210:
17:
796:
808:
820:
294:
and others were
British military land-grants. The Ashcroft and Semlin ranches were owned and occupied by a Lieutenant-Governor and a Premier, respectively. The Thompson's settlement, history, and economy have been dominated by the two transcontinental rail lines flanking the river: the Canadian
188:
Since the nineteenth century, ranching has been the historic core of the economy in the South
Thompson and the adjoining Nicola and Bonaparte countries. It is also important northeast of Kamloops in the
105:
Although strictly referring to the entire
Thompson basin, and potentially used in that context, more commonly it refers to the immediate vicinity of the Thompson River, with subareas such as the
372:
153:
The
Thompson Country is semi-arid and desert-like, except in the upper reaches of the North Thompson and in the higher areas of the plateaus to the north and south of the river (the
323:
444:
173:, summer temperatures are among the hottest in Canada. The region is characterized by sagebrush and rangeland, with benchlands flanking the Thompson's deepening canyon from
546:
396:
365:
401:
209:
484:
286:, based in the Nicola Country but spanning the Thompson and including some of the Shuswap, is one of the world's largest. Near Cache Creek, the historic
240:
855:
464:
459:
454:
449:
434:
406:
358:
243:
to be opened by the government to land alienation and active settlement by non-indigenous peoples. Fur traders originally used what was known as the
823:
479:
426:
137:
at the
Thompson's confluence with the Fraser is usually referred to as being part of the Fraser Canyon. That is also applied to the highway from
161:, respectively). Because of the low elevation of the valley's floor, winter temperatures are not too severe. As the region is in the immediate
850:
860:
474:
94:. The Thompson nomenclature is still used today, although not as an official designation. It is often used combination forms, such as the
439:
638:
578:
469:
99:
126:
633:
618:
142:
502:
416:
16:
287:
218:
182:
845:
799:
653:
556:
506:
47:
411:
174:
134:
342:
Aerial view of classic
Thompson Country landscape, looking northeast from above the mouth of the Nicola River
341:
185:
for the title of "Canada's Hot Spot", with summer temperatures regularly above 40 °C (100 °F).
565:
138:
75:
232:. From Spences Bridge downstream, the Thompson and the Nicola basins are the territory of the various
201:. Logging and tourism are other traditionally important industries, especially in the North Thompson.
95:
671:
260:
252:
122:
118:
114:
295:
National
Railway parallels the North Thompson, and the Canadian Pacific Railway the South Thompson.
756:
741:
623:
807:
291:
283:
279:
and its distant goldfields. This area has been important to the history of
British Columbia.
691:
593:
531:
229:
214:
154:
106:
79:
113:
usually referred to separately. The term "North
Thompson" used to refer to the valley of the
716:
696:
666:
643:
541:
382:
304:
190:
177:
downstream. Desert and, higher up, pine-covered mountains and hillsides flank the river and
158:
771:
751:
736:
721:
686:
588:
521:
276:
239:
The
Thompson Country, the South Thompson in particular, was one of the first areas of the
198:
166:
130:
761:
726:
676:
661:
628:
613:
573:
536:
256:
233:
110:
83:
51:
839:
811:
766:
746:
711:
701:
598:
272:
264:
244:
178:
170:
102:. Weather forecasts and tourism information refer to the area as Thompson-Shuswap.
603:
583:
350:
268:
55:
608:
511:
194:
162:
706:
282:
Many of the earliest ranches in the Interior are still operating today. The
225:
71:
345:
86:
to the south. Prior to their dominance, French traders referred to this as
731:
516:
248:
59:
20:
117:. The term "South Thompson" refers not only to the short valley of the
681:
526:
121:
but also to Kamloops and towns westward along the Thompson and the
208:
181:, which lies at the heart of the region. Lytton vies with nearby
15:
354:
70:
The term originated among Scots and English in the days of the
224:
Most of the Thompson Country is the territory of the
652:
564:
555:
493:
425:
389:
74:, who described Thompson Country as lying between
267:. Its western portion was the key section of the
217:train traversing the Thompson River Valley near
366:
8:
50:, more or less defined by the basin of the
561:
373:
359:
351:
46:, is a historic geographic region of the
316:
23:is the focal point of Thompson Country
48:Southern Interior of British Columbia
7:
819:
228:people, who traditionally spoke a
14:
856:Thompson-Nicola Regional District
346:Randall & Kat's Flying Photos
100:Thompson-Nicola Regional District
818:
806:
795:
794:
58:; the major city in the area is
141:to Spences Bridge or sometimes
460:Mountain resort municipalities
251:via Kamloops northwestward to
38:and historically known as the
1:
54:. This is a tributary of the
851:Interior of British Columbia
824:WikiProject:British Columbia
861:History of British Columbia
450:Indian government districts
877:
241:Colony of British Columbia
800:Category:British Columbia
789:
255:, by the last leg of the
133:downstream from there to
445:District municipalities
417:Counties (court system)
221:
30:, also referred to as
24:
547:Census agglomerations
465:Resort municipalities
455:Island municipalities
247:, which ran from the
212:
78:to the north and the
34:and sometimes as the
19:
672:Bridge River Country
325:The Thompson Country
261:Washington Territory
197:and the rest of the
123:Trans-Canada Highway
119:South Thompson River
115:North Thompson River
757:Similkameen Country
742:Peace River Country
624:Sea-to-Sky Corridor
327:, Mark Sweeten Wade
149:Climate and terrain
397:Regional districts
284:Douglas Lake Ranch
222:
25:
833:
832:
785:
784:
692:Chilcotin Country
594:Discovery Islands
532:Greater Vancouver
230:Salishan language
193:country, towards
155:Bonaparte Plateau
107:Bonaparte Country
96:Thompson-Okanagan
80:Columbia District
868:
846:Thompson Country
822:
821:
810:
798:
797:
777:Thompson Country
717:Lillooet Country
697:Columbia Country
667:Boundary Country
644:Vancouver Island
562:
542:Greater Victoria
402:School districts
383:British Columbia
381:Subdivisions of
375:
368:
361:
352:
329:
321:
305:Lillooet Country
191:Shuswap Highland
159:Thompson Plateau
92:Couteau District
88:Couteau Country
66:Origin and usage
44:Couteau District
28:Thompson Country
876:
875:
871:
870:
869:
867:
866:
865:
836:
835:
834:
829:
781:
772:Stikine Country
752:Shuswap Country
737:Omineca Country
722:Nechako Country
687:Cassiar Country
648:
589:Cowichan Valley
551:
522:Greater Kelowna
495:
494:Metro areas and
489:
485:Indian reserves
421:
385:
379:
338:
333:
332:
322:
318:
313:
301:
277:Cariboo Plateau
271:connecting the
207:
199:Shuswap Country
167:Coast Mountains
151:
131:Thompson Canyon
68:
40:Couteau Country
36:Thompson Valley
12:
11:
5:
874:
872:
864:
863:
858:
853:
848:
838:
837:
831:
830:
828:
827:
815:
803:
790:
787:
786:
783:
782:
780:
779:
774:
769:
764:
762:Skeena Country
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
727:Nicola Country
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
677:Bulkley Valley
674:
669:
664:
662:Atlin District
658:
656:
650:
649:
647:
646:
641:
639:Sunshine Coast
636:
631:
629:Skeena Country
626:
621:
616:
614:Lower Mainland
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
574:Alberni Valley
570:
568:
559:
553:
552:
550:
549:
544:
539:
537:Greater Vernon
534:
529:
524:
519:
514:
509:
499:
497:
496:agglomerations
491:
490:
488:
487:
482:
477:
472:
467:
462:
457:
452:
447:
442:
437:
435:Municipalities
431:
429:
423:
422:
420:
419:
414:
412:Health regions
409:
407:Land districts
404:
399:
393:
391:
387:
386:
380:
378:
377:
370:
363:
355:
349:
348:
337:
336:External links
334:
331:
330:
315:
314:
312:
309:
308:
307:
300:
297:
288:Ashcroft Manor
257:Okanagan Trail
206:
203:
150:
147:
127:Spences Bridge
111:Nicola Country
84:Oregon Country
67:
64:
52:Thompson River
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
873:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
843:
841:
826:
825:
816:
814:
813:
812:Portal:Canada
809:
804:
802:
801:
792:
791:
788:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
767:Slocan Valley
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
747:Robson Valley
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
712:Liard Country
710:
708:
705:
703:
702:Fraser Canyon
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
659:
657:
655:
651:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
599:Fraser Valley
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
579:Central Coast
577:
575:
572:
571:
569:
567:
563:
560:
558:
554:
548:
545:
543:
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
504:
501:
500:
498:
492:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
446:
443:
441:
438:
436:
433:
432:
430:
428:
424:
418:
415:
413:
410:
408:
405:
403:
400:
398:
395:
394:
392:
388:
384:
376:
371:
369:
364:
362:
357:
356:
353:
347:
343:
340:
339:
335:
328:
326:
320:
317:
310:
306:
303:
302:
298:
296:
293:
289:
285:
280:
278:
274:
273:Fraser Canyon
270:
266:
265:Fraser Canyon
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
245:Brigade Trail
242:
237:
235:
231:
227:
220:
216:
211:
204:
202:
200:
196:
192:
186:
184:
180:
179:Kamloops Lake
176:
172:
171:Cascade Range
168:
164:
160:
156:
148:
146:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
76:New Caledonia
73:
65:
63:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
22:
18:
817:
805:
793:
776:
604:Gulf Islands
584:Comox Valley
390:Subdivisions
324:
319:
292:Semlin Ranch
281:
269:Cariboo Road
238:
223:
187:
152:
125:, as far as
104:
91:
87:
69:
43:
39:
35:
32:The Thompson
31:
27:
26:
634:South Coast
619:North Coast
609:Haida Gwaii
480:Ghost towns
427:Communities
234:Nlaka'pamux
143:Cache Creek
840:Categories
512:Chilliwack
503:Abbotsford
311:References
253:Green Lake
195:Adams Lake
163:rainshadow
707:Kootenays
236:nations.
226:Secwepemc
72:fur trade
732:Okanagan
654:Interior
517:Kamloops
475:Villages
299:See also
249:Okanagan
219:Ashcroft
183:Lillooet
60:Kamloops
21:Kamloops
682:Cariboo
557:Regions
527:Nanaimo
507:Mission
275:to the
263:to the
205:History
165:of the
129:. The
440:Cities
175:Savona
135:Lytton
56:Fraser
566:Coast
470:Towns
259:from
290:and
169:and
157:and
139:Hope
109:or
98:or
90:or
82:or
42:or
842::
344:,
215:CN
213:A
145:.
62:.
505:–
374:e
367:t
360:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
