Washington, DC is the capital and seat of government of the United States of America. There is also a US state called Washington.
Washington, DC (formally also District of Columbia) is the capital and seat of government of the United States. The federal district is located on the east coast of the United States and does not belong to any state itself. Washington, DC covers an area of 177 km² and the metropolitan area has around 7.5 million residents (as of 2018). In the direct city area, however, there are only 700,000 residents (as of 2018).
The most famous building in Washington, DC is without a doubt the White House, the official residence and official residence of the US President. Furthermore, the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial are located in the city. The United States Capitol is the seat of law and Congress. The classical building houses a number of works of art that are related to the history of America. Just outside is the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense.
Washington, DC is not to be confused with Washington State. Apart from its role as the capital of the United States, the city and the state are neither geographically nor administratively related in any particular way. Only the name connects them, because both were named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.
District of Columbia
Federal District of Columbia, is the capital of the United States of America. This is where the exciting political events take place, in the Georgetown district you have the feeling that you are in Great Britain and on the “National Mall” one museum after another is lined up. The authentic charm of the city is also reflected in the name – this is made up of the surname of the first American President George Washington and “Colombia”. The latter is an outdated poetic expression for the USA, which is derived from the European discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus.
The federal capital, which as a separate district does not belong to any state, is administered by the federal government. Washington DC is an attractive and interesting city from a historical and political point of view. All institutions of the federal government and the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and many other organizations can be found here. In addition, the capital offers a lot of cultural attractions, such as the Smithsonian Institute or the National Gallery or culinary highlights such as Ben’s Chili Bowl.
The sights from different areas such as culture, history and politics attract numerous tourists from all over the world.
Location: near the east coast, approx. 35 km from Chesapeake Bay, between the states of Maryland and Virginia
Population: approx. 618,000 (metropolitan area: approx. 5.6 million)
Area: 3,886 / km²
Nicknames: The American Rome, Federal City, A Capital City, DMV (District – Maryland – Virginia)
Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All)
History: Washington DC was officially established in 1790 by taking parts of the land of the states of Maryland and Virginia along the Potomac River and then making that land a new federal district. Then the engineer and architect Pierre L’Enfant was commissioned to plan and design the new capital. His plans took into account 800,000 residents at the time, although there were just 5,000 residents at the time. In 1800 the government was officially moved from Philadelphia to the district and Congress held its first session in Washington. John Adams was the first President to reside in the White House. In the early 19th century, large parts of the city were destroyed by British troops as a result of the British-American War of 1812.
Since the middle of the 19th century the population grew steadily and the city developed. Indeed, in the middle of the 20th century, Pierre L’Enfant’s vision of a city of 800,000 became a reality.
Washington DC has always been the scene of much political activity and is always in the public eye. As a result, it does not always remain peaceful in the government city: The 1960’s were a turbulent time, because after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., there were riots in many places that led to destruction in the city. In some cases it took until the 1990’s for some of the burned down buildings to be rebuilt. Another tragic incident occurred in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when an airplane (American Airlines Flight 77) was directed into the Pentagon, home of the Department of Defense near DC in Arlington, Virginia.
Cultural & Attractions: Smithsonian Institute – e.g. B. National Air and Space Museum, American Art Museum, National Museum of American History, National Postal Museum, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of Natural History, Holocaust Museum, National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol, National Mall, Supreme Court, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, National Zoo, National Museum of the American Indian, Hirschorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Union Station, Dupont Circle, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ford’s Theater, Folger Shakespeare Library, etc.
Famous People: Pete Sampras (tennis player), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (author), John Edgar Hoover (FBI first director), Edward “Duke” Ellington (composer, jazz musician, artist), Al Gore (former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner), Samuel L. Jackson (actor), Goldie Hawn (actress), Dave Chappelle (comedian, actor, artist, producer) and many more.