North Cowichan (Canada 2021 Census population 31,990) is a district municipality established in 1873 on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. The municipality is part of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. North Cowichan is noted for a landscape including forests, beaches, rivers, and lakes. The municipality encompasses the communities of Chemainus; Westholme; Crofton; Maple Bay; and "the South End". The latter is an informal name for a built-up area which is essentially a suburb of the City of Duncan, a separate municipality. Geography Located on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, North Cowichan is centrally located immediately north of and adjacent to the city of Duncan and south of Ladysmith. Spanning 193.98 square kilometers, North Cowichan includes the communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Westholme, Maple Bay and the so-called "South End" which is functionally a suburb of Duncan, a separate municipality. Geology The last glacial period, the Fraser Glaciation occurred between 29,000 and 15,000 years ago. The glaciers that formed carved out the Cowichan Valley and left behind glaciers up to 30 metres thick. These fertile lands and mild climate have led to a history rich in agriculture. Climate Sheltered by the mountains of the central Island and the Olympic Peninsula, North Cowichan has a temperate, Mediterranean-like climate, with mild, damp winters with little snowfall and warm, dry summers. North Cowichan is classified as a warm-summer mediterranean climate Csb by the Köppen system. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, North Cowichan had a population of 31,990 living in 13,741 of its 14,266 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 29,696. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The median family income in 2006 for North Cowichan was $62,125, which is below the British Columbia provincial average of $65,787. Ethnicity Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses. Religion According to the 2021 census, religious groups in North Cowichan included: Irreligion (18,180 persons or 57.9%) Christianity (11,885 persons or 37.8%) Sikhism (385 persons or 1.2%) Islam (160 persons or 0.5%) Hinduism (150 persons or 0.5%) Buddhism (125 persons or 0.4%) Indigenous Spirituality (70 persons or 0.2%) Judaism (60 persons or 0.2%) Communities Chemainus Crofton Maple Bay South End (adjacent to the City of Duncan) Transportation North Cowichan is serviced by the Maple Bay Airport (YAQ), which offers services to Vancouver Downtown, Vancouver Airport,