British Columbia /ˌbrɪtɪʃ kəˈlʌmbiə/, also commonly referred to by its initials B.C., is a province located on the west coast of Canada. British Columbia is also a component of the Pacific Northwest, along with the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. The province's name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858, reflecting its origins as the British remainder of the Columbia District of the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.