islands.

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3.

Only the term "Strait of Georgia" remains in the provincial gazette although its use as a synonym for the Gulf Islands is unofficial, while the term Gulf Islands of Georgia remains in current use though not in the provincial gazette.

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4.

Southern Gulf Islands are near the southern end of the Strait of Georgia, forming an intricate network of waterways between them, collectively referred to as part of the Salish Sea.

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5.

The Southern Gulf Islands include hundreds of islands and islets, and form part of a larger archipelago that includes the nearby San Juan Islands of the state of Washington in the United States.

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6.

Northern Gulf Islands are located near the northern end of the Strait of Georgia, including all islands south of Savary Island, the southernmost island of the neighbouring Discovery Islands.

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7.

Gulf Islands and surrounding ocean are rich with ecologically diverse plants and sea life including Garry oaks, wild lilies, kelp beds and Orcas.

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8.

Gulf Islands are home to one of the last remaining pockets of Garry oak ecosystems.

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9.

Gulf Islands distributed them to Islanders for their private gardens.

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10.

Gulf Islands uses kelp obtained from the surrounding straits as fertilizer and uses a pruning method that enhances the sunlight exposure on the trees.

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