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Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named for George Washington, the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation.
The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. As such, Washington, D.C., is not part of any state, and is not one itself. The Residence Act, adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. The city was founded in 1791, and the 6th Congress held the first session in the unfinished Capitol Building in 1800 after the capital moved from Philadelphia. In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria, was officially recognized as the federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia, including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it created a single municipality for the remaining portion of the district. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state since the 1880s; a statehood bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate.
Washington, D.C. anchors the southern end of the Northeast megalopolis. As the seat of the U.S. federal government, the city is an important world political capital. The city hosts the buildings that house federal government headquarters, including the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, and multiple federal departments and agencies. The city is home to many national monuments and museums, located most prominently on or around the National Mall, including the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. It hosts 177 foreign embassies and serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks, D.C. is known as a lobbying hub, with K Street as the industry center. The city had 20.7 million domestic visitors and 1.2 million international visitors, ranking seventh among U.S. cities as of 2022. (Full article...)
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Did you know...
- ... that residents reported the first cycling club in Washington, D.C., to the police over concerns that bicycles posed a danger to pedestrians?
- ... that a TV station in Washington, D.C., held on-air monkey races as part of its children's programming?
- ... that new employees of a business headquartered in the Editors Building chose their office decorations from a 7,000-piece collection of historic memorabilia of Washington, D.C.?
- ... that Roland Jefferson, the first African-American botanist to work at the U.S. National Arboretum, helped preserve the famous flowering cherry trees in Washington, D.C.?
- ... that Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, modeled on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the statehood of Tennessee in 1996?
- ... that health economist Selma Mushkin estimated in the early 1970s that up to 50 percent of poor children in Washington, D.C., were affected by lead poisoning?
In the news
- 17 September 2024 – Ituri conflict
- CODECO militants kill ten civilians in an overnight attack on a Hema village in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of the victims were beheaded, according to local authorities. (Reuters)
- 25 July 2024 – Israel–Hamas war, Israel–United States relations
- July 2024 protest in Washington, D.C.
- The White House and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris issue statements strongly condemning vandalism and American flag burning during pro-Palestinian and anti-Benjamin Netanyahu protests in Washington, D.C., yesterday, with Harris calling them "despicable acts" by "unpatriotic protesters". (AP) (Politico)
- 24 July 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
- July 2024 protest in Washington, D.C.
- A series of protests occur across Washington, D.C., to protest a speech given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint session of the United States Congress. (Reuters) (WRC-TV)
- 23 July 2024 – Israel–Hamas war protests in the United States
- Thousands of anti-war protestors led by Jewish Voice for Peace stage a sit-in at a congressional office building in Washington D.C., U.S., ahead of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit, with over 400 people, including rabbis, being arrested by Capitol Police. (AP)
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