Once known formally as the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States of America. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia and Maryland. There are almost 600,000 residents populating the district with that figure swelling to over a million during the workweek with commuters from surrounding areas. The Washington Metropolitan Area has a population over 5.3 the eighth largest metropolitan area in the United States.
The Nacotchtank were the original inhabitants of the area around the Anacostia River now known as Washington with the first European settlers arriving in the 17th century. The American Native people largely had relocated from the area in the early 18th century.
With an attack on the Congress at Philadelphia in 1783 James Madison expounded the need for a federal district distinct from the states in order for maintenance and safety on January 23, 1788. On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act provided for a new permanent capital to be located on the Potomac River, the exact area was to be selected by President George Washington. On September 9, 1791, the federal city was named in honor of Washington.
The centers of the three branches of the Federal Government of the United States are located in the district. Hosting 174 foreign embassies, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States (OAS) makes Washington, D.C. the epicenter of National and International institutions.
The architecture of Washington is a major prize in the capitals cabinet, with six of the top ten buildings in the American Institute of Architects in the 2007 ranking with the White House; the Washington National Cathedral; the Thomas Jefferson Memorial; the United States Capitol; the Lincoln Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The vast styles reflected in these buildings are the neoclassical, Georgian, gothic, and modern styles of the past century. Other noteworthy structures include the Library of Congress and the Old Executive Office Building constructed in the ‘French Second Empire’ style and the largest building in the District with the total area of approximately over 3 million square feet is the Ronald Reagan Building. When you venture outside the downtown of Washington the architectural styles become even more varied.
The National Mall is a large, open park area in the center of the city. Located in the midst of the mall is the Washington Monument. Located also on the mall are the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National World War II Memorial at the east end of the reflecting pool, the Albert Einstein Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
The National Archives Building located north of the National Mall on Constitution Avenue holds the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Also the 1297 Magna Carta is housed there and with the three main formative documents of the United States and its government is displayed to the public in the main chamber. Visitors are allowed to walk and look between the main documents but no flash photography is allowed. The Building also houses the Emancipation Proclamation and the Louisiana Purchase along with photos and historically and culturally significant artifacts of America.
The Tidal Basin is on the South of the Mall with its rows of Japanese cherry blossoms that were gifted to the U.S. from Japan. The Jefferson Memorial, The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the District of Columbia War Memorial are found around the Tidal Basin.
Most of the nations official museums and galleries in Washington, D.C. are maintained by the Smithsonian Institution. The collections of the Smithsonian are free of charge with the most visited the National Museum of Natural History located on the National Mall others located on the mall are The National Air and Space Museum; the National Museum of African Art; the National Museum of American History; the National Museum of the American Indian; the Sackler and Freer galleries, which both focus on Asian art and culture; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; the Arts and Industries Building; the S. Dillon Ripley Center; and the Smithsonian Institution Building, which serves as the institution's headquarters.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are located in the same building, the Donald W. Reynolds Center, near Washington's Chinatown. The Renwick Gallery is officially part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum but is located in a separate building near the White House. Other Smithsonian museums and galleries include: the Anacostia Community Museum in Southeast Washington; the National Postal Museum near Union Station; and the National Zoo in Woodley Park.
The National Gallery of Art is located near the Capitol on the National Mall owned by the U.S. government admission is free. There are also many private museums which house major collections and exhibitions open to the public such as National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips collection, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the International Spy Museum, the National Geographic Society Museum and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to name a few.
Washington is a National center for the arts. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts located along the Potomac River, is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. Legends Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and John Coltrane have played at institutions such as the Bohemian Caverns and the Lincoln Theater.
There are numerous professional teams in Washington with the Wizards (NBA), Capitals (NHL), Nationals (MLB), D.C. United (MSL), and Redskins (NFL) representing the men. The women are represented by the Mystics (WNBA), Glory (Softball), and the Freedom (Soccer).
Besides its bureaucratic exterior Washington is not a boring city. The residents of this town work hard and play even harder in what is a cosmopolitan hub with embassies and international institutions combined with national icons and monuments. The arts and cultural houses of the city make for compelling spectaculars to its audience alongside a world city that embodies the American dream.
Source:
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