Washington, D.C.
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, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Organization of American States (OAS). 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, a large open park that has many monuments and museums. Washington D.C.'s many museums and monuments make it 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 U.S. state called Washington. To help with the confusion, sometimes the state of Washington is called "Washington State". The 2005 U.S. Census Bureau said that about 582,049 people live in the District of Columbia.
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 lived in 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.
The 1789 United States Constitution said that a capital city would be created in a district, but did not say where it should be. James Madison and others thought it should be far away from other states and cities. This way, it would be independent and not controlled by any state. In 1790, a compromise was reached and capital was placed between Virginia and Maryland. It was a square, ten miles long on each side, and split by the Potomac River, which separated the two states. Half of the district was in Maryland and the other half was in Virginia, and the two states gave this land to the government. In 1791, it was named "Washington, the District of Columbia" to honor George Washington. "Columbia" was another name for North America.
City Design.
Washington, D.C. was planned before it was built. Pierre L'Enfant drew a plan for the city that said where all the streets, parks, and important buildings would be. Unlike most U.S. cities, D.C. has many roundabouts or traffic circles. The city was supposed to have long and wide avenues, and many open spaces for monuments and parks. The National Mall, a large park that connected the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument, was one of the most important parts of L'Enfant's plan.
Local Government.
Washington, D.C. is not a state, and its citizens have less control over their city than most Americans. While D.C. has an elected mayor and a city council since 1973, the U.S. Congress controls the local government and can overturn or get rid of any local laws. Congress and the people of D.C. often do not agree on what is best.
In Congress.
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. are not 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.
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