Capital of USA, Washington DC
SOME FAST FACTS
Nickname: American Nation’s Capital
Statehood: Washington, D.C. is not a state or a city. It’s a federal district and it was formed in 1790.
Population : 693,972 (2017)
713,244 (Estimated in 2019)
Capital: Washington DC is the capital of America
Abbreviation: The first U.S. President was George Washington. Washington was named after the president.
The D.C. in the name stands for -“District of Columbia,”
Bird: The official Bird of district is “wood thrush”
State flower: official flower of state is “American beauty rose”
HISTORY
In 1774 a group of representatives from colonies (the First Continental Congress were in need of a place to meet. The delegates firstly met in Pennsylvania. Capital is place where the seat of the Government is, so that’s why initially Pennsylvania was the Capital. George Washington was the first U.S. president, in 1789. At that timeNew York was the capital city.
There were 13 other southern and northern states who wanted a capital which can represent them as well, Which should be between North and South. At that time , all the states of USA were along the East Coast, from Georgia to Hampshire. Then in 1790 Washington chose a city in the middle between the states of Maryland and Virginia.
America’s founders were really concerned about that the local people of Washington DC may influence the Congress unfairly so they decided that the locals of Washington DC would not be able to have representation in the House or the Senate. Even now, Residents of Washington DC do not have representation in Congress but they can have a right to vote in federal elections.
In 1812 the war broke out, Great Britain nearly destroyed the city. For some time population of the city remained small but it again expanded when newly freed slaves came to live there after Emancipation Proclamation in 1863,
Washington, D.C. is a 68 square mile federal district. There are many important buildings in this Washington DC, Including the USA capitol where assembly members meet, White House, Residence of the president and the building of Supreme Court. There are some important landmarks in this city like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
WHY’S IT CALLED THAT?
Washington was named after first president of United states of America, George Washington and DC stands for District of Columbia, and it is named after Christopher Columbus.
GEOGRAPHY AND LANDFORMS
West boarder of Washington DC divides D.C. from Virginia, there is a Potomac River in its west. On its east side The Anacostia River runs.
Washington D.C. has several islands in the Potomac River, like Theodore Roosevelt Island, it is visited by locals. There is Kingman Island as well, on Anacostia River a man made this island. On this island popular festival of bluegrass are hosted there in Summers.
If you are a Wilder kind of a person, don’t miss Rock Creek Park. About three square miles, There are over 32 mile of hiking trails, horse riding, and deer, coyotes, raccoons, and foxes lives there.
WILDLIFE
It has a lot of Wild life in spite the fact that it is a very bustling city. You can find mammals including Virginia opossums,groundhogs, flying squirrels and brown bats .Birds include cardinals, the official bird the wood thrush, and great blue herons. You will see amphibians like bullfrogs,toads, and tree frogs and reptiles such as box turtles, even venomous copperhead snakes and garter snake. You will see trees like maple, oak, Cedar and cherry and colorful flowers like, bleeding hearts, columbine , geraniums, sunflowers, and bluebells.
FUN STUFF
• The DC residents want it to become a state on its own so that it can have a representation in Congress. If that would happen the name of the DC will be changed to Columbia. The first presentment George never lived in White house. The first president lived in White house was President John Adams and his wife Abigail Adams.
• Al Gore, Bill Nye, and Duke Ellington were born here and abolitionist Frederick Douglass spent last 17 years of his life in Washington D.C. His house is now open to public and a national historic site.
• In the early days the main boulevard reminded some famous visitors of DC like Paris, the capital city of France. Pierre Charles L’Enfant who designed Washington was mainly influenced by Paris when he designed the city. James Smithson, Another European, gave Washington, D.C. the Smithsonian Institution (group of 17 museums), you can have a look at the Hope Diamond in this group of museum, Wright Brothers made history in flying the plane.
• Washington D.C. is home to another institution, National Geographic, The society of National Geographic was founded in Washington D.C. in 1888 and its head quarter is still there.