Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. The formal name of the city is The District of Columbia, but the city is casually referred to as simply Washington (not to be confused with the state), the District, or simply D.C.

History

The District of Columbia was founded on July 16, 1790. Washington D.C. lies on the Potomac, a river which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The city borders Virginia and Maryland. The original capital of the United States of America was located in New York, and then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, after a strike in Philly occurred, James Madison proposed a capital which was a district without a state. The south wanted the capital to be closer to them, near their interests. With that, Washington D.C. was made the Capital of the United States. The capital city has never been under foreign attack except for the war of 1812 and the attacks on September the 11, 2001. In the latter of which, a jet hijacked by terrorists was heading towards the White House to crash into it. The plan failed when passengers stormed the cockpit over Pennsylvania, causing the plane to crash into a field and killing everyone on board. A second plane did crash into the Pentagon Building, resulting in 125 deaths.

Government

Washington D.C. is a federal district, with the United States Congress holding supreme authority. In 1973, Home Rule was established which gave D.C. residents more control over their own governance. The city is governed by a mayor and a 13-member city council but the Congress retains veto rights over locally-elected laws. DC elects one shadow (non-voting) representative to the House of Representatives but elects no Senators. Residents may participate in Presidential elections.

Landmarks

The city contains a number of governmental building including the American Congress, the Supreme Court and the White House. Aside from these buildings the city is known for the following landmarks:

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson MemorialThe Washington MonumentThe Capitol Building

The Pentagon

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Museums

Washington contains a numerous assortment of museums, including:

The National Museum of Crime and Punishment

The Newseum

The International Spy Museum

The National Holocaust museum

The National Archives

The Smithsonian Institution, which is a group consisting of the following museums:

• National Air and Space Museum
• African Art Museum
• American Art Museum
• National Museum of American History
• American Indian Museum
• Anacostia Community Museum
• Arts and Industries Building
• Freer Gallery of Art
• Hirshhorn Museum
• National Zoo
• Natural History Museum
• National Portrait Gallery
• Postal Museum
• Smithsonian Castle

Trivia

The World Bank HQ is located in Washington D.C.

The City is home to the President of the Unites States, Congress, and the Pentagon.

Visitors are sometimes surprised to discover that the National Mall is not a shopping center but is actually a large field of grass bordered by museums, with the US Capitol Building at one end and the Washington Monument at the other.

The Tidal Basin is surrounded by cherry trees, which were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912. The Cherry Blossom Festival is held every spring.

Due to the presence of the government, D.C. has a very large population of lawyers. It is estimated that there is one lawyer for every 10 city residents.

The Washington Monument has an obvious color change about one third of the way up the obelisk. This is because building was halted during the Civil War. After the war ended, the production continued, but the rock was sent in from a different quarry, causing the change in color.

Washington D.C. plays a major role in Fallout 3. The player explores the remnants of the city and surrounding area after a devastating nuclear war and can explore the Capitol Building, ride up to the top of the Washington Monument, fight on the National Mall, and more. Washington D.C. is also featured in Modern Warfare 2 and is shown as a war torn city.