Short answers, pulled from the story.
Indigenous peoples including Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Coast Salish groups have called Vancouver Island home for thousands of years. The Kwakwaka'wakw occupy northern regions while the Nuu-chah-nulth span the west coast and Coast Salish cover southeastern areas.
Europeans began exploring Vancouver Island in 1774 when Spain sent expeditions following rumors of Russian fur traders. Captain James Cook spent a month at Nootka Sound during his third voyage in 1778, claiming it for Great Britain.
British naval captain George Vancouver arrived in 1792 to negotiate with Spanish counterpart Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra. Their friendly meeting led to a proposal that the island be named after both men as Quadra and Vancouver Island before Vancouver wrote to the British Admiralty explaining he honored Bodega y Quadra's request.
The highest point on Vancouver Island is Golden Hinde at 1,210 meters within Strathcona Provincial Park. This peak represents the maximum elevation across the entire territory spanning approximately 31,284 square kilometers.
The Vancouver Island Ranges divide the land into a wet west coast and drier east coast due to the rain shadow effect. Average annual precipitation ranges from 3,660 millimeters at Hucuktlis Lake on the west coast to just 590 millimeters at Victoria Gonzales.