Washington, D.C.
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| District of Columbia | |||||
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| Nickname: "'DC, The District'" | |||||
| Motto: "'Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All)" | |||||
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| Coordinates: | |||||
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| Country | United States | ||||
| Federal District | District of Columbia | ||||
| Government | |||||
| - Mayor | Adrian Fenty (D) | ||||
| - D.C. Council | Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) |
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| Area | |||||
| - City | 177.0 km² (68.3 sq mi) | ||||
| - Land | 159.0 km² (61.4 sq mi) | ||||
| - Water | 18.0 km² (6.9 sq mi) | ||||
| Elevation | 0-410 ft / 0-125 m | ||||
| Population | |||||
| - City (2005) | 582,049[1] | ||||
| - Density | 3,481/km² (9,015/sq mi) | ||||
| - Urban | 5.8 million | ||||
| - Metro | 8,026,807 | ||||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||||
| Website: http://www.dc.gov/ | |||||
Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States. It is where the President and the other U.S. government groups live and work. Washington was named after the first U.S. President, George Washington. The "D.C." stands for "District of Columbia", because it is not in any U.S. state. At first, it was made up of a little piece from Virginia south of the Potomac River and a little piece from Maryland north of the Potomac River. In 1849, Virginia's piece was returned to it, and is now Arlington County and part of the city of Alexandria. Since 1849, all of Washington D.C. is on the north side of the Potomac River.
Washington D.C. is the home of all three branches of the U.S. government: Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court. It is also the home of the World Bank. Because it is the home of the President and is important to American politics, many groups hold large demonstrations and protests. These are often on the National Mall. There are also many national landmarks, monuments, and museums. This makes Washington D.C. a popular place for tourists to visit.
Washington D.C. is called many things by many different people. It can be called D.C., The District of Columbia, The District, or sometimes just Washington. This can be confusing because there is also a state called Washington. To help with the confusion, sometimes the state of Washington is called "Washington State". The 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 582,049 people live in the District of Columbia.
[change] History
When English people first came to the area, there was a Native American village on the spot called Nakochtank. This name survives in the name of the Anacostia River. This river was known for the healing properties of its pure water, and it is recorded that the Emperor Powhatan, who resided at what is now Richmond, Virginia, made the trip all the way to Nakochtank once for this reason. Today this river is one of the most polluted in the world.
[change] Representation
The license plates on the cars in Washington D.C. say "Taxation Without Representation". This is a protest over the fact that the people who live in D.C. aren't represented with a vote in the Congress, but they still have to pay taxes. They are represented in the House of Representatives by someone who can take part in debates but cannot vote. This is ironic because one of the reasons the American Revolution took place was because the Thirteen Colonies were angry about having to pay taxes to England without having voting rights.
[change] References
- ↑ Washington Post. Population Revision 'Big Deal' For D.C.. Retrieved on 26 July 2006.
| Political divisions of the United States | |
|---|---|
| States | Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| National capital | District of Columbia |
| Island areas | American Samoa • Baker Island • Guam • Howland Island • Jarvis Island • Johnston Atoll • Kingman Reef • Midway Atoll • Navassa Island • Northern Mariana Islands • Palmyra Atoll • Puerto Rico • Virgin Islands • Wake Island |
| Hypothetical states | 51st state |
