Vancouver Island is located off Canada's Pacific coast and is part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 460 km (285 miles) long and up to 80 km (50 miles) wide. The largest island on the western side of the Americas at 32,134 square kilometers (12,407 square miles), it is the world's 42nd largest island, Canada's 11th largest island and Canada's second highest populated island. The island is named in honour of George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific northwest coast between 1791 and 1794.

The 2001 census population was 656,312. As of 2005, Vancouver Island had an estimated population of 723,000. Slightly less than half of these (326,000) live in Victoria, British Columbia. Other major cities on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, and Campbell River.