A very common mistake is the opinion that the capital of the United States of America - the city of Washington - is located in a state that has the same name. In a geography exam, such an answer will be regarded as unsatisfactory. Because the state of Washington is located very far from the District of Columbia, where the capital of the United States is located. Even if for someone this fact is a sensation.
Geographical Facts
The state of Washington is located on the Pacific coast of the country. This is the extreme northwestern part of the continental United States, if you do not take into account Alaska, located separately. Washington is bordered in the north by the Canadian province of British Columbia, as well as the states of Oregon in the south and Idaho in the east. The administrative capital of the state is the city of Olympia, and the largest and in many respects noteworthy city is Seattle. Washington occupies the eighteenth place in the country in its area. Climatically, the state belongs to the middle lane and is comfortable enough to live in any season of the year.
From the history of the state
Europeans reached these remote territories on the Pacific coast only in the second half of the eighteenth century. These were the Spaniards, and a little later, the British. The coast of the strait separating the territory of modern Washington state from what was later called British Columbia was explored and mapped by the famous British navigator James Cook. Beginning in 1819, this stretch of coast was controlled by the United States and included in an area called Oregon. In 1854, the northern portion of this territory became the Autonomous District of Columbia, which was later renamed in honor of one of the so-called "founding fathers" of the North American United States, George Washington. But the territory received the status of a full-fledged US state only on November 11, 1889, after some border changes. Thus, Washington became the forty-second state in the country.
Nature
The state of Washington is well known to all fans of Hollywood cinematography. His visual image is involved in many films. It’s enough to recall only the Twilight saga about vampires, popular in many countries of the world. Her characters live among the mountains and forests of this state. Mountain ranges cover a significant part of the American northwest. The expressive natural landscape, combined with the relatively mild Pacific climate, provides the state with not only comfortable living conditions, but also a high potential for tourism development. The largest cities in Washington state are concentrated in the Pacific coastal zone, which is characterized by a milder climate. In the highlands during the winter season, heavy snowfalls and snowdrifts occur. This circumstance makes some mountain passes and certain sections of motorways temporarily unavailable.
Economics and transport
The peripheral location of the state had a decisive influence on the development of its industrial and transport infrastructure. As the most remote from the center of the territory is always called Washington. Which state is located farther than it? In the continental part of the country - only Alaska. The outskirts of the state and the complex nature of the terrain, characteristic of most of its territory, required a serious approach and significant financial investment in the development of transport communications, providing communication with the center of the country and with the Canadian province in the north. Access to the Pacific Ocean predetermined the development of the state of Washington as a major center of domestic and international shipping. For this purpose, a developed port infrastructure has been built on the entire coast. The northwest of the United States is known for its high technology level. In particular, the main production facilities of Boeing Corporation are located here. On a significant portion of aviation and space technology around the world, you can find the mark "State of Washington, USA." In the state industry, electronics and software development play an important role. In particular, in the city of Redmond, in the suburbs of Seattle, is the headquarters of Microsoft Corporation. The state’s economy is actively exploiting its natural recreational potential. Tourists willingly travel to the west coast both from areas located in the depths of the continental space, and from many other countries of the world.
Seattle
This largest city in Washington State was founded in 1851. Its settlement was named after the influential Native American leader, who enjoyed authority among both Native Americans and immigrants from the east. Seattle is currently one of the largest commercial, industrial, scientific, and cultural centers of the entire west coast of the United States of America. This city on the Pacific coast has its own bright and unique visual lifestyle and lifestyle. The intensity of Seattle's economic growth in the second half of the nineteenth century, among other things, was provided by a large reserve of undeveloped natural resources of the Pacific coast. The famous “gold rush” had a positive effect on the development of the city. It was the starting point from which numerous gold prospectors headed for Alaska. And some of them came back with rich booty. Currently, the economy of the city, like the entire state of Washington, is associated with the development of maritime trade, shipbuilding and high technology.
Seattle Architectural Features
In tourist terms, it is the most attractive city in the north of the west coast. The city has many attractions. The most famous tourist attraction is the Space Needle Tower, erected for the 1962 World's Fair. Its panoramic observation deck offers a magnificent view of the city and its surroundings. The architecture of the business center of the city is peculiar, the skyscrapers of which worthy compete with other American cities in height and at the same time are favorably distinguished by the exclusivity of constructive solutions.