Washington DC Details

Washington, DC is the capital of the United States. It is located on the north of the Potomac River, bordering Virginia to the south west and Maryland to the other sides of the state. Washington, DC was actually founded on July 16, 1790. It became a city by virtue of an act in Congress in 1871. This city has a total land area of 61.4 sq mi (159.0 km2).

The name Washington, DC is derived from the name of Columbus. This city served as the gateway for African Americans emigrating from the south.

Washington,DC features tree-shaded thoroughfares and many open vistas. It boasts of impressive government buildings and homes made of white or gray stones. This city houses the Capitol and the White House. It also boasts of other important buildings and historical sites such as the Pentagon, the Library of Congress, the National Archives Building, Constitution Hall, the Ronald Reagan Building, the Watergate apartment complex, and the headquarters of the World Bank.

Washington’s economy is supported by its federal government and tourism. Among its major tourists destinations include the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. It boasts of various monuments such as the Washington Monument,the Lincoln Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, overlooking the Tidal Basin.

Washington has an estimated population of 591,833 (2008 estimate).