<P> Human history in what has come to be known as British Columbia dates back thousands of years . Archaeology has identified dates in British Columbia as early as 13,500 years ago, with some exciting potential for underwater sites beginning to be detected . </P> <P> The geography of the land influenced cultural development of the peoples - and in places, allowed for cultural development of permanent villages, complex social institutions and a huge range of languages . BC is divided by anthropological theory into three cultural areas - the Northwest Coast, The Plateau and the North . First Nations in each area developed customs and approaches to living that fit the resources in the region . Through much of British Columbia salmon are available and formed a substantial part of the diet where available . The term pre-contact is used to describe the time period prior to contact between First Nations and European explorers . The precise time of contact varied according to circumstance but took place on the coast between the 1770s and 1800 . In places in the Interior it occurred later . </P> <P> British Columbia, before the arrival of the Europeans, was home to many Indigenous peoples speaking more than 30 different languages, including Babine - Witsuwit'en, Danezaa (Beaver), Carrier, Chilcotin, Gitxsan, Haida, Halkomelem, Kaska, Kutenai, Lillooet, Nisga'a, Nuu - chah - nulth, Nuxalk, Sekani, Shuswap, Sinixt, Squamish, Tagish, Tahltan, Thompson, Tlingit, Tsetsaut, and Tsimshian . There was frequent contact between bands and voyages across the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca were common . </P> <P> The abundance of natural resources, such as salmon and cedar, enabled the development of a complex hierarchical society within coastal communities . With so much food being available, the peoples of the coastal regions could focus their time on other pursuits such as art, politics, and warfare . </P>

Who were the first settlers in british columbia
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