Washington DC Summary

Updated: 19.03.2020

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Washington DC Summary

River: Potomac
Population: 705 thousand (metropolitan area 6,2 million)
Federal district: District of Columbia (DC)
Founded: 1791 by the Residence Act of 1790
Sights: Washington Mall, the Capitol, Washington Monument, the White House, Lincoln Memorial, National Cathedral, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, the Library of Congress
Fact: governed by the Congress, not part of any state
Not in the city: Pentagon, the headquarters of the Department of Defense, situated in Arlington County, Virginia

Washington DC is a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and it is not a part of any state. It is situated on the Potomac River, on the East Coast, between the states of Virginia and Maryland. The city it the capital of the US and the official residence of all three branches of the federal government.
          The National Mall commonly refers to the area between the Lincoln Memorial on the west and east to the US Capitol grounds and it is divided by the Washington Monument in the centre. The US Congress meets in the Capitol Building, located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. The official residence the President is the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The first president to live there was John Adams, because the White House was completed a year after George Washington died. The Supreme Court meets in the Supreme Court Building, east of the Capitol, at 1 First Street, NE.
          There are many iconic sights in the area of the National Mall, especially memorials. The most famous it probably the Washington Monument, an obelisk built to commemorate George Washington, it is the tallest obelisk in the world. The Lincoln Memorial honors the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, it is a Greek temple with a huge seated sculpture. The Jefferson Memorial is a neoclassical building with a standing bronze statue of Jefferson and a panel with excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. There are also the National WWII Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
          The city was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital and planned by a French-born architect, Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant. It was named after George Washington, the first President and a Founding Father of the US. Today, it is the 20th most populous city in the US.
          The city is one of the most visited cities in the world, more than 20 million tourists annually, tourism is the second largest industry of the district. The city has about 19% of parkland, there are 24 national parks within the district. By law, the city's skyline is low, the tallest structure is the Washington Monument, 169m.
          The district has growing industries of professional and business service jobs and 25% of its citizens are employed by a federal governmental agency. Many law firms, defense contractors, nonprofit organisations and professional associations have their headquarters near or within Washington DC. There are also growing industries connected to education, finance and scientific research.

National Mall